I stayed here on a Saturday night in October, following a college football game. Although the property and parking lot appeared to be half empty, the room rate was a staggering $170 for a generic Marriott box hotel in an unassuming area. I'd last stayed here 5 1/2 years ago, so I expected a decent room and "okay" value.
The room and overall guest experience would have been okay for $110 or maybe even $120. But for $170, it is grossly deficient.
Example: after watching a football game in 40 degree temperatures and in the rain, I wanted to get warmed up before dinner. The room thermostat was set to "Cool" when I arrived, and the reading was 66 degrees. I pushed the button for heat, and cranked it up to 75. An hour later, the room had warmed up to 69. I left the thermostat set to 75, and when we returned from dinner after another hour, the room had leveled off at 71. Does the thermostat even work?
Example: I tried to call the front desk to complain about the heat. But the room telephone was disconnected. What? $170 and I don't even have a working room phone?
Example: The toilet seat obviously had not been changed since the hotel was built over a decade ago. It is cracked and discolored. Might be okay in a Motel 6 but in a Marriott property at this price point?
Example: The security lock on the room door does not work; it just turns and turns but the deadbolt does not engage. WRJ is not exactly a high crime area, but I'd still like to have a working deadbolt on my door. Come On, Man!
Example: I wanted to watch the Penn State - Ohio State game, while doing some paperwork at the desk. But whoever designed the room decided to put a 7-foot "armoire" between the desk and the TV, so yoo can't see the latter from the former. That same TV is also almost-invisible from the sofa "sitting area" in the room. And the TV itself is a clunky LG unit, that also looks like it was here when the hotel opened its doors. Seriously?
The bed is okay, and the property is still clean. But if you are visiting White River Junction or Hanover, do yourself a favor and stay at the Hampton Inn next door, or the Courtyard in Hanover.