By Jay Whipple
Trend Magazine Online™
Bad Customer Service!
Trend Magazine Online™
Bad Customer Service!
I
arrived at this hotel at approximately 8:30pm after a long day of
surveying Black History/Civil Rights sites in Montgomery, Alabama,
to include part of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
off Highway 80 that replicates the 54-mile route walked by many Americans
(Black and white) who were fed up with the Jim Crow era (1870's -
1950's) racist laws in the United States that precluded persons of color
from voting but allowed them to pay their share of taxes. Those marches were
led by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was born and
raised right here in Atlanta, Georgia, and thus the reason for
this visit. These stops will become part of a multi-State self-guided tour
developed by Queen City Tourssm and
Travel
that includes Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and North
Carolina.
This
hotel property is just off Interstate 85 north which makes it very
convenient to travelers like me who want to get in and out of town as quickly
as possible. Located within walking distance are many restaurants (fast food
and sit down), a convenience store, and entertainment just across the street, as
well as a Super Wal-Mart just 1.4 miles away. I personally
prefer making a stop at Wal-Mart to stock up on food for the night and
the road unless dining at a particular eatery is on my agenda for a subsequent
review. It has been quite a while since my last stay over in The ATL
(formerly Hotlanta) so I was elated just to be able to cruise around a bit
before settling in to my hotel for the night.
I
parked in front of the hotel near the lobby entrance with no problem and was
impressed upon entering that they were still practicing appropriate COVID-19
(Coronavirus) protocols that included social distance and facemasks required
signage. Check in was quick, less than 5 minutes, but the desk clerk was
a bit stoic when he charged me $10 for parking after I asked if they gave military Veterans a break like other chains. In fact, the one
that I left earlier that day (Super8 in Mobile, Alabama) reserved a parking
space for those of us that served, near their front entrance. These small
tokens of appreciation really go a long way in terms of making us feel that we
did something special for our country.
The
parking area was very small and located near the front of hotel inside a gated
lot with security arms. The lobby area of the hotel was well decorated with
intriguing signs and clocks. I am a fan of clocks and typically have them all
over my residences so as to be able to always know the time ala the Alice in
Wonderland character. Although there was appropriate signage throughout
the lobby area, I spotted two guests on my way to the elevator without masks.
Before COVID-19 (Coronavirus) I did not realize that a vast number of
humans had a death wish and moreover could not care less whom they infected
with their Kamikaze disposition on life. This is a very scary time for
me and those that value life in that we are being exposed to people we know who really could care less if they leave this place and take others with them. I lost someone with that same hidden agenda and they have unfortunately influenced others that are in my genealogical network.
I
arrived on the 4th floor to find a mysterious clear liquid on the floor
near the elevator which I considered disgusting since it did not appear to be
water. My room door would not open with the plastic key card they issued and
these two younger females who were peculiarly sitting in the hallway nearby
offered to help. I respectfully declined their suspicious offer for help?
Fortunately, a really nice maintenance man who just happened to be working on a
room two doors down assisted me with the difficult key card. After entering my room,
I could smell the distinctive odor of weed (marijuana) which is currently not
legal in the State of Georgia. I am a non-smoker but personally
do not have a problem with it except when staying in a hotel in proximity to strangers
under the influence of that type of mood-altering drug.
At first impression my room appeared to be very clean and was
freshly painted; but
at closer inspection, the furniture and appliances were worn with nicks and
scrapes. The bed covers, sheets, and ironing board covers were worn, and the wall
temperature control for cooling/heating was inoperable, and the A/C (air
conditioner) was noisy. The queen bed was comfortable, the digital nightstand clock
with plug and USB chargers worked on the lamp between beds, the oversized
work desk was in good shape, and the work chair was of good quality. I like
that they placed my TV remote in a plastic bag (nice especially with
COVID-19 possibly lingering), but the refrigerator was smaller than what I
prefer to keep my road items (from Wal-Mart) cold as well as ice packs. The freezer
was not very cold at the highest setting [6], the microwave was also small but worked
okay. The light at the vanity sink was not very bright which I found very
annoying, and there was a Dove soap box left in my room (yuk); there
were two irons (why?), and there was no towel to use as a mat in the bathroom. It
is typically the little things that get my attention when reviewing a property
that cause me to look for other more major things that are not appropriate for
a great night's stay. I quickly learned in the military that if you do not want
the inspector to look behind your wall locker, make sure that everything in
front is spotless!
