The Inn at 515 15th

I booked this hotel a few months ago. When plans changed (very soon after booking), I tried calling, repeatedly, to cancel the booking. I tried emailing. I left messages and voicemails. The day of the actual booking (last week) I received a check-in email. I tried calling and emailing again. Now I have been charged for the room. They are scam artists at this hotel. I would like a total refund and have yet to hear from a live person.

This hotel might well be the way forward, and our calculated gamble paid off. :-) A bit AirBnB in its business model, nobody on site, with key code entry to main entrances (3) and room(s). It’s a bit eerie to start with, but a quick walk around the practically deserted premises showed up a dining area, well equipped kitchen and laundry room. Our room was large enough, comfy bed, clean and functional but you would have to use the kitchen for coffee etc. The hotel was in our experience very quiet, in a good location, with parking on site, and plenty of free parking on the surrounding roads. Would happily book here again if the opportunity presented itself.

This appears to be a former office building converted to be a hotel. It has a few common areas (small kitchen, lounge with games), but no lobby and no regular on-site staff. Assistance is available by phone as needed, and of course they'll come to the hotel if necessary. There's no check-in -- you receive a door code at the time of reservation that will let you in the front door and also into your room. It's simple and easy, if not very welcoming. Parking is good. The rooms were very clean and the bed was comfortable. The location is good. I think this would be a fine place for a traveler on business or just passing through that is just looking for a place to stay. My primary complaint with the place is that it came across as very utilitarian, with no real ambience. I can understand the difficulty of trying to make an established building into a hotel, but as a customer it isn't what I'm looking for. The first indication is the entrance, which is a single, apparently steel door reminiscent of a fire door, with a push-button lock and a mail slot. The exterior walls are made of brick and the interior walls seem cold and uninviting to me. They've made a good attempt at trying to dress up the interior, but it's still mostly white walls, an unusual floor layout for a hotel, and of course, no lobby or anyone to welcome you. It all feels very transactional: you pay money, we provide a clean room and a bed. It's not wrong, but as couple taking a getaway trip to the coast, it doesn't provide any of the warmth and welcome we were looking for.