I selected the Howard Johnson in Orange park because it is close to NAS Jacksonville, pet friendly, has free WiFi, and appeared to be priced fairly. The website also indicated that it has been newly renovated. This was clearly not the case once we arrived. I booked the room directly through hojo.com. I called the hotel (more accurately 'motel') to arrange for a late check-in. My husband and I arrived with our medium-sized dog at approximately 9:30PM on a Sunday and checked-in. Our room was dark, musty, and the bathroom had mold on the ceilings and walls. The toilet also had mold in the bowl and ran constantly. The next morning, I went and requested another room, as we planned a 5-night stay. The next room had cracked paint and a continuously running toilet, but far less mold, so we made the switch. I asked the woman at the front desk why this HoJo was described as being newly renovated and "the new face" of Howard Johnson, and she responded that it was renovated, but since it was an old building, the mold comes through sometimes. I think it is common knowledge that painting over mold and renovating are entirely different things. Still, it is difficult to find a pet friendly hotel, so our options were limited.
Day and night we could hear people outside of our hotel room- people honking to get their friends to come out, doors slamming, etc. We stayed in a non-smoking room, however the no smoking placard had been snapped and due to the close range of smoking rooms, the room, though cleaned daily, maintained a musty smoky smell.
We can make due with a musty, dark, motel room- here is the real problem:
My husband was here to attend a course. The course ended one day early. We called to inform the front desk we would be checking out one day early, and they said "Fine, but you will be charged for the night you are not here." When we questioned this, they claimed it was because we made our reservations through the website and they could not adjust them. I called the national hojo.com reservations line. The representative told me that because I had checked in, she could not make any changes, and I was transferred to customer service. The customer service representative told me that I had to stay two or more nights to get my quoted rate. This was true, however I had stayed 3 nights already, so not an important point. He said that the hotel office should allow us to check out according to the agreement I had received via email, and that if they overcharged me, he could file a formal complaint. I explained that I did not want to have to petition for my money back- I simply did not want to pay for a night that I didn't stay at the motel. He said there was nothing he could do because the local Howard Johnson I was at had my credit card number and could charge anything, and that I would have to call again after they overcharged me in order for the national office to get involved. The reservations representative was not helpful, the customer service representative was rude and not helpful, and my only option left was to deal with the hotel directly again. I called the front office again in an attempt to reason with the manager and settle it promptly, but he refused. To wrap it up, I was given the run around, finally decided to cut my losses, and upon check out, I was overcharged for two of the nights my husband, dog, and I stayed in a dump of a room.
Oh, and as an aside, in order to not be charged for the in room safe, whether you use it or not , you have to request that it be removed from your bill.

I was very impressed when I checked into the Howard Johnson and I was trying to find the location of my room. As I was riding around, I notice some of the house cleaning employees were outside. They were very attentive to me riding around and flagged me down and inquired if I was looking for my room. I told them yes and they very politely stopped what they were doing and directed me to the right area of where my room was. Then, when I parked and wallked up to the room, there was another employee who welcomed me and asked if I needed any assistance getting to my room. I was very pleased with the hospitality. When I entered the room, everything was very clean down to the inside of the refrigerator, microwave and bathroom. I also noticed that it was a safe in the room. The only thing that I would like to see the staff do differently is inform the guest that there is a safe in the room and ask them upfront if they plan to use it and explain that it is a fee a day as long as you are there. I had to tell the clerk at check out that I didn't use the safe so that they wouldn't automatically charge me for daily use. Other than that, I would stay again and recommend this hotel to friends and family.

The hotel was not as bad as some reviews indicate. Yes, it is an older hotel but the property is well maintained. The staff were friendly and helpful. The room was clean and presentable. The bathroom was small but clean and mold-free. Towels and sheets were fresh. The bed and pillows were comfortable. The carpet was clean and in good shape.

Although it was too cold to use, the pool area looked very inviting. A small workout room was also available for guests. Included in the price was a hot breakfast each morning. Breakfast consisted of eggs, meat, gravy, grits, breads, cereals, waffles, and a small selection of pastries. A couple of minor complaints we had with breakfast was there were not enough fresh fruit options, and other items were not quickly replenished.

Eating establishments are not within convenient walking distance from the hotel. There are several places a short drive away. Overall, this hotel provided a nice stay for the two days we were there. It was worth the price and chances are good we would stay there again.