Econo Lodge

I’m not sure if you watch CSI: Pine Grove. But you could swear that’s where this takes place. The sketch factor is WAY up there. Planned a last min Rausch Creek wheeling trip with friends after already being in CT for the All American Jeep Rally all day. Spontaneous trip. Actually the deciding factor was to see if we could get a room to crash in. Welp… at around 8pm we decided to make the calls. Our normal place we stay at was unfortunately No Vacancy. So we decided to call and see if this Econo Lodge had openings. The man assured me he had ‘plenty’ of rooms so I did not need to leave my name or anything like that. We finally arrived after a long drive and a few stops to the Econo Lodge. All 5 of us walk in and say we need a room. He said it was able for all of us to get one room if we wanted. So being we could split the room 5 ways, it wasn’t a bad idea. $ 20 Each. why not… heh. He hands us the key, we ask him if he had a cot for one of the guys to stay in, he looks and says, «Yeah, we don’t have any extra cots… Around the back of the building, you could also park back there, Go up the stairs you guys are the first room on the right» We all get in our Jeeps to park them in the back, and sure enough, no parking available… So we ended up just parking in the same front spots and walked. As you walk up this staircase, you could swear it was one of the staircase used to film one of those scary prison movies. We open the door to our room and the first thing we get hit with is just that «Elder folks home» smell. The smell you remember as a child when your parents dropped you off with Grandma and Grandpa to spend the night there. So whatever, we all looked and just agree’d $ 20 each couldn’t of been a bad deal. Spite the fact one person has to sleep on the floor. Which also was terribly gross looking. The room has a TV in it from the stone-​ages. The beds felt very firm. Only 2 pillows do a bed. Toilet and shower need a good cleaning. Bathroom itself is claustrophobic small… Overall, Looking back. Place isn’t worth a dime. For $ 70 a night, you go next door and get yourself a nice comfy bed in a modernized room.
If Econo Lodge looks to keep up with local competition, They will need a SERIOUS overhaul… We’re talking a huge demo/​rebuild.

We booked 2 nights on hotels dot com when we were in Ohio so we would have a room for when we arrived at 6am. Well when we arrived they had all the doors locked and the guy in the lobby wouldn’t let us in, it was 27° and raining, when he finally let us in, he was rude and said that the lobby was closed and there was no way to check in, after being a total jerk he basically told us to go somewhere else! So back in the car in the rain and cold off to the days inn! If I could give this econo lodge no star I would!

If you need to communicate with someone who speaks AND understands English (my experience was around the 10:00 — 11:00 p.m. timeframe), GO ELSEWHERE! It’s worth the extra money to not have to deal with the aggravation.
On the evening of 8/​30, I went to the Choice Hotels website and tried to book a last minute room for a 2 night stay for ⁸⁄₃₀ and ⁸⁄₃₁. I realized after booking that only the 2^nd night booked successfully. So, I called the hotel to try and get the first night booked, as well. The girl who answered could not understand what I was asking and, despite me slowing my speech to a remedial pace, she told me to please call back «tomorrow morning after 9 a.m.» Really? NO ENGLISH SPEAKING PERSON ON DUTY!!!
Yes, really. I asked to speak with someone else. She is «only one». So, after calls to reservations and being advised that I was past the cancellation period and unable to cancel without Guest Services intervention, I called the hotel to, at the very least, ask her to cancel my reservation since I would not be going to PA anymore. (After all, if I needed a 2 night stay and couldn’t get it AND was already going to be charged the 2^nd night, it made no sense for me to drive up from Northern VA, at all.)
Guess what, she understood that English just enough to tell me she couldn’t cancel. «Sorry.»
Well, Econo Lodge… I called Guest Services today and told them that there is at least one EXTREMELY UNHELPFUL, female staff member who does not have a grasp on effective communication with the English-​speaking customers.
What a horrible experience. Usually, I don’t stay in places of the stereotypical, Econo Lodge quality. This is just one example of why.
Guest Services called the hotel and… right-​o! The hotel canceled my reservation.
Save yourself any of the almost guaranteed frustration and stay anywhere else besides Econo Lodge in Pine Grove, PA. Stay in a box on the street corner if you must. It’s bound to be better.

Got a room here for $ 99 just pulling up. NOT WORTH $ 50!!! No reservations. Comforter was old and there was only a comforter and sheet. Room was dingy. Towels stained. Old tv. Room did have a mini fridge and microwave but no coffee maker. Toilet was so stained it looked like out hasn’t been cleaned in years and was really gross. Shower water stunk and ran out of hot water after one and a half showers and was told that «we ran out of hot water because there were to many people staying here» Advertised free WiFi but never connected and never saw an option for connection. The free breakfast leaves much to be desired. Sugar filled cereal, yogurt (which I couldn’t get open) and waffles. Coffee and watered down juice. We ended up going to McDonald’s. While checking out, heard other guests complaining about: brown water stuck in their tub, black water coming out of their faucet, water dripping into their room below whenever someone took a shower in the room above. One man asked about the owner and was told that he never comes around but one a week. Will never stay at any Econolodge again.

Better pay the extra $ 50 for the Hampton Inn. Booked on Orbitz for $ 80/​night because Hampton Inn had no more king sized beds left. Pulled in at 3am and rang bell for night clerk. for 5 min. Then called phone number and the guy on the phone asked if I rang the bell. He was concerned and told me someone would be there asap. So out walks a man in his PJ’s barefoot, obviously awakened by the owners phone call. After some strange transaction of no words and strange points he gives me my room card and I go to my room. Nylon comforter from 1980, dingy toilet and tub. Diddnt have any problem with checkout, but wont be back overall. Our friends stayed at the hampton Inn and kept raving about how clean their rooms were. So next time, we stay there.