I had stayed at the sister property, The Lithia Springs Hotel, which was outstanding, so I arrived at Ashland Springs with high expectations. After a multi-day rafting trip, I was eager to enjoy the historic hotel. Instead, a sign at check-in read, โBe back in a moment.โ After 5 minutes, another guest told me this was common and that she once waited 4โ5 hours for gym infoโtoo late to use it. I waited another 5 minutes and was calling when the attendant returned. I said Iโd been waiting 10 minutes; he replied, โOh, yeah, I had to go somewhere. My bad!โ The casual tone was jarring for a place with โold-fashioned values.โ He handed me my key with no detailsโthis isnโt a Motel 6!
The room was tiny (14x14), with an opaque windowโno view. When I asked for another, the same attendant said, โNo guarantee for a view with your room type and weโre out.โ No soft skills at all! The next day, over 100ยฐ, I looked forward to relaxing with the TV, but it didnโt work. The attendant said, โI have no knowledge of these TVs and the maintenance guy is not around.โ That night the night clerk told me, โThere isnโt a managerโฆitโs messed up.โ I appreciated the late checkout he granted and that the AC worked well, but overall, service was unprofessional and disappointing for such a storied property.