Red Lion Hotel-Salem

I’m on my third stay here, and not my last. This is where my work holds most of their state conferences.
It’s old, and like any old hotel, the maintenance, remodeling, and decorating is shotty and inconsistent. Each one of my rooms has had different issues and different updates. Unfortunately, for the most part the rooms and the conference areas really are run down. There has been some décor updates to try to hide bigger issues, but they’re pretty obvious. Like holes and water damage stains in the ceilings of the conference rooms, curtains and accent walls don’t hide those bigger issues. There’s paint chipping and wall paper peeling in the rooms, poor cover up jobs over water damage in bathrooms, OLD televisions, bad plumbing, parts of the floor that sink a little in the rooms, and old carpets throughout the whole place. The rooms are over crowded with furniture, they are also freezing this time of year and with the heaters it’s all or nothing (hot or freezing). A coworker had a room with a heater filter so clogged that the heater only pumped out colder air. The maintenance guy had to come clean it. That was a brief fix, it continued to pump out cold air even on a heat setting. I’ve experienced showers that had torn curtains and wouldn’t get hot enough, and light bulbs burned out.
My current stay the Internet has refused to work in various parts of the hotel, many of us having issues connecting, and even though I have a tv and one of those tv guides provided by the hotel, my room is not equipped for the direct TV package. Not sure why. So while I have 10 channels (some repeats of each other and 3 of them home shopping network type channels), other people at the conference have said they have 24 channels, others more. There’s no rhyme or reason. I’m also not sure why they wouldn’t tell me that at the front desk or when I called the front desk to ask about my tv. They sent a maintenance guy… what a waste of his time!
I’ve never had an issue with cleanliness (thank goodness), and most the staff are pretty nice, especially the young lady with the purple hair. There was an older lady though, (Sherri, Terri maybe? Can’t remember her name), she was highly unpleasant.
The food at the restaurant is not too over priced, I know hotel restaurants tend to be like that. But prices are reasonable and the food is actually pretty good too.
Overall, I really wish our conferences could be held somewhere else. Maybe we get a good deal here, so you get what you pay for I guess.

Let’s see, where do I start? Was it the tube tv from 1995? No. Was it the cleaning rag left on sink? No. Was it the cup of coffee sitting in the keurig from the last guest? No. I know, it was the pubes on the floor next to the tub. When I shared this info with the staff the response was, «oh, I’m sorry. Here’s your receipt.» If you’re looking for a roach motel, start here. The only good thing, a bartender by the name of James is the ultimate professional.

The rates are great. If you are able to, try to book through the Red Lion website as a Hello Rewards member. The usual price is between $ 65 and $ 75 per night, usually cheaper than the booking sights. They do put a $ 25.00 incidental hold on your card, but that is only in case of smoking, or damage to the room.
I have stayed at Red Lion Hotel several times, and my overall experience has been good. I generally will book a standard queen room. The rooms are on the small side, but every room I have booked has a balcony. I think that I have been automatically upgraded during all of my previous stays, to a King standard, because during my last stay, the bed was noticeably smaller (but still big enough and very comfy)
Housekeeping has, in my experience, been friendly and do a good job keeping the room clean. And the staff (front desk, restaurant, etc,.) are good representatives of the hotel
I usually have a flat screen tv in the room, but my last booking there was a crt tv. The cable has about 25 channels, one of them being the hotel directory, and they have HBO, so there is usually a good movie on.
They have recently taken the coffee maker out of the individual rooms, and there is a really cool touch screen vending machine, where you can receive unlimited free coffee, and espresso drinks or hot chocolate for $ 2.00 a cup. The vending machine coffee is much better than the in-​room Boyds coffee that was in the room the first few times I have stayed.
When I became a member, I did start receiving breakfast vouchers, which you are able to choose from one of 3 cooked to order breakfast or a buffet breakfast (with similar items) and one free non-​alcoholic drink. This is served in The WIllamette Valley Grill, which is open to the public and also includes a full bar, and the food is quite good and the prices are reasonable. The restaurant is open from early morning, to, I think, 10 or so at night. They also have a happy hour from 3 – 6 PM. with nice snack food.
My only complaint is that on occasion either the people in the next room are extremely loud or the walls might be fairly thin. I’m not prepared to say that this is the hotel’s fault, so I try to bring earplugs and/​or melatonin with me.

Absolutely the WORST hotel stay ever! We booked a room here from Priceline based on the fact that they had a hot tub (hot tub pictures on priceline), come to find out they don’t.
Getting off of the elevator I slipped and fell, my husband asked the front desk person for a few garbage bags so I could put ice on my knee and he was told they didn’t have any.
When we turned down the sheets there was a long black hair in the bed… GROSS!
The toilet flushed so violently that it felt like it would break through the floor.
The king size bed did not fit on the broken bed frame so my husband literally rolled off of the bed.

If there was a no star review I would’ve picked that. This is the worst motel/​dump I’ve been in.
First off, it is a no smoking room, but when we entered the room that was the! st thing we smelled. The bed is extremely lumpy. There is a high section in the middle that runs the length of the bed and dents where everyones ass has laid for who knows how long.
The general maintenance of the place seems to be lacking as well. The sttrip between the «hardwood» entry and the carpet was obviously made of plastic since, due to the damage, we were able to see the foam plastic under the fake wood grain. The shower head was so loose that it sprayed everywhere. It was loose to the point that it almost came off. There are also gaps in the caulking around the tub AND the base of the toilet. Then there are the windows. If the bed wasn’t enough to keep you awake then the wind whistling through the gaps will. The wind wasnt even blowing that hard.
FINALLY, if you decide to stay here, DO NOT pay extra for the free breakfast. I know nothing is free, but I was expecting what we paid to provide a decent breakfast. We paid $ 20 for two vouchers, but were limited to either a «Classic breakfast» (2 eggs, any way you wanted; sausage or bacon; home fried potatoes and toast) for $ 6.50, or you could choose the all you could eat buffet of scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, pastries and fruit. Drinks ranged from $ 2.25 to $ 2.75. For two people. What we got was according to the listed prices was about $ 16.00 worth of food.

I’m 39 years old, growing up, Red Lion hotels were really nice, but this place dropped the ball. The building is run down, no coffee service in your room, terrible water pressure in shower, why have an HD TV in the room if you don’t supply HD programming? Room service stops at 9pm, no late night menu. Room was over priced for the over all stay. Don’t think I’ll stay here ever again.

Definitely on the older side. Small rooms with a very dark feel, old window ac units and a weird set up for free breakfast. Each room is allowed 2 vouchers good for $ 8 for a breakfast entrée or a drink. You have to actually go down to the restaurant to order the breakfast from the menu and most of things on the menu were not available. They were a little unorganized in our reservation as we had called to book under a wedding and was transferred to someone who said there was room then to another agent who said there was not room.

Great location, close to the highway. Outstanding help at the front desk by Miss SAVANA. who helped accommodate us with our reservation. She went the extra mile and we appreciated that.

Not impressed with this establishment. When I checked in on Sunday, I approached an employee that had dark hair and gauges in his ears and announced that I had a reservation. This employee exhibited no warmth and pretty much behaved as if he could care less. The girl standing next to him, whom I did not notice when I walked in, said she would be glad to help me out. After she checked me in, she explained that there was a pool and fitness room. I asked about breakfast and she apologized, stating that the voucher wasn’t included in my reservation. I was puzzled because part of the reason I booked a room at this facility was because it offered «free breakfast.»
She asked if I was a Hello rewards member. I told her no. She then asked me if I was a AAA member. I said yes and began digging through my wallet in search for the elusive card. She said, «It’s okay, I’ll just give you a voucher.» By the time she issued the voucher ($ 8 applied toward breakfast, an appetizer, or drink in the hotel’s restaurant), I had found it and showed it to her, even though she said it was not necessary.
A few of my colleagues who were also staying at the Red Lion had mixed experiences regarding the voucher. One was issued several days worth of vouchers with no questions asked. The other was quoted a higher price for the room (not the state rate) and offered a voucher and another time, she was given the state rate, but no voucher. These inconsistencies are concerning.
There are fingerprints all over the mirrors. For some, it may be a minor detail, but for me, that’s just sloppy. I’m all about being eco-​friendly, but come on. I’ve seen Motels do a far better job. I’m curious how often the bedding is changed because there was pet and human hair on my bedspread. I have a few photos on my cell phone, but the lighting is so poor that you can hardly see it. Quite unfortunate, because this is the kind of thing that would make Anthony Melchiorri’s blood boil.
The last place I stayed at regularly replaced lotions and soaps. This one does not, although I did appreciate the one-​time sampling of high quality products from Cascadia Soapery. The last place I stayed at also provided two bottles of water in the fridge each day. The Red Lion only provided one (not one per day — just one) and had it sitting out next to the old school CRT TV.
There are no in-​room coffee makers. Instead, the card says to head to the lobby. I asked an employee where the brewing machine was located and she came off a little gruff, pointing to the direction of the restaurant. Okay, so I would have found it myself if I had looked around a bit more, but sometimes it’s just easier to ask.
No liquid flavored creamers here, unless you wanted to pay out the nose for it. I hate to sound like a broken record, but the last place I stayed at offered an in-​room coffee brewer and freshly brewed coffee in the lobby with FREE flavored liquid creamers. Offering fair trade coffee is great, but instead of spending a bunch of money to the hotel to make my coffee taste good (free isn’t totally free in this case), I could choose to a) choke down mediocre coffee with packaged non-​dairy creamer and sugar or b) pay just a tad more and go to Dutch Bros right down the road. Granted, one could argue that it’s not a fair comparison since Dutch Bros, to my knowledge, doesn’t offer fair trade coffee.
Other thoughts:
WiFi is slow. I kept getting booted off on my laptop. Luckily I’m browsing for leisure. I’d hate to be someone who was trying to get some work done.
I really like the dark furniture, but some of it is in need of TLC. The stand the TV is on, for example, has a decorative accent piece that’s danging with a nail sticking out of it. It’s not a difficult fix. Is anyone paying attention?
The toilets are annoying. They are really loud when they’re flushed. I mean airplane loud. It’s kind of bizarre, but maybe it helps the staff save time by not cleaning as often. I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised, given everything I’ve already stated.

The room was disgusting. There were crumbs all over the window sill. Couldn’t find the TV remote then looked under the bed and there it was. Went to the restroom and closed the door and look up and there is two used hair ties hanging on the back of the door. Washed my face at sink outside bathroom and look up and there is dried food splattered all over the ceiling. Then my fiancé got a laundry bag out of the closet and looks upand there is a pair of womens underwear on the shelf in front of him. Went to use the workout room and half the equipment was broken. Would not recommended this hotel to anyone!!! Lookout I bought this deal on Groupon.

This hotel is old and the first room they put me in had a full can of trash and somebody’s socks in the corner in the bathroom. They told me to come downstairs, put me in another tiny smelly room then called me to come back down again so they could get me out of a room that allows pets and upgraded me to a nicer room with a king but still questionable. I had booked three nights but have found a new hotel and will be checking out this morning. I would not recommend this hotel to anybody!!!

Priceline misleads you into thinking this is a 3-​star hotel. It’s so far from a 1 star, you’d wonder how they stay open.
Needs upgrade so badly.
Bedding was creepy. Pillows were lumpy. Eventually I could smell the pillows then realized they hadn’t been cleaned!
Bath stopper did not work.
I couldn’t wait to checkout.

Adequate. Upon checking the staff was friendly and accommodating, getting us 2 rooms together. After getting to our rooms it was noticed that there were no coffee makers in the rooms. They said that there was free coffee in the lobby. They said that they would bring up coffee makers for the room, which they quickly did.
The hotel looks like some upgrades have been done. They still have tube TVs which make the rooms look antiquated. Typical hotel furniture. Beds were comfortable. Bathrooms were clean and appear to have been modernized. The hotel has a restaurant and bar, indoor pool, fitness center and sauna.
This hotel with some minor tweeks could be 4 stars. They need to get more consistencies in their décor, brightening up common areas and get those LCD TVs.
The staff are the best part of the facility.
After talking to traveling partner found out that they had hair in the bathroom from previous guest. A walk around the property indicated that the carpets in the common area were very dirty. Common areas were in need of repair and paint. Based on in depth walk around determined that this property was at maximum a 2 stars. That was only because of the friendliness if the staff. You can’t blame them for the hotel administration faults.

