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Not too long ago, there seemed to be a Howard Johnson at every Interstate off-ramp. But the chain has sunk pretty low in the intervening years and the remaining outlets don't win many five-star ratings from our readers.
Now that it's part of the giant Cendant group, which owns everything from Avis to CheapTickets.com to Coldwell Banker, Howard Johnson doesn't exactly seem to be blazing new trails in the customer satisfaction department.
Cassandra of Huntsville AL (08/05/08)
Where do I begin. There a 3 - 4 spot 0f dry blood on the comforter. There was what appeared to be hole punched in the bathroom door. Tub nor shower curtain was clean. The base if the bed has wood trim (appox. 2*4* bed length)along each side of the bed. The trim piece closest to the door was flush against base of bed while the trim closest to the window lay at a 45 degree angle. It could easily be tripped over. I also had a family member in room 105 on 08/02/08 and her bed trim was the same way. In addition, her mattress had holes in it. We did not complain to management, though I wanted to advise HoJo that this property was unacceptable.
James of Fallon NV (06/25/08)
Drugs being dealt out in the open and was approached as went to my room. Hookers working the parking lot. What a place to stay. The staff was no help would not refund money I had paid for the room. Was afraid to stay the night. Makes me wonder about the other Howard Johnsons
Lost my money as I had to go to another hotel
Virginia of Ormond Beach FL (06/22/08)
we requested smoking were given non smoking rm. returned to desk reasigned smoking. Next rm. a/c not working. called front desk was told to come to desk for relocation. we refused (tired from long trip. manager come and was going to reasign to another rm., but t.v. not working. at this point we checked out. this was the first time we have stayed at a howard johnson and after this expierence it will be the last. I will tell my friends and relatives not to stop at any of [their] motels
Sasha of Middletown CT (06/02/08)
I booked this hotel because i was on my first vacation ever and wanted to go not too far and close enough to six flags because that was one of my primary stops along the way. however upon arrival they informed me that the jacuzzi in the smoking suite i had reserved was broken and i could be transferred to another suite but it was a non-smoking. right away that ruined my whole mood seeing that was one of the major factors why i even considered this place. Anyways I took the replacement room now for a non smoking room this place reeked of cigarette smoke. my nose burnt me for the entire time in this suite i decided to soak in the jacuzzi after filling up the tub i discovered the tub was broken the power to supply the bubbles didn't work so i decided to inspect the room before i did anything else...low and behold the bed lining was filthy i mean dirty pillowcase!
next thing the cabinets were broken the TV remote didn't work so i decided enough was enough. I went to the front desk and made my complaint but they seemed used to the routine. Anyways seeing that i was unaware of the area and didn't know how far another hotel would be i took yet another room. It was still not up to standard but i tried to make the most of it this time the jacuzzi worked but seeing the condition of the first room i was scared to even sit in this tub not that this room was any better because the drawers were broken the carpet was dusty the toilet rocked. gave us coffee but no coffee maker there was no hairdryer like and all these things were advertised on the website. i couldn't wait till the morning to leave.
We left the hotel for most of the day trying to spend as little time as possible in this place. At about 2:00am we heard a big bang on the room floor above us that woke us up it seemed as though these people were having a recording session making beats banging on the table or whatever they were doing at 2:00 in the morning they were loud. FINALLY morning came and i couldn't wait to leave i asked for an iron from the night before because there were no iron in the room they told me to come for one in the morning so i did - tell me why i had to go back three times before i got a working iron - each time i think about the $117 i spent it makes me mad and if i could get back my money that would be the greatest thing in the world.
Lisa of Vancouver OTHER (05/13/08)
On Saturday May 10th i was attending a party for a friend being held at a nightclub downtown. It was a theme party with strict dress code. I had to work early the next morning at London Drugs cosmetic department on Granville which was just down the street. I arrived and Marina was at the front desk. She was not friendly at all. I asked if rooms were available and she said yes with a credit card and vaild picture ID which i had both in hand as well as cash for the room. She looked at me then looked at my ID and asked if i lived in Vancouver. I said yes and then was told that she would not rent me a room.
I was stunned and taken aback- clearly it was that she did not like the looks of me or worst assumed i was an escort, which i am not. I was so embarrassed since there were other people around. I left but once outside my embarrassment and shock turned to anger at not only the disrespect and horrible customer service but also at the clear discrimination based on looks. I went back in to ask for her name and another male employee said i could ask her myself (he too was rude) She came out from the back and identified herself as Marina. I took a business card and called to see if i could speak to some one in management and was told that a Lucia was in charge but not there that night, but i could call the complaint line,
Besides my embarrassment and humiliation it was getting late and i then had to spend a good hour trying to find some place with vacancy. I had a cab drop me off at the Howard Johnson as i was told there was vacancy earlier on the phone. So i had to go on foot in the pouring rain with my bags and my costume trying to find a place to stay. The rain ruined my make up and hair. I was so upset emotionally and physically i was a mess due to the poring rain. There was no vacancy at any of the hotels close so i ended up going home. I lost money for cab fare there and back, it ruined my evening, my friends were exremley upset i was unable to make the party. Not to mention the cost i had invested in getting ready for the evening
Vincent of Centereach NY (10/23/07)
I checked into Howard Johnsons on August 17, 2007, after making reservation though Hotels.com, for two non-smoking rooms. The person behind the desk didn't speak or understand English. The rooms smelled of smoke, the air conditioning unit only had one speed - HIGH, all the switches were broken, there were no towels in the room, the TV cable was broken off the TV set. I attempted to speak to the desk clerk, and all she repeated was "HOTEL FILLED!" I wrote and emailed Howard Johnsons' owners, the Wyndham World Wide
Group, and they offered me $85 as compensation for my trouble--after attempting to contact the owner of this specific Howard Johnsons for several weeks, making it impossible to contest the to-day limit. The rooms cost me $472!
The rooms were advertised in the local paper for $69.95/night not $110/night. I even offered the desk clerk the coupon and they refused. I am requesting that this hotel reimburse $230 for overcharging at a place that should be closed by the Board of Health!
Ken of Atco NJ (04/08/07)
My family including three children, 7,5,and 2 years old wanted to spend a weekend in the Pocono's. The room cost $98 dollars. The main reason to stay there was the indoor pool. The pool could not be warmer than 60 degrees. We mentioned it to the staff and the answer was that Things Happen.
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