“Hospitality”…..Hmm, I’m Not So Sure.
Written: Nov 29 '03 (Updated Nov 29 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The location is ideal - very close to Colonial Williamsburg and William and Mary College.
Cons: Musty, mildewy smell in room, worn and stained wallpaper and linens, indifferent staff, lacking amenities.
The Bottom Line: Despite the location, I cannot recommend this hotel. Under new management and a renovation I would possibly reconsider.
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| kiminnc's Full Review: Williamsburg Hospitality House (The) |
My husband, nine year old daughter, and myself decided to return to Williamsburg, Virginia for the Veteran’s Day Weekend. In the past we had stayed at pretty nasty hotels (The Holiday Inn Express and the Governor’s Inn), so this time we decided we would be more particular about our accommodations. I had read great reviews about the Williamsburg Hospitality House and booked us there when I found a great deal from Orbitz for $72/night (almost half the normal rate). We didn’t want to pay the astronomically high prices of the Colonial Williamsburg lodgings, but we wanted to be in easy walking distance of the Colonial Williamsburg area. The Williamsburg Hospitality House seemed the perfect choice.
The photos in the website showed a stately, ivy-covered brick inn with luxurious lobby and finely appointed rooms. When we drove up we were happy to see the photos were accurate of the exterior of the hotel. We arrived on a Friday afternoon and the front drive was packed with people coming and going, so we parked on a side street and walked to the lobby to check in. The lobby was nice, but not quite as expansive and lush as the photos suggested. The check-in process was somewhat slow, but efficient. The bell hops were eager to help us with luggage, but we decided it would just be easier to pull into the underground garage and walk them up ourselves. Parking in the garage was tricky as it took some maneuvering to get parked between all the columns there.
This is hotel is HUGE! It took quite a bit of walking to get to our room. The minute we opened the door to our room we were overcome with the smell of musty mildew. We immediately opened our window to air the room. The room seemed dark, and we noticed that the overhead bulb near the door was burned out and asked our housekeeper, who was nearby, if we could get that replaced. She said that it would require one of the hotel “engineers.” Wow! My husband flagged down an “engineer” who was walking down the hallway and he was fairly dismissive, so we lived without much lighting during our stay.
The furnishings were not at all what I’d seen in photos! The room was rather plain and tired-looking. The room furnishings were a bit sparse and offered little in the way of drawers. The bedspreads were very old and worn and the wallpaper was faded and even stained in places. We could have lived with all that, but the mildew smell was obnoxious. Normally, I would have just asked for another room, but we were anxious to start our vacation and had hoped that leaving the windows open all day would air the place out. At least the bathroom was clean.
That evening we had dinner at the 415 Grill, the hotel’s main dining room. Our dinner was good, and the waitress was friendly, but the servings were small. It was actually very busy that evening and afterward we went to the bar for a drink. Apparently, Friday night is “Karaoke Night” and the place was packed with American Idol wannabees. It wasn’t exactly the atmosphere we’d hoped for, but we’re a fairly affable family so we were okay.
The Williamsburg Hospitality House is directly across the street from the William and Mary campus and is only about two to three blocks from Colonial Williamsburg. This hotel is excellent as far as location goes. It’s an easy and pretty walk into the village.
Our room lacked some of the typical amenities, such as a coffeemaker and hairdryer. On the morning that we were checking out, I went down to the lobby area to find coffee. The Papillion is the breakfast café and I went there to try to scare up some coffee and was told that it would be a dollar a cup. The waitress finally agreed to just give it to me. Gee, thanks!
Check out took a while and the desk attendant didn’t even ask us if everything was okay. To get the discount with Orbitz we had paid in advance and we were anxious to leave, but I’m sorry now that I didn’t push for some sort of compensation.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
kiminnc
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Location: North Carolina
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Too much of a good thing is wonderful!---Mae West
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