Hotel berhampiran Armed Forces History Museum, Largo

This was a stopover on a long drive along both Florida coasts for fun and relaxation. I arrived and the man at the front desk with a New York/northeastern accent was very welcoming and friendly. He and another man upgraded me to a poolside room which I graciously accepted. I noticed I forgot to bring my beach shoes and they were very helpful with directions on several places to buy a pair. The pool is outdoor as most are in Florida. Nothing fancy, but did the job. Bed was comfortable and breakfast was typical HIE fare. Would return.

I’m going to start saying that this family vacation was sweet and sour. After looking around and have my concerns because some of the reviews I decided to stay here anyways. I’m going to start with the positive things. Breakfast- pretty nice, there was a variety eggs, pancakes, fruit, cereal, bread, etc. Ms Penny at the breakfast station was nice and polite. The room that was assigned was clean, the bed was comfy. *now let’s go with the next… 1. We arrived around 6pm, I proceeded to check in the lady at the front desk agent I’m not going to say her name but stars with Y (very unprofessional) told me that I was checked in. I was (what?) no I’m sorry but we just arrived, she was yes you are, I was no, then she mentioned another person name with my last name and said are you sure you are not _ _ and I was so now I don’t know my name :/ I was no ma’am that’s not my name. So the other person showed at the lobby because they assigned the wrong room… that means they assigned somebody else to my room without check and compare the name on the id and the credit card :| si the hotel manager came and reassigned another room for me and for the other lady, at this point the front desk lady said but there is no more housekeeping personnel and I was OMG, so after we finally got our room (finally), Sunday afternoon I told my husband we are having a good time with the kids let me see if I can extend one more day, so we can do something else with them, I proceeded to the FD and talked to the gentleman (Don’t remember his name) he said well to extend a night is 149, I said ok let me talk to my husband I’ll be back, when I went back who was there again Ms Y, so I said Hi I want to see if I can extend one more night and she was well is 159 and I was OMG here we go again. I was Ms Y! I came here a moment ago and he told me another price and she was no, he was incorrect, I was online is 136 and you are telling me that is 159. You know never mind. At this point I was so upset that I call Guest relations and explain everything from the beginning, they call the hotel and the lady told the Guest Relations agent that non of that happened and I was like whattttt, so now she was calling me liar ??? To put the cherry on top when we were ready to checkout and put our luggage in the car, we noticed that someone hit our car in the parking lot ( I thank God that wasn’t that bad) at this point I was so frustrated!!! We asked the Front desk and guess what?!?! There was no cameras in that side of the building! Yes, no cameras in a side where there a door with no lock and anyone can enter to the premises and have access to the rooms. I worked with hotel industry for more than 15 years and this was a terrible service and experience ! Picture of the good and no so good!

The ONLY reason I gave two stars was because of the people. FDA Ronda was great, both at my initial check in and when I needed to switch rooms. The breakfast attendant was also very friendly and welcoming. As for the rest of the stay, I cannot understand how this hotel got so many positive reviews. I initially checked in on the app and stopped by the front desk upon my arrival close to 9:00 pm to grab a snack. Ronda was very friendly and welcoming and seems to really enjoy her job. However, as soon as I opened the door to room 317, I noticed a strong urine smell. Once I got into the room, I noticed it was pretty beat up and could use a coat of paint. Also, the door to the connecting room was open a couple of inches, only being held in place by the safety latch; the deadbolt was broken and would not lock, so the door wouldn't remain closed. Anyone in the room next door could have peeked in and saw me (I feel sorry for them as I'm not a handsome man). Back to the smell, which I though was maybe coming from the bathroom but I couldn't find the source. Anyway, I went back down to the front desk where Ronda put me in a new room. The new room, room 323, was a studio suite and a good size, but like the other one, it was pretty beat up. The furniture was old, the walls needed a coat of paint yet the trim areas had been painted so much they looked terrible. One of the towels had a hair in it as did the bathtub. Just an overall unpleasant experience. Breakfast was on par with other Hampton Inns, which is fine for a free breakfast. Like I said, I don't know how this hotel got such good ratings for being so beat up. Except for Ronda, this hotel is a mess.

The hotel was sparkling clean and well appointed in every necessary detail. We stayed there as opposed to staying at a hotel on the beach. The price was a good deal less and parking was free. Brandye took good care of us. She helped us out with places to eat (and save) and treated us like family. Luis helped us with directions and general questions. The beach was a five minute drive and parking was a lot less expensive at a meter ($7.00 for a couple of hours) than at a hotel. All in all, this was one of our best stays ever. Thank you Residence Inn.