I never right reviews but I had to on this one. I don’t expect 5 star amenities at a 3 star hotel, but I do expect cleanliness! The bathroom was definitely not cleaned, the floor was dirty, there was a clump of hair in the shower, and there were a couple of hairs in the bed. It was gross.

One of the best stays I have had in years… Staff was great, rooms were clean with many updates. The patio was exceptionally nice in the morning… The only problem was I wish I had breakfast and coffee. Other than that I most definitely would stay and recommend to all my friends and family :)

For a Red Lion the selection of TV channels is poor. Also they are skimmpy on the towels in the bathroom.
Friendly young lady at the front desk helped make our checkin experience very pleasant.
We are here for a couple more days so we will see how the rest of the weekend turns out.

They advertised a hot tub online. The hot tub has actually been bricked over. At this stage in the hotel game, I would be expecting flat screen TVs as well, not 20 year old tube TVs. The Wi-​Fi did work well, though. The pool was nice and clean. The elevator (s), however, were not. Ugh. Then, there was this gem in the 1950’s steam room: some sort of body fluid. Gross. This place needs a remodel as well as a tub on bleach. Easily the worst Red Lion I have ever been to.

My stay was for business for five days a few weeks ago, March 1 – 6, 2015. My first night I had a splatter substance on the wall-​visible to the naked eye. I took pictures. Then I crawled in bed and I found some hair under the pillow that was not brushed off after the laundry (sheets did smell fresh & clean). I took pictures. I did not get fresh toiletries or glasses until & asked, not once during this stay, but twice. I’m not terribly picky and grew up a Tom-​boy but by my third night I decided to pull the front desk staff person aside. She smiled and said she was the office manager. She listed, looked at the pictures and immediately asked me to forward them onto her. I did. She then text me back, since she had my number as I sent her the pictures, the following:
Wed. March 4, 10:41 p.m.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have already sent an email to our general manager Gus, and tomorrow I will make sure to bring this up to him when I see him tomorrow.
— Christina
I have since text her three times and heard back from her twice that she apologized for her general manager not getting back to me. The third time and last time I did not hear anything. As of today I still have heard nothing. I will never stay here again nor recommend anyone staying at this establishment!

The corporate pictures are very misleading. This place is a DUMP. It’s time to gut it and renovate.
Our room included weird floor-​to-​ceiling beveled mirrors, a tv from 1994, and sheets that were so thread-​bare they should be thrown away.
Luckily it was cheap and we arrived late and left early — just stopping in to sleep on a road trip. I would pay a little more for one of the other nearby hotels next time.

When you do the «Name Your Own Price» through Priceline and spend less on this hotel than you would have on a Motel 8, you can’t really complain! We booked this hotel for a trip to Salem for a wedding nearby and things went pretty smoothly.
It IS an older hotel, but our room didn’t feel super outdated (the elevators, however, are a little shaky).The front staff was VERY friendly and helpful, gave us vouchers for the restaurant, etc. The bed was a little uncomfortable — my boyfriend complained about it in the morning more than I did. The thing I obsess about is water pressure, and the shower definitely passed my test. Speaking of water pressure though, I’m pretty sure that if you flushed the toilet while sitting on it, you’d get sucked in. Holy crap, loudest toilet of all time! I scared my boyfriend several times during the night getting up to pee and setting off what sounds like Niagara Falls when you flush.
The one weird thing that did happen was when we came back from the wedding around 11:30 at night and found a trail of tiny ants coming in the room through the sliding door and crawling up over the AC unit onto the TV stand. BF went down to maintenance, the guy came up and explained he couldn’t spray while people are in the room (understandable), so instead he sprinkled cinnamon (apparently ants and tigers alike hate cinnamon) and it seemed to do the trick. We checked out the next morning to head back home, so I’m not sure what they ended up doing to keep the little bastards out long term.
Overall, not a bad stay at all. For the same rate, I would stay there again.