Best Western Plus Kingston Hotel and Conference Center

I’ve stayed at this Best Western several times before They have been sold and the it has gone down considerably

Not as clean as. Soaps creams in bathroom were not as pleasing as in the past

Location

Slow check in service, advertised breakfast included in room charge but was informed it was unavailable at check in. Poor maintenance. Looks run down. Request for specific room was never fulfilled.

The wifi and televisions were not working. The front hotel receptionist treated me as if she knew why I was checking into the hotel. She was rude and she behavior was inappropriate.

The place was attractive and clean throughout. Everything was fine except for a drainage problem in the shower. However, the staff was very accommodating and gave me a second room to use just for showering. The breakfast was great but see my follow up below!

However, there were signs up in the morning that the breakfast would be a separate $20. charge starting in two days. I got the second to last "included" breakfast. I talked to several of the staff and the manager expressing my disappointment in the change but got the expected "costs have increased" argument. (The manager even shared that her costs for food at home had risen). I explained that this was a poor business decision and instead they should just add a little to the room rates to cover that. That would be transparent to customers and solve their problem. I got all the "bs" about giving people the choice, it's optional that way, etc. They don't understand that people like the breakfast and (although it's an illusion) like thinking they are getting the breakfast "for free". Also, not everyone will have time for breakfast or a long breakfast so you're making up some of that cost but, in the new situation, everyone that pays the extra $20 will surely eat a large breakfast. There are other issues like a family with several small children isn't going to want to pay for each child when they can go to a cafe and order smaller, cheaper portions according to each child's needs. In addition, they were invoking this change right in the middle of Columbus Day weekend!! How stupid is that? Someone staying Fri and Sat nights would encounter two different breakfast policies in two days on the same weekend, ABSOLUTELY IDIOTIC!!! Now, I don't know if this is indicative of a tread within Best Western or the Kingston property is an outlier but either I have to check with each location in advance or simply avoid Best Western (guess which one is easier!). I could easily go to nearby Hampton Inn which has competitive rates and continues to include breakfast. I thought the breakfast was a nice perk and a hallmark of Best Western but no longer.

Front desk staff very accommodating. Filtered water available at lobby was nice. Exercise room very nice.

Did not want to pay for breakfast.

Never ever good, average. Stayed here because it was convenient when visiting my son in college, it was pretty basic but clean, comfortable beds and a convenient bar and restaurant on site with a free continental breakfast. Not anymore. No more bottled water in the room - had to buy it from the bar because the vending machines did not work, no more free breakfast (they are now charging $20 for a continental breakfast and $5.00 for just coffee) and the bathroom toilet in the room was not clean. The restaurant/bar was grouse, eyelash on my plate and the food was nasty. The bartender was very pleasant and sweet though. The woman at the front desk looked absolutely miserable. Average place has gone down-hill fast. Stay elsewhere!