The location of the hotel gives the impression of high crime. You cannot get into the hotel, unless the Desk Clerk is ACTUALLY paying attention to customers intended to enter.
If this isn’t enough to start the stay on a bad note, how about the “hotel policy” of changing your debit card a $100 “incidentals fee” and then being told your card will be refunded in 5-days. When asking if this is necessary because we’re on a budget for our trip, was very rudely advised “this is hotel policy”. Seriously, what happened to hotel policies where they’d charge your card for damage at checkout for “incidentals”. Pre charging for services that are not intended to be used or for pre charging for “damages” is so distasteful! Especially when the Desk Clerk states “the incidental charge is because you paid through Expedia and if you paid at the hotel you wouldn’t have this problem”.
Friendly or even customer service minded, are definitely NOT words I would use to describe this experience.