When we were checking out, Michelle — who I had been communicating with by text during our stay — came out to speak with me. I didn’t initially realize it was her because she wears so many hats at the hotel; I had mostly seen her working in the breakfast area. She came right over, apologized for everything we experienced, and was genuinely kind and professional. She is truly lovely and left a very positive impression.
That said, while there were some positives, the overall experience was frustrating and fell short in several areas.
Check-in was slow, even though we were the only guests at the desk. The staff we interacted with were consistently very nice and polite, which made the experience more frustrating because it’s clear they are trying. Small touches you typically expect at comparable hotels — like complimentary bottled water — were missing, and instead they charge $3 for small bottles. The WiFi was also unreliable.
Our suite was large and spacious, which was a great value, and there are convenient food options nearby, including a 7-Eleven directly across the road.
That said, the room itself had multiple issues. The king bed was very uncomfortable, with a noticeable hump in the middle. The toilet didn’t run continuously, but after each flush it would run for 10–15 minutes. The hot water took close to 30 minutes to come through. The shower was also difficult to use, especially for kids — it lacked a proper handle, and the water pressure fluctuated between extremely harsh and barely a trickle.
The towel situation was particularly frustrating. We requested extra towels early in the afternoon and were told it would be taken care of by the time we returned to the hotel. When we got back around 4:30 PM, the towels still had not been delivered. I followed up again, and by 7:30 PM we still didn’t have them. We eventually went down to the front desk, where no one was there. After waiting, we called the main number, and someone finally came out — we had to take the towels ourselves, and they were still slightly damp.
The laundry situation was another issue. There are only two washers, and one was out of service, which doubled the time it took to do laundry — incredibly frustrating, especially when traveling with kids.
The indoor pool was a decent size with regular chairs (no lounge chairs). Although advertised as heated, it was noticeably cold, and the pool towels were worn and rough. The gym is very small but is available 24/7.
Breakfast was underwhelming. During our stay, they ran out of basic items — no tortillas for breakfast burritos, no apple juice, and at one point no utensils. Seating was limited during spring break, and there was consistently not enough food. Overall, the hotel appeared understaffed, particularly in the breakfast area.
On a positive note, the location is convenient — about 5 minutes to Colonial Williamsburg and 10 minutes to Busch Gardens — and free parking is a plus.
Overall, while the room size, location, and genuinely kind staff were positives, the experience was frustrating and could be so much better for the brand they are operating under.
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