Howard Johnson by Wyndham Salem Hotel & Conference Center — Hotel in Salem

Dear Sir/Madam:

I am leaving this note to express my disgust of my stay at this hotel(Howard Johnson/Wyndham) from Wednesday, October 2nd - Friday, October 4th, 2024. First, my room key wouldn't function properly. Someone was called to replace the batteries in the unit. That didn't fix the problem. I still had to insert the keycard in the slot quickly and repeatedly several times before the light sustained green. Early Thursday morning I walked around to find your "fitness center", which was the main reason I chose your hotel to be as close to the area where I am doing business. I was very disappointed to find a room padlocked full of junk. I also discovered there were also several rooms in total disarray and the Ice machine was not working. I probably would've been somewhat OK with the keycard thing, but not having the fitness center was my tipping point. IF YOU ADVERTISE SOMETHING, YOU BETTER HAVE IT!!!! I went to the front desk to express my unhappiness, to which I was given a new room. At the same time I called Hopper, the site that I booked my stay, to express my feelings. The representative told me that I couldn't get a refund because the room I accepted which was offered by the desk person here was an "upgrade". The room I was in was a King, and the new room was a King. The rooms were identical. There was nothing different or new in the "new" room. Looking back on my screenshots of my booking, I realized that I didn't opt for a refund in my haste to book this just a couple of hours before driving here. Considering, I had only been there overnight, I was hoping there was some way to overlook that. Although, I was still very upset about there not being a fitness center, I was hoping to further talk to someone to see if some kind of compromise could be brokered. Apparently, even knowing that I was still unhappy, the desk person probably figured just giving me a new room would fix everything. I also expected some kind of follow up to even find out. My next step was going to be to ask to speak to the General Manager. Also, I kind of figured that it may have been relayed by the desk person anyway. Now, there's a point where complaining ends and you just have to take action. The VERY LAST STRAW occurred Friday morning. Now, after moving to the new room, I discovered several bugs in the room and on the walls. I killed about 6 before I had to go out to take care of the business I was here to do. When I returned Thursday night, I was already too disgusted to want to stay there any further. I can say that my sleep was not sound thinking about the bugs. Then, in the morning I awake to find not one but two black bugs crawling on the bed. I had noticed that there was a gap at the bottom of the door big enough for them to crawl into the room. When I returned Thursday night, I had placed a folded towel across the bottom of the door to block the gap. Apparently, these bugs were already in the room. With that, I WAS...

I must say, my recent encounter at this hotel was quite the adventure, and it's left me with a tale to tell! My stay began with a misunderstanding about my service dog's certificate, but let me assure you, the story only gets better from there.

When I spoke with the manager, Omar, over the phone, he quickly recognized the error and extended a heartfelt apology. Not only did he graciously allow my furry companion to stay, but he also offered the room at no charge for my inconvenience. What a kind gesture, I thought!

However, here's where it gets whimsically interesting. Upon arrival, an on-site supervisor decided to play the role of the 'rule enforcer' and challenged my right to record the incident, citing their lack of consent. Things took a truly unexpected turn when they summoned the local police to have me removed and trespassed. Now, if that doesn't add a touch of drama to your stay, I don't know what will!

In the midst of this surreal situation, the responding police officers took note of the severity of the issues related to this establishment's actions. It's certainly not every day that you receive such 'creative' customer service, and I'm pleased to report that I promptly made my exit after the cops cleared me – with a good-natured laugh, of course!

As an aside, if you're looking for a more delightful lodging experience, I'd highly recommend Avid Hotel, just a block away. They not only offer superior accommodations but also welcome service animals with open arms. After my unique adventure, it's a breath of fresh air to find a place that truly understands and appreciates the value of service animals.

So, in the spirit of whimsy, I'll remember this stay as an unforgettable chapter in my travels – a tale of mistaken certificates, unexpected plot twists, and a lesson in the importance of genuine service and hospitality. Cheers to turning even the quirkiest of experiences into stories worth...

I’m 100% about to sound like a “Karen”, but hear me out...

If I could rate this hotel a 0 I would! This hotel was beyond unsanitary (you would think it would be otherwise considering Covid). Me and my fiancée thought it would be a decent place to stay for the price and location. Needless to say when we go into our room we weren’t even the slightest bit of comfortable with setting out bags down. The gentleman at the front desk working night shift was very kind and helpful. He offered to give us a different room and see if we like that room better. The first room was completely disgusting, room 309. The second room wasn’t any better. There was stains on the bed throw (looked like old mold) bugs all in the room. A used toothpick on the lamp. The paint on the walls in the bathroom were peeling from no proper ventilation. We didn’t stay either night because it was so dirty. We went across the street to the Hampton which was incredible and well worth the price difference! The manager LIED and said he would give us a full refund once we contacted “hopper” (the website we booked the room through), but once the people contacted the manager again he said he would only do a partial refund. He also said he noticed nothing wrong with the rooms at all, even after I showed him pictures and the sink in the first room was half way broken almost as if someone got body slammed into the right side of it (and it was supposed to be a king suite).

Another thing to note is they aren’t serving breakfast because of COVID, but they failed to tell anyone that. An the hotel across the street “The Hampton” still managed to have a clean and safe free breakfast. The effort shows and the manager here clearly could care less about the people that stay here. He wants his check and that’s all.

Save your money and time please! I wish I would have saw a review like this prior to staying here, it was a last minute...