This
hotel property is just off Interstate 85 north which makes it very
convenient to travelers like me who want to get in and out of town as quickly
as possible. Located within walking distance are many restaurants (fast food
and sit down), a convenience store, and entertainment just across the street, as
well as a Super Wal-Mart just 1.4 miles away. I personally
prefer making a stop at Wal-Mart to stock up on food for the night and
the road unless dining at a particular eatery is on my agenda for a subsequent
review. It has been quite a while since my last stay over in The ATL
(formerly Hotlanta) so I was elated just to be able to cruise around a bit
before settling in to my hotel for the night. I
parked in front of the hotel near the lobby entrance with no problem and was
impressed upon entering that they were still practicing appropriate COVID-19
(Coronavirus) protocols that included social distance and facemasks required
signage. Check in was quick, less than 5 minutes, but the desk clerk was
a bit stoic when he charged me $10 for parking after I asked if they gave military Veterans a break like other chains. In fact, the one
that I left earlier that day (Super8 in Mobile, Alabama) reserved a parking
space for those of us that served, near their front entrance. These small
tokens of appreciation really go a long way in terms of making us feel that we
did something special for our country.
The
parking area was very small and located near the front of hotel inside a gated
lot with security arms. The lobby area of the hotel was well decorated with
intriguing signs and clocks. I am a fan of clocks and typically have them all
over my residences so as to be able to always know the time ala the Alice in
Wonderland character. Although there was appropriate signage throughout
the lobby area, I spotted two guests on my way to the elevator without masks.
Before COVID-19 (Coronavirus) I did not realize that a vast number of
humans had a death wish and moreover could not care less whom they infected
with their Kamikaze disposition on life. This is a very scary time for
me and those that value life in that we are being exposed to people we know who really could care less if they leave this place and take others with them. I lost someone with that same hidden agenda and they have unfortunately influenced others that are in my genealogical network. I
arrived on the 4th floor to find a mysterious clear liquid on the floor
near the elevator which I considered disgusting since it did not appear to be
water. My room door would not open with the plastic key card they issued and
these two younger females who were peculiarly sitting in the hallway nearby
offered to help. I respectfully declined their suspicious offer for help?
Fortunately, a really nice maintenance man who just happened to be working on a
room two doors down assisted me with the difficult key card. After entering my room,
I could smell the distinctive odor of weed (marijuana) which is currently not
legal in the State of Georgia. I am a non-smoker but personally
do not have a problem with it except when staying in a hotel in proximity to strangers
under the influence of that type of mood-altering drug.At first impression my room appeared to be very clean and was
freshly painted; but
at closer inspection, the furniture and appliances were worn with nicks and
scrapes. The bed covers, sheets, and ironing board covers were worn, and the wall
temperature control for cooling/heating was inoperable, and the A/C (air
conditioner) was noisy. The queen bed was comfortable, the digital nightstand clock
with plug and USB chargers worked on the lamp between beds, the oversized
work desk was in good shape, and the work chair was of good quality. I like
that they placed my TV remote in a plastic bag (nice especially with
COVID-19 possibly lingering), but the refrigerator was smaller than what I
prefer to keep my road items (from Wal-Mart) cold as well as ice packs. The freezer
was not very cold at the highest setting [6], the microwave was also small but worked
okay. The light at the vanity sink was not very bright which I found very
annoying, and there was a Dove soap box left in my room (yuk); there
were two irons (why?), and there was no towel to use as a mat in the bathroom. It
is typically the little things that get my attention when reviewing a property
that cause me to look for other more major things that are not appropriate for
a great night's stay. I quickly learned in the military that if you do not want
the inspector to look behind your wall locker, make sure that everything in
front is spotless!
Breakfast
was on point the next morning and included omelets, ham, hashed potatoes, juice;
waffles, pastries, toast, but no grits (in the South)! I heard a variety of
languages being spoken in the dining area which makes sense since the hotel is
located near the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The checkout clerk was very
unfriendly and unappreciative of my stay and gave me one-word answers to my questions
as if I was annoying her after helping to pay her salary. I had to demand a receipt for the parking after she ignored my polite requests. I departed at
approximately 9:45am and have no plans to revisit this property.
The
LaQuinta Inn and Suites by Wyndam Atlanta Airport North is located at 1200
Virginia Ave, Atlanta, GA 30344. Their telephone number is 1 (404)
209-1800 and website is here!
The
LaQuinta Inn and Suites by Wyndam Atlanta Airport North is located at 1200
Virginia Ave, Atlanta, GA 30344. Their telephone number is 1 (404)
209-1800 and website is here!
