We were traveling around Michigan in early October visiting friends and family , and we wanted to stay in Traverse City to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes and maybe visit with a relative who might be in the area for the weekend.
Hotels were quite expensive in the town for Friday and Saturday nights, as they were in most of the state, but I found the Howard Johnson at a rate of $79.20 a night, less than the other motels there. I didn't find it in Tripadvisor which I always use as a guide, but Google had an article saying it had just changed hands and become a Howard Johnson in late September after substantial renovation. Sounded OK.
As we approached the motel there was a billboard in front announcing spa rooms for $72. I asked the desk for one of those, and was told that sign shouldn't be up there and it only referred to three night stays during the week. On the counter was a hand-printed sign saying none of the rooms had remotes for their TVs due to a delivery error. Must be brand new TVs, right? When I looked skeptical about taking a room without a TV remote, we were offered a spa room at the $79.20 rate. At least it was something.
As we walked up the outside stairway to the room, we noticed the carpeting was in the most appalling condition possible. In the room was an old TV of a type any universal remote would have worked on. Kneeling on the floor to work the buttons, I found only a few local channels available. There was no information in the room regarding rules, regulations, TV channels, etc. The room had a spa, but some of the tiles in the area were broken, waiting to damage someone's bare foot. On the bed was a blanket with a cigarette hole an inch or more in diameter.
I went down to the office and said we would stay the one night but would check out the next morning. The desk clerk asked what she could do to make us stay two nights.........how about if she gave us a room with a remote for the TV! I said nothing would change our minds, and she changed the reservation on the computer to one night.
The next morning at the included continental breakfast there was no one in charge of the area and the milk and coffee ran out. The pastries had been there when we checked in the day before.
We checked out and the bill was for one night, a total of $87.03 with taxes and a fee for the safe that we did not use. Didn't notice it was on the bill until too late.
When we were able to check our bank record a few days later, we had been charged for two nights, including taxes and the safe fee. After three calls and an email over a period of several days, today we were credited with one day's basic rate but not with the taxes and safe fee for the night we did not stay there. I intend to pursue this just on principle.
I will be surprised if this hotel stays open another month with this kind of service, but, if it does, do not stay there.
