This hotel is 100% NOT a 3 star. I think that Rochester has a messed up 'hotel rating system'. We stayed at a 2 1/2 star in North Rochester the night before we checked in to the Ramada and it was BY FAR better. Better EVERYTHING. NO ONE should ever have to feel like they are 'downgrading' hotels when they go from a 2 1/2 to a 3 star!

This hotel is old. It needs a lot of updating. I am not a picky, snobby person by any means.

Upon checkin on Wed. Jan 25th, the lady at the front desk was amazingly kind by allowing us to check in at noon. We were there for my daughters St. Mary's hospital and Mayo visits for the week. It was a very difficult week and being able to check in early that day was a huge lifesaver!

We got up to our room where we noticed the stained carpets, paper thin walls (we could hear the TV from the person accross the hall like it was in our room!) and old TV. We laid on our bed to rest for a bit before having to go back to the Dr. visits and it was not very comfortable.

Our bathroom was clean, our towels were nice and big (but smelled HORRIBLY of bleach) .

Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 5:30 the people staying above us were walking around on their floors and it sounded like it was elephants up there. We heared EVERY STEP!

The breakfasts in the morning were pretty poor. I could NOT believe that they could get away with serving apple juice out of 'open top' pitchers. There were people walking up to the apple juice coughing, sneezing and pouring their juice. It was quite gross.

The last night we were there (Friday) , the hotel had rented out rooms to hockey team/players and their families. These kids were out of control. They were in the hallways screaming, in the rooms right next to ours POUNDING ON THE WALLS and on our door and playing hockey in their room and in the halls. They had no respect. Even the parents were loud. The parents brought large coolers down to the pool area, where there were large signs that said "NO GLASS" and they had glass bottles. I have seen many other hotels come and ask these people kindly to remove the glass from the pool area...NOT HERE!

Now, I know that the disrespectful guests are not the hotels fault. It is the hotels fault though, how they handled it. I called down to the front desk 2 times before they did anything. I asked the kids to please be respectful and quiet down and stop pounding on the walls THREE TIMES before the hotel staff even did anything. THEN, when the male worker finally came up- he told them to please quiet down....HE TOLD THE loud parents WHICH ROOM HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THEM!!!! (I could hear the entire conversation word for word through the paper thin walls with NO insulation at all) I thought that the hotel staff that evening should have been more respectful. My daughter and I had been at the hospital for 4 days straight. My daughter was not feeling well (she's Dr.ing at Mayo and it's difficult for her to go through the testing).

The SECOND TIME I called down to the front desk, the person there had the stupidest comment ever...he asked if he could bring a fan up so there would be something to drown out the noise! YEAH RIGHT! Ten fans couldn't have gotten rid of a fraction of the noise.

The people quieted down for about 2 hours, then started back up again. The kids and parents were loud, slamming doors and disrespectful until AT LEAST 2 am. I was furious. This is NOT the place to stay. I will never go there again. If I wanted to stay at a 2 star, I'd choose a different location.

This hotel is in need of a renovation. The rooms are sparsely furnished with very basic amenities, and there was an old-style tube tv rather than a flat screen. The hallway carpeting is overdue for a good cleaning. The bed was somewhat uncomfortable, and squeaky when I sat down on it, or rolled over during the night. The room did not cool down to the temperature I wanted, and that added my discomfort in trying to sleep. However, the room itself and bathroom were clean. The restaurant in the hotel is closed, even though their website would lead you to think it is still there.

The hotel is located near Apache Mall and St. Mary's Hospital. It also offers free wifi and a free breakfast. The staff we encountered were very pleasant. There is a large pool/'waterpark' area with a slide that would be nice for kids.

We choose the Ramada in Rochester because it was the only reasonably price hotel that offered a restaurant and bar/lounge on site. When we went down to eat our dinner, we were told by the front desk that the restaurant was closed and that it was in the process of moving location to the bar/lounge area. The closest restaurant was an Applebees across the highway at the mall. We could have chosen a different hotel with more comfortable beds (we've slept in other Ramada's before and expected the 'okay' bed), and without the restaurant/bar/lounge, for a cheaper rate. I wish the website would have listed the temporary restaurant and bar/lounge closure. Lesson learned: Always call the hotel prior to booking

Reason for visit:

I went to Rochester to be with my mom who was having heart surgery at St. Mary's Hospital. I came alone; however, my sister brought her five children. The Ramada is just a very short drive south down 52.

The good:

If you are coming to Rochester with children this may be the very best hotel for your stay. My sister came with her five children who needed to "hang out" for two straight days. The indoor waterpark saved the day!! It isn't huge, but was plenty to give them something to do all day long. Their room door opened up to the pool area and it allowed her children easy access back and forth with never having to lose sight of them.

The room was clean (most important to me), but wasn't the decked out with the newest of everything. No large flat screen TV's and newest furniture, but I wasn't there for that. There was an average TV, decent cable channels, and a small fridge which was nice, but not used. After a stressful day sitting at the hospital I came back to my room and took a long shower. The water pressure was great. Very soothing and much needed.

The continental breakfast was average. I've had better and I've had worse. There were four cereals, a waffle maker, a juice machine, coffee, scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes and pastries. The pastries were dry and the eggs were ok. It filled me up which was enough.

The front desk help was friendly and always greeted me with a smile.

The bad: Nothing stood out.

Overall, for what I needed this hotel was fine. When I saw the water park and my sister's kids playing I wished I had brought my family. I was content with the room and would have no problem staying there as long as needed. There are a couple hotels right across the street from St. Mary's that would have been more convienient, in that you can walk to your hotel and avoid parking, but I don't know what the cost was.