At the end of May, I unfortunately had to check into the Days Inn in Indianapolis after midnight, as the moving truck I was driving to relocate to Kansas broke down. The appearance of this hotel from the outside looked presentable, but after midnight and having mechanical difficulties with a truck, I was too tired to ask to see the room before I checked in. Needless to say, the room was absolutely awful and needed a complete overhaul. To start with the room was poorly lit, and I should have realized immediately that this room would be in poor condition, as the hallway from the elevator to the room was also poorly lit and had a musty odor. The bedspreads looked presentable on the beds, but the carpet was filthy, and when I pulled down the bedspreads, the blankets had seen better days - there were actually holes in them, and the sheets were either stained or threadbare. The bathroom was disgusting. It was dark, and the shower and tub had mildew and soap scum all over it. I couldn't even bring myself to take a shower there. The sink, however, was clean, but that was not in the bathroom. I slept on top of the bedspread, and stayed in the hotel for no more than 4 hours. I didn't even eat the Days Inn complimentary breakfast.

Weeks later after I got settled in Kansas, I found the receipt for the hotel, and surfed for the Days Inn website. I sent a message off to the customer service department at Days Inn corporate headquarters, and received a reply in 2 days that the specific location I stayed in was a franchisee of Days Inn, but that my complaint would be forwarded onto the franchisee's general manager and that I would receive a reply in 14 days. Well, my complaint remained unanswered by the general manager, so I again wrote to the customer service representative that I had been in contact with. The customer service representative responded to me immediately and said that he would personally look into my complaint. Within 2 days, I received another email message stating that I would receive a refund within 14 days. Well, the refund wasn't for 100% of what I paid, but I did receive a check today for 50% from the corporate office of Days Inn.

I'm pleased that Days Inn corporate customer service department was attentive to my complaint. I didn't ask for any compensation, I just wanted to alert them of the conditions of this hotel. I won't stay in this specific Days Inn again, but when I'm on the road, I might stay at another one.

By the way, this specific Days Inn is in downtown Indianapolis. There's another one which I understand is in better shape.