Alda Hotels with Breakfast

Decent hotel that was clean and the staff we encountered were all friendly. The room was adequate for our purposes, which was just a place to stop for the night and sleep. The bed was very firm (meaning we found it stiff and hard). Very little give to the mattress, kind of like sleeping on a board. The bathroom was small and tight with a door that made it difficult to maneuver around. The toilet was very low to the ground and the toilet bowl was as small as I've seen. The rest of the room was basic, it included a desk and desk chair, a fridge and microwave, along with a 3 drawer credenza that had the TV on it. Basic,a little tired looking, but clean and efficient. They served hot breakfast from 6-9 am with eggs, potatoes, sausage, french toast, and biscuits and gravy. There were also cereal, apples, and yogurt to choose from. Overall, it is an average hotel that simply served its purpose.

I chose this hotel for price and easy on/off access to I-80. It was at the 10-hour point in a long drive, and the hotel was clean, comfortable and felt safe. Staff on the overnight shift had better people skills than the check-in afternoon shift, but everyone was helpful and courteous. A warning if you are wanting to share a bed, the queen beds are probably full-size and would be very small for 2 adults. Very comfy for one person however. Hotel has easy access to a couple of truck stop-type eateries, but the long distance from town means there aren't many food delivery options. Hotel next door has an apparently defunct restaurant. If you want to drive 8 miles or so each way , downtown Grand Island has a variety of restaurants. Best thing about this location was the state recreation area across the highway, if you have time there is hiking, fishing, birdwatching and swimming.

The reviews on Hotels.com are really good, so we decided to stay here. Mistake. Keep in mind, this is during COVID. The outside looked good, and Spouse said lobby looked fine, staff behind the desk was masked appropriately, though he didn't notice signage. We came in the back entrance, and right off, we meet some scraggly-bearded guy without a mask. Great. When carrying rest of our stuff up, two more people without a mask, seeming amused that we were wearing ours. I call the desk to ask what the policy is. ”Pam” says that it's the individual's choice. WHAT? (She goes to check, because it seems she has no idea.) ”No, wait, we require masks in public areas.” Then why aren't there any signs? I hang up in frustration and anger. I had to call back because I forgot to ask what their policy is on cleaning, as now I don't think I can trust them. Man answers this time, tells me they disinfect everything. Really? My health depends on it. Do I need to Lysol every surface again? ”Well, yes, you probably should.” I ask him about the signs, and he tells me there is *a* sign at the front desk. Why there aren't any other signs? ”We can't enforce the policy.” That's not what I asked. Why aren't there more signs? ”There's a sign at the front desk.” That's not what I asked. If it's policy, why aren't there signs? ”We can't enforce it.” I explained that I knew he understood the words I said, and that I knew he was trying to duck responsibility, that he was making the choice to not care. ”Well, yeah, I guess so.” What's your name? ”Matt.” And what's your job here? ”I'm an employee.” Yes, I got that, it's why you answered the phone. But what's your job? ”I'm an employee.” Are you the manager? What? ”No. Do you want to talk to the manager?” YES. Why don't you have more signs? ”We can't enforce the policy.” I WANT TO TALK TO THE MANAGER. ”Well there's no manager here now.” I've already called the corporate customer complaint number and had a complete breakdown talking to that poor woman. I've disinfected every surface--EVERYTHING, because while I believe the probably-underpaid housekeeping staff tries, if the desk staff is any indicator, this place could be a death trap. I've never said this about anyone before, because I do literally understand how difficult these jobs are, but if ”Matt” can't be bothered to do the hospitality part of his job in the hospitality industry, he should be fired. As for now, Spouse and I are hiding in our room until we can slip out early tomorrow, before the maskless jerks start wandering the halls.