Good airport location with a few glitches
10/03/2019 AlisonAnnie, Canada
I stayed here on 2 bitterly cold nights before and after a trip. This looks like the closest hotel to the airport -- only about 20 minutes away -- and not far from places to eat. The staff were very... more
I stayed here on 2 bitterly cold nights before and after a trip. This looks like the closest hotel to the airport -- only about 20 minutes away -- and not far from places to eat. The staff were very pleasant. The room was clean; bathroom well stocked and also very clean. Bed was comfortable, pillows way too big and round. (If you're going to put half a dozen pillows on each bed, at least choose a variety of shapes!)
The thermostat read 62 degrees when I arrived and although I turned on the heat, a couple hours later it still did not seem up to comfortable temperature. With a 4:30 a.m. checkout I was not going to spend time calling downstairs and just slept the first part of the night in my thermal underwear till it warmed up a bit more. The heater is quite loud; bring earplugs if this bothers you.
I would also recommend checking whether there are hockey teams in town before you book. It seems to be a popular hotel for them and on my first stay there was some noise, running feet, loud talking in the halls, etc., although it was younger kids and they quieted down after a while. Again, earplugs. The USB hub thingy by the bed was emitting a weird buzz and I unplugged it for the night. Their wifi is very slow, even in the lobby. I gave up and went to a restaurant instead of trying to read a menu online.
On my second stay 3 weeks later, I called a couple hours ahead to ask if they would check the heat and explained about the 62F last time. The staff person said they'd had "issues with the heating" but it was all fixed now and she would go check my room and make sure the heat was on. When I arrived... it was 60 degrees. "Cadolf" at the desk was polite, apologetic, and came up with me to install a space heater. That helped and I appreciated his effort. It was very quiet this time.
I can't comment about the breakfast because I checked out way too early and then too late for it.
I am not sure why the same type of room cost $20 more than it was 3 weeks before.
3-1/2 stars; I think this would be a 4-star stay if they fixed the heating, and if you pick a night when there aren't dozens of little hockey players running around. less
BWPlusSaintJohn, General Manager at Best Western Plus Saint John Hotel & Suites, responded to this review
Dear Alison,
Thank you very much for your detailed feedback, which have been immensely helpful and thoughtful. I apologize that we failed to deliver the type of service that our team prides themselves in. We are using all of the suggestions/comments to investigate and use them to ensure that this does not continue.
We hope to welcome you back on your future trip to Saint John.
Sincerely,
Jasmine Mosher