Babbling Brook Inn — Hotel in Santa Cruz

To the hotel ownership:

I recently stayed at your hotel, and while I understand that new ownership can bring challenges, I believe providing constructive feedback can aid in your efforts to elevate the guest experience. As someone with many years of experience in the hospitality field, I hope these insights prove helpful.

Areas of Concern:

Room Condition: The rooms are in a state of disrepair, with various room components that are outdated and falling apart. A comprehensive renovation is essential to restore the rooms to a condition that meets guest expectations.

Inaccurate Photos: The photos on your website do not reflect the current condition of the rooms. Accurate and up-to-date images are crucial for maintaining trust with your guests.

Furnishings and Decor: There is a notable lack of quality furnishings and decor, and it appears that recent removals have left the rooms feeling bare. Investing in high-quality, themed furnishings can significantly enhance the guest experience.

Amenities: The absence of basic amenities, let alone those expected in a five-star establishment, is evident. Essential amenities such as fridges, microwaves, hair dryers, shelves, and proper luggage storage should be provided. Additionally, ensuring the proper placement of these amenities will improve functionality.

Safety and Building Codes: There are apparent building code and potential safety issues that need immediate attention. Ensuring compliance with safety regulations is paramount.

Accessibility: Accessible lighting, light switches, and electrical outlets are necessary for guest convenience and safety. Addressing these issues will improve the overall guest experience.

Hotel Activities: The lack of hotel-based activities represents a missed opportunity for additional revenue and guest engagement. Introducing activities and recreational facilities will enhance the guest experience and increase profitability.

Noise Levels: The noise from on-site staff and their families, particularly late into the night, is disruptive. Implementing quiet hours and ensuring staff accommodations are separate from guest areas will help mitigate this issue.

Cleanliness: Ensuring the cleanliness of sheets, walls, curtains, bathrooms, floors, and windows is fundamental. A strict housekeeping protocol needs to be enforced to maintain high standards of cleanliness.

Professionalism: The behavior and appearance of the main host and hotel manager were concerning. Instances of unclean clothing, smoking on the premises, and inappropriate attire are unacceptable. Staff training on professionalism and proper dress codes is essential.

Housekeeping: There is a lack of daily and thorough room care. Implementing a more rigorous housekeeping schedule will ensure rooms are consistently well-maintained.

Property Maintenance: Property maintenance appears to be lacking diligence, with issues such as rusting window bars and general disrepair. Regular maintenance checks and prompt repairs are necessary.

Internet Access: Reliable and regularly functioning internet is a basic expectation for guests. Ensuring strong and consistent internet service is crucial.

Recommendations for Improvement:

Renovations: Undertake a comprehensive renovation of the rooms to address structural and aesthetic issues. Updated Photos: Update your website with accurate photos of the current state of the rooms and amenities. Quality Furnishings: Invest in high-quality, themed furnishings and decor to create a welcoming atmosphere. Basic and Advanced Amenities: Provide essential amenities in all rooms and consider adding luxury options to enhance the guest experience. Safety Compliance: Address all building code and safety issues immediately to ensure compliance and guest safety. Accessibility: Ensure that all lighting, switches, and outlets are easily accessible.

By addressing these areas, your hotel can significantly enhance guest satisfaction and build a strong reputation. I hope this feedback assists you in...

