Red Roof Inn Toms River, Toms River

This place . . . where do I start? Oh yeah . . . the price! The price I paid to stay one night at this Best Western was RIDICULOUSