Description: For a recent weekend of family events near Morgantown, Himself and Yours Truly broke with custom and booked a room in the lodge at
Lakeview Resort instead of staying with relatives. Lakeview has a hoity-toity reputation as an event venue, having all the substance of an established golf resort. So the family gave us the
la-tee-dah treatment as out-of-town kin lording fancy ways.
Unfortunately, the lodge was a disappointment. The grounds were okay, offering sparse but well-maintained exterior landscaping and decent parking. But as a hotel, it was really just a large motel--187 rooms on three floors, all serviced by one small elevator. Thus our stay began by lugging bags up flights of stairs to a third-floor guestroom (no assistance offered).
Our room was reasonably clean, with a smallish bath and minimal but adequate furnishings. Amenities were the contemporary minimum: hairdryer, iron, in-room coffee station, and basic complimentary toiletries. The devil being in the finer details, our first major irritation came when we decided to catch the late-night news--no remote control for the television. After a thorough search, we called the front desk, which promised to send one right up. Twenty minutes later, still with no remote, we called back and said not to bother. Next, in the deep of night, we discovered that the toilet didn’t quite flush, requiring rigorous manual assistance. Adding further insult, the bathroom exhaust fan didn’t work.
On waking, we brewed our usual morning elixir and found only one mug. In last-straw mode, Himself lumbered down to the lobby for a paper (not delivered to the door) and firmly requested a remote and two coffee mugs be delivered to our room. Picking up two cups of Starbucks, he headed back, beating the arrival of both the mugs and the remote, which were delivered separately.
Security was also an issue. During our stay, the locks on the lodge’s exterior doors were never engaged. We passed through several different doors, sometimes well past the evening lockdown imposed at most hotels, and our key was never required. Even the door to the small, unattended indoor pool was open.
No express checkout was provided. During our final trip to the front desk, I awaited that universal question, "How was your stay?" It never came. When I volunteered that our toilet hadn’t worked properly and the exhaust fan, not at all, I received a faint comment about sending maintenance. The clerk was clearly accustomed to last-minute complaints. No billing adjustments were offered. Finally, I asked about lakeview rooms, having found none on my own. I was informed that three suites on the third floor overlooked the lake. That seemed insufficient given widespread marketing suggesting the Lakeview's lodge has an impressive view of, imagine, a lake!
Frankly, the out-of-town kin got shafted. Value for money spent was poor. Other lodgings around Morgantown are less expensive, have better service, and offer nicer accommodations. Next time, we’ll take our business elsewhere.
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