This place is using outdated photos based on the dates that I can see from when they were uploaded. I feel that I was falsely advertised to by this place as well as Hotels.com, which was how I booked my stay. I requested a refund from Hotels.com and was required to send pictures of each complaint that I had. Obviously, the place refused me a refund and there is nothing to be done about it. ||My room looked like it had been stripped of all that made it cute and unique without a repair or appropriate replacement made. For example, the window dressings were taken down and all of the marks from screws and discolored paint were left behind without an obvious attempt to repair or make it presentable. The room looked nothing like the picture and the property looked like the picture only if it had been left to disrepair for quite some time (stained steps, overgrown landscaping, exposed pipes, rusted metal pergola-like structure that looked unsafe, and every item that made it look inviting from the pictures was absent).||The bathroom was so dirty that it made me question the cleanliness of the entire room. My husband and I felt uncomfortable sleeping in the bed because of this. The towels were stained with a rust-colored substance, the towel left as a rug was covered in bugs, the bathtub was covered in bugs, the bathtub was lined with mold, the shower head was rusted, the sink was lined in mold, the skylight was covered in mold, the window was covered in what seemed to be bird poop, and there were unrepaired holes in the shower. The shower itself was unusable. The water barely got warm and the water pressure was completely unusable. ||There was a fireplace attached to a thermostat, but it did not work. When I went to use the thermostat is fell off the wall and the wires were exposed. It felt dangerous and the room was left without heat. Even in July, the room got cold. I can’t imagine how it would be in winter.||Oddly enough, these things would not have been enough for me to spend my time reaching out and requesting a refund. It was the bright red spotlight aimed at our bedroom window that permeated the blinds and left us unable to properly sleep that tipped me over the edge. It came on a dusk and did not disappear until sunrise. It was bizarre, uncomfortable, and so shocking I still don’t quite know what to think about it.||Why did I not reach out to management? Well, there is no one present on the actual property. There is a piece of paper taped to the gate that has a number to call. When I called, it went to the voicemail for someone apparently in charge of another property and did not mention this one at all. No call was ever answered, but I did receive a text in response to my voicemail. Contact was initially pleasant, but I stopped being responded to after I mentioned that our email with check-in details never arrived. Check-in was supposed to be at 1:00pm and we received an email at 4:05pm with the code to a lock box. The box contained every key to all of the rooms. We never heard from the manager again and there was never a single person on-site. ||I have stayed in roadside motels and places that are considered dives. I have no problem with that when it’s what I’m expecting. When I am expecting a bed and breakfast with charming details and I pay over $300 a night, I expect the place to look like the pictures and offer amenities as advertised. There was no breakfast, nothing looked like the pictures, it was dirty, it was in disrepair, furnishings were absent, the shower didn’t work properly, the fireplace didn’t work at all, the blinds on the door didn’t work, the patio was unusable due to a spotlight, and we were made uncomfortable all night long with a light directed at our window.||This place was the worst place I have ever stayed at and I feel completely lied to.||It is not worth the risk. Please...

This place is using outdated photos based on the dates that I can see from when they were uploaded. I feel that I was falsely advertised to by this place as well as Hotels.com, which was how I booked my stay. I requested a refund from Hotels.com and was required to send pictures of each complaint that I had. Obviously, the place refused me a refund and there is nothing to be done about it. ||My room looked like it had been stripped of all that made it cute and unique without a repair or appropriate replacement made. For example, the window dressings were taken down and all of the marks from screws and discolored paint were left behind without an obvious attempt to repair or make it presentable. The room looked nothing like the picture and the property looked like the picture only if it had been left to disrepair for quite some time (stained steps, overgrown landscaping, exposed pipes, rusted metal pergola-like structure that looked unsafe, and every item that made it look inviting from the pictures was absent).||The bathroom was so dirty that it made me question the cleanliness of the entire room. My husband and I felt uncomfortable sleeping in the bed because of this. The towels were stained with a rust-colored substance, the towel left as a rug was covered in bugs, the bathtub was covered in bugs, the bathtub was lined with mold, the shower head was rusted, the sink was lined in mold, the skylight was covered in mold, the window was covered in what seemed to be bird poop, and there were unrepaired holes in the shower. The shower itself was unusable. The water barely got warm and the water pressure was completely unusable. ||There was a fireplace attached to a thermostat, but it did not work. When I went to use the thermostat is fell off the wall and the wires were exposed. It felt dangerous and the room was left without heat. Even in July, the room got cold. I can’t imagine how it would be in winter.||Oddly enough, these things would not have been enough for me to spend my time reaching out and requesting a refund. It was the bright red spotlight aimed at our bedroom window that permeated the blinds and left us unable to properly sleep that tipped me over the edge. It came on a dusk and did not disappear until sunrise. It was bizarre, uncomfortable, and so shocking I still don’t quite know what to think about it.||Why did I not reach out to management? Well, there is no one present on the actual property. There is a piece of paper taped to the gate that has a number to call. When I called, it went to the voicemail for someone apparently in charge of another property and did not mention this one at all. No call was ever answered, but I did receive a text in response to my voicemail. Contact was initially pleasant, but I stopped being responded to after I mentioned that our email with check-in details never arrived. Check-in was supposed to be at 1:00pm and we received an email at 4:05pm with the code to a lock box. The box contained every key to all of the rooms. We never heard from the manager again and there was never a single person on-site. ||I have stayed in roadside motels and places that are considered dives. I have no problem with that when it’s what I’m expecting. When I am expecting a bed and breakfast with charming details and I pay over $300 a night, I expect the place to look like the pictures and offer amenities as advertised. There was no breakfast, nothing looked like the pictures, it was dirty, it was in disrepair, furnishings were absent, the shower didn’t work properly, the fireplace didn’t work at all, the blinds on the door didn’t work, the patio was unusable due to a spotlight, and we were made uncomfortable all night long with a light directed at our window.||This place was the worst place I have ever stayed at and I feel completely lied to.||It is not worth the risk. Please...