A M.
Yelp
AVOID THIS HOTEL. DIRTY, OLD, LOOKS NOTHING LIKE ITS WEBSITE. TOTAL RIP OFF. I WROTE THE BELOW TO THE OWNER/MANAGER AND NEVER EVEN RECEIVED A RESPONSE.
Good evening, Joy,
I recently stayed at Garrison Inn and was excited to visit Newburyport. Your website described the Inn as 'boutique' and from the pictures on the website, the accommodations appeared to be clean, crisp, up to date and somewhat modern - all that one would expect from something branding itself as 'boutique'. Your lobby is attractive, front desk attendant was accommodating and friendly and the tea room, even though closed due to covid, charming. It is obvious that you take great pride in the building's history by the framed artifacts from long ago which when mixed with what I thought would be modern accommodations, is an eclectic way of decorating that truly works. However, my excitement turned to disappointment the minute I turned the corner and got on the elevator. The dynamic fusion, as your website describes, of combining old with new is a huge miss when it comes to the Garrison Inn. It is old in all the wrong places. It is dark, dated and frankly, looks nothing like the pictures on your website. The carpet in the hallway is worn and was in a bad need of a vacuum not too mention the stale smell that permeated the entire space. I could barely see to get my key in the door knob to unlock my door because the lighting was so poor. Once in my room, there was nothing 'boutique' about it. Yes, the exposed brick and reclaimed wood were great, 'old' design features, but everything else was below subpar. The bathroom was extremely old and tired. The shower had been re-done (and cheaply, at that) but nothing else was touched. And the cleanliness of the bathroom was, well, not cleanly at all. There was leftover hair on the floor and hair stuck to the walls and ceiling, which to me, is like going to a restaurant and finding a piece of hair in your food. Totally unacceptable especially in these unprecedented times of a global pandemic. I have attached pictures for your review. There was no fan so when you took a shower, everything was slippery down to the old, unattractive door knob and the walls and ceiling had a wet film on them scattered with old, stained water marks. The water spicket on the ceiling, that is supposed to protect in case of fire, was so rusted at the base, I wondered if it would even work if it needed to. I have included a picture of that for your reference as well. The room itself was dumpy. It was furnished with newer, somewhat modern, and according to your website, sumptuous furniture that was just adequate at best. It needed a coat of fresh paint - something more appealing than the fleshy beige color with chips in the doorframes and moldings. The carpet, like in the hallway, needed a thorough vacuum. The bed was very low and lumpy with not so 'luxurious linens' that were not pressed and slapped on the bed with no care. There was no chain lock on the door as well as no deadbolt that worked. A push-in lock on the working door knob was the only way to lock the room from inside which didn't make me feel especially safe. And, although the hotel silver is a nice idea, if it's not polished, which ours was not, it just looks dirty and uncared for which is what ours looked like. On your website, your silver seems to be polished in the pictures you provide. Again, not a true actual representation.The quality of the room reminded me of what a room at a budget hotel chain looked like 50 years ago. I paid over $300.00 for my room and for that price, I expected way, way more than what you actually delivered. There is a huge disconnect between what you are advertising online and the prices you are charging for actual condition of accommodation. As a customer, I feel cheated and taken advantage of by you. Your website advertises accommodations that look modern and fresh in a historic, beautiful building. But once you come through the doors in person, it is hard not to feel lied to as the pictures on your website do not represent the actual old condition of the Garrison Inn. I would never choose to stay with you again and I will never recommend the Garrison Inn to anyone except to tell them to look for another place to stay. It is too bad because you have an amazing building that has great potential to be the 'it' spot to stay in Newburyport. But right now, it falls way short in every way and for the price you charge, you should be ashamed.