Another lackluster stay
Stayed at this property for the third time this weekend - a Friday and Saturday night. I'd love to say things at this hotel have changed for the better but, sadly, I cannot. If anything, this place is an even bigger mess than it was during my previous stays. Were it not for the location (close to friends and family in the area) I would not have opted to stay here this weekend. Rest assured, my family will not book at this hotel again in the future. 
Where to start? Let's see: How about the unmistakable stench of animal urine that hit us as soon as we opened the door to our "suite." It was horrendous, so much so that I went to a supermarket that night and purchased a can of air freshener and two stand-alone fresheners to use in the room during our visit. We tried to air the place out a bit by leaving open the front door and only window in the room for a while each day, but it didn't help much. On top of it, the air in the room just seemed stale. 
As has been the case in the past, the suite just felt grimy. I ended up wiping down all of the surfaces (counters, tables, chairs, walls, light switches, etc.) with disinfecting wipes, and found most items smeared with black fingerprints. When I went to turn on the (old tube - no flat screens here) television in the living room, I discovered the batteries were dead, meaning we had to stand up and walk over to it all weekend in order to turn the TV on/off, or change channels or the volume. The small selection of channels also left something to be desired. 
Shortly after we arrived in our room, we received a call from the front desk asking if we needed anything. A couple more pillows and towels, please. Within 10 minutes, the pillows arrived, but not the towels. So we waited ... and waited ... and waited. Because we needed to be somewhere, I finally walked to the lobby and requested the towels, which the attendant handed me over the counter. Later that evening, we returned to our room and found a stack of towels sitting in the living room. Better late than never, I guess??? 
Bathtime for our kids: Wouldn't it have been great if the tub didn't drain on its own? Made bathing a bit tough, to say the least. And when it wasn't supposed to be on, the tub spout maintained a steady drip night and day. 
The kids were set to sleep on the pull out sofa. We located the bundle of spare sheets in the bedroom cubby that doubles as a closet. As we were making the bed, we noticed several black stains (looked like grease or oil) smeared on the otherwise white blanket. No telling the last time it had been washed. Gross! 
Also in the living room, I spied holes in the arms of the worn upholstered chair, and the fabric on the couch was visibly dirty. The blinds in that room both appeared to be missing their top slats and the draperies were immobile, so they could not be closed. The combination of the two meant that each morning, sunlight would stream into the living room making it too bright to sleep well in there. 
It was probably just as well, since we needed to be at the breakfast service bright and early to claim even a morsel of food. The service between 8 and 8:30 a.m. both mornings was chaotic, to say the least. The selection was average (we've been offered more food choices and better quality food at Hilton's Homewood Suites properties) but the kitchen kept running out of food. Sunday morning was an absolute madhouse - a line of people waiting in the tiny dining area; empty cereal dispensers; no bagels or coffee cake left; and the attendants were not quick enough to replenish items; and there was absolutely no place to sit inside or out near the pool. Management knew the hotel would be full of families with young children on a holiday weekend. How could they not be ready for the crowds? 
I also did not understand the housekeeping situation: When we stayed at this property previously over the weekend, it was explained to us via signs in the room that "light touch" housekeeping services would only be provided Monday through Friday, and sure enough the housekeeper never entered our room. This visit, despite the housekeeping signs still on display in the room, we clearly had a housekeeper visit on Saturday, as our trash was emptied and dirty towels removed. Also that night, we'd left the TV on in our room while we were out at dinner (as a security measure) but when we returned, the television had been turned off. So, is housekeeping provided daily or not? We still aren't sure what the case is. 
Other things I noticed: I spotted some unsavory characters walking around the property (it's clearly not just families and businesspeople who frequent the place), which lent a feeling that it may not be all together safe, especially when walking around at night. Also, the neighbors on our floor were incredibly loud coming and going. Do yourself a favor and ask for a room away from the stairs, where I learned people tend to congregate and speak very loudly. Also, the parking spaces are ridiculously narrow. I was sure I'd find a door ding on my car at some point. 
Apparently the property is set to undergo a fairly major renovation in the next couple of months. Fine - it most certainly needs one. Still, our most recent and previous stays here have been disappointing enough that no amount of lipstick and updated decor can change our perception at this point. I can say without a doubt this was my family's final stay at this Staybridge property.