We have waited to post this review in the hopes that management would be responsive to our communications regarding the discount we were promised (and never received) at check-out for our troubles. Not only did we have a miserable experience at Best Western Plus in Yulee, on New Years Eve, but both the general manager and the assistant general manager have failed miserably with any attempts to rectify the situation.
Misplaced priorities seem to be the best way to describe this hotel. Lack of adequate staff at the front desk, minimally responsive management, and an inability to attempt to work out problems in a way that would satisfy the guest were experienced. Details of our experience are described in the rest of this review.
Only one person was working the front desk. We had to wait at least 15 minutes to check in, because the guest in front of us was experiencing an issue with payment. Once it was our turn to check in, it took about 2 minutes.
Had we known that the newly renovated rooms on the third floor wouldn't have the arm chair available, we would have chosen another hotel. The room looks barren without it. The desk chair is not comfortable to sit back, relax, and watch TV in, especially after a 6 hour long drive just to get here, especially with an individual with severe arthritis in the hips and knees. We requested assistance with getting a comfortable chair, but were told that there were no chairs on the entire third floor as they had not yet arrived. The second floor room chairs had just been taken away a short time ago, and they wouldn't give us a chair from a room on the first floor since they were all occupied. I was told that all the people on the first floor had already checked in. However, I saw at least two guests check in after that. I understand that it wouldn't have been fair to the guests on the first floor to take away their chair, but I would have appreciated honesty from the front desk.
After continuing to ask for a solution to the problem, desiring a comfortable chair as the best option, I requested a discount. The front desk clerk finally agreed to contact the assistant manager, Susan, who stated that we could get a 5% discount upon check-out. The reason for this MINIMAL discount was because we were already receiving an AARP discount. As we already anticipated the AARP rate as our expected rate, an additional discount of 5% was hardly a gesture of good will for our dissatisfaction with the lack of a chair.
Finally, after my last visit to the desk at 7:45 pm for a last gasp hope that there might be someone who had canceled their reservation, I took it upon myself to take a chair from the pool area. While not a comfortable chair, at least it was stable and had arms, unlike the rolling desk chair.
The website indicates that there is a hot tub at the hotel. However, the front desk staff said that the hot tub had been removed because the heater kept breaking and it never worked. The hot tub was one of the amenities that caused us to make reservations at this hotel. In one of our communications, management stated that they no longer advertised a hot tub on the official Best Western website, however, that is not correct.
Another customer review stated that he had broken the 'luggage' bench, which does look like a sitting bench. This was an easy mistake to make since their wasn't an arm chair available. He was told that these benches are for luggage only and not for sitting. Susan, the assistant manager responded to that customer's review saying that the issue of the 'luggage' bench would be addressed, however when we were there, no notice was posted in the rooms.
Acoustics in the renovated room are terrible. It's like being in an echo chamber. Perhaps the addition of an arm chair will help that issue.
The alarm clock is fairly sophisticated and with the fear that it would go off in the wee hours of the morning, we simply unplugged it. Simplicity in a hotel clock is the ultimate desire.
The website stated: “You'll rest easy knowing that you have everything you need in your clean and well-appointed room at this affordable Florida hotel.”
The room was not as promised, therefore in violation of the agreement we had with the hotel, and at the very least, we would have expected an apology and a discount for our troubles. less