lightstays

Haven't posted here in awhile so I thought I would vent. Got a voucher for one night last night at the Ramada Plaza after CLT-MDT got canceled. Wow. This was the first hotel in the United States I have ever slept in in my 41 years where there was actual blood on the sheets. And I've seen some bad ones. I'm shocked AA uses this dump. I don't have any status but even if I did I don't know if it would have made a difference.

rumboj

dls25

In the US, Ramada is the flag of last resort when no other chain will take the hotel. They are almost universally terrible. AA should be ashamed...

Antarius

God bless travel insurance.

enviroian

love the sharpied on room numbers LOL

arollins

This certainly speaks volume of the hotel by itself. AA has numerous contract with several hotels, and you can imagine they usually go for the cheapest option. Unfortunately, they do not control the maintenance/cleanliness of the facility.

JDiver

Though the OP was vouchered into this property by American Airlines, this thread is more of a property review than an airline, so we have moved it to the Wyndham (including Ramada) forum. A durable link has been left in the originating forum.

Moderator

JDiver

Blood on the sheets? I’d certainly check for bedbugs. (Actually, I’d call my preferred lodging provider, book, and send a claim to AA. If denied, to my travel insurance provider.)

I’ve had decent Ramada stays overseas (e.g. PVG), but I’ve avoided them in the US.

lightstays

I would also add that the location is independently operated by the "Sheerji" family. I guess this excuses Ramada of all oversight.

Long Train Runnin

Yeah, I made the mistake of staying there once.

Awful hotel although my room wasn't quite that dirty it wasn't anything great.

Plus the area around the hotel was kind of sketchy.

Was glad it was only a one night stay.

Would certainly put this place on the avoid list. Plus that weird indoor space around the rooms just an odd vibe.

The Hyatt House CLT airport seems to be the best game in town around the airport.

OUTraveling

You should consider an Chase Sapphire card, I believe it offers $500 in expenses if your flight is cancelled.

Looking at CLT, you could have booked at the Ritz Carlton for about $399 plus taxes and had a $60 dinner.

lightstays

Now I know.

storewanderer

Look, just because this is the type of property Holiday Inn was deflagging about 25 years ago does not mean this is not a perfect fit for Ramada...

Think about that for a minute... Holiday Inn deflagging a property... 25 years ago...

Wyndham really needs to take a serious look at its QC standards.

Actually they should just divest off Days Inn, Travelodge, Howard Johnson, Ramada, Baymont, etc.

Try to fix up Hawthorn, Microtel, expand Wingate positioning it like a Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn, have La Quinta as a slightly below but generally acceptable brand like a Comfort Inn...

jebr

Agreed - Wyndham's QC standards are sorely lacking. Some remodels here and there won't make up for extremely inconsistent cleanliness levels between different hotels within the same brand, or varying qualities within the same brand. It doesn't help that most of their lower-end brands are primarily conversion properties, which often are properties that couldn't meet brand standards elsewhere. Ramadas seem especially bad considering they historically were a bit more upscale - the only one I've seen that was nice recently flagged up to a Delta by Marriott property.

I'm not sure if their business plan is to simply grab hotel licensing fees from hotels that otherwise would be independent roadside motels and not worry about holding to a brand standard, or if they actually want to move upmarket. If they do, they need to collapse all the conversions to one or two brands (Travelodge and Ramada are probably the best for that, as those two could cover the lower-end and mid-range conversions) and enforce brand standards on those conversions. The rest should be either purpose-built or require a full remodel to meet a standard spec, again enforcing strictly brand standards.

TTT103

HFS, Cendant, Wyndham has run their brands into the ground. Thirty years ago Ramada was positioned a notch above Holiday Inn, but now their standards run the gamut. Wyndham will do just about anything not to lose a property. It is a shame of what they allowed Ramada and Howard Johnson to become. I used to love staying at HoJo's, but haven't stayed at one in years.