We arrived early to explore Salem but no one was at the front desk, so we quietly used the lobby restroom to freshen up. We were whispering and careful with our luggage when an employee came out, didn’t greet us, I asked about checking in and said with an attitude, “We’re not even open yet, it’s way too early,” before walking away. Another guest came out complaining and began talking about us with the employee as if we weren’t there, which made us feel unwelcome from the start.
Their check-in window is only 4–6 p.m., and no one is on-site overnight. The only reason we entered that morning was because another guest left the door unlocked, which normally requires a code. When I asked about luggage storage since we’d return after hours, I was told it would be kept behind the desk and placed in our room later, with the key left in an envelope — not secure. When we came back, our luggage was sitting in the lobby with a sticky note and our room number. Luckily, nothing was missing.
The next day, two new employees were much kinder. Later, we were told maintenance needed to fix our toilet, but afterward it worked worse, and with no staff around, we had to use the lobby restroom. The beds were comfortable, breakfast was good, and the location was close to Salem, but the poor hospitality, lack of security, and limited hours made us feel uneasy. If staff were more welcoming and procedures safer, our stay could’ve been much better.