The Elms — Hotel in Westbrook

Here’s the first problem, majority of people book on Airbnb. You can’t post a review about that place on Airbnb unless the host himself approves it. Obviously he won’t approve a negative review, which is awful because we lost $500 not being able to read honest reviews. We aren’t picky. We travel often and save money staying in super 8s. Motel 6s. We don’t expect a lot. I fell in love with how charming this looked online and we decided to go for it, spend $550 total for only 2 night and enjoy ourselves. There is a MAJOR difference between old/historic vibe hotel, and just not well kept and dirty. This place is run down, zero attempt to keep it up and clean. Spiders hanging from webs on the staircase up, looked like nobody had entered it for years. Our room was bland. No AC. Right on a main road with horribly loud traffic (pics make it appear to be on a secluded mountainside, perfectly cropping the main street), original windows that we could barely open and when we did moths and cheaters both dead and alive came falling out of the window pane. Bathroom floor was soaking wet when we first walked in, (slip hazard) and disgusting. No shower mat. Again gross and dangerous. No AC in the whole place (way too hot for that). Worst of all, our bed was covered in cobwebs, with massive spiders living in them. The webs stretched all along the base of the bad, wrapped around the front and back, with spiders and small bugs inside. As I shined my flashlight I watched 6-10 small bugs scurry under the bed and into the wall when I shined my light. The floor next to either side of the bed had an inch thick of dust, other people’s hair, bugs, etc. it honestly appears to not have been cleaned for months. The best part was when I explained this all and said it wasn’t a fit place to sleep with bugs and spiders crawling in and out of the bed, they told me they’d refund me a small portion of what I paid since we were leaving to stay elsewhere. I explained how this felt unfair and the owner told me it was already more being returned than the cancellation policy says should be thats in place. Well this isn’t just a fun of the mill cancellation. Anyway. Charming, cute at first glance. I guess don’t look around at the months of dust, previous guests hair and dead skin cells and bugs and moths piled everywhere, and it’s cute. Oh and look past the bed bugs (or whatever the bugs that went and hid under the frame) were. The bed might be original which isn’t cute, that would be an extremely old dirty mattress aside from the fact that it feels like a bed of rocks. Avoid it here. No charm. Just dirty and not willing to help or be customer...

TLDR: AVOID AT ALL COSTS. This property is a scam and should be ashamed of their conduct. They broke ADA laws in more ways than one, they STOLE over two hundred dollars from us and were borderline ABUSIVE to their guests and staff.

If I could give this property no stars I would. My mother chose this B&B for her home for a month while she tranistioned her move to Maine. All of the positive reviews had us very happy with this place, Their website advertises pet friendly and a rate of 46$ a night. We spoke several times over the phone with Lisa, the brand new Inn keeper, before we arrived and were excited to arrive. When we did, she tells us they are NOT pet friendly- which is fine, whatever, we would take her one pet- a cat- and board her, but my mother's seizure alert dog was non negotiable. Lisa seemed nervous, but said it was no problem we could keep both animals.- We offered to pay an additional deposit for the cat- no no it was fine. Lisa demanded we pay her in cash, upfront, and said she would get us a reciept tomorrow as she was feeling ill. Okay, whatever. This was a bit of a red flag but we just drove in from Florida and after 17 hours in the car we were too tired to care. Mom went up to her room and started to get settled-- First problem- The room had no heat. None. The maitnence man had to bring her a potable. Then the coffee maker doesnt work-- then the microwave. However, the biggest problem came two days later whern my mother stopped down for breakfast. She had her siezure alert dog with her and Lisa proceeds to rip her away from her meal infront of the "actual" guests and berate my mother for bringing her dog with her. My mother tried to explain the necessity of her dog and then Lisa started to demand proff of ADA certification-- which is highly illegal. When my mother wouldnt provide it, Lisa screamed at her and tried to claim my 90 lb disabled mother attacked her house keeper and immediately evicted her. I come in to pick my moither up, her alert dog going nuts at he tries to calm my mother from the potential siezure this unprofessional woman put my mother into and The now claim the dog is being too "noisy" as he wimpers his alerts. The owner told us that he would only return 140 of her 400$ because of the service dog. when I told him he was in violation of ADA laws he LAUGHED in my face. We filed a police report and plan to get her money back usuing the power of the ADA to do so. Stay FAR AWAY from this scam...

The website is vague which should have been a red flag. It is not an inn at all, it is the rental of a bedroom with no amenities. |When we arrived, the room was dirty. The cleaners arrived and looked like they were homeless. I felt that the room was dirty. There were no ceiling lights, it was dark and dreary. The windows did not open but for perhaps 1 foot at the top, there is no air conditioners and the fan was broken. A second fan was had and it was taped together. There was ONE shared bath for all rooms!! There were 3 other rooms with people so at least 8 shared a bath!!! |I had to wait 2 hours to use the bathroom in the morning while other families showered and got ready!!! | There is no inn keeper, there was no water the first night as the dispenser was empty!! There is no ice, no fridge, no nothing!!| There is NO TV so you must lay on an uncomfortable mattress and stair at the gloomy dark walls!!! The lighting is too dim to read!!!!| To pay 300 a night is an atrocity!! This new owner has no business renting because it’s NOT READY to be inhabited. | The owner was doing construction during the day so you had to leave or listen to a hammer instead. The stairs and hallways were lined WITH PLASTIC to avoid getting the rugs dirty during what obviously is needed construction and updating. | I would not recommend that you rent unless you are simply looking for a bed to sleep in behind a locked door. I would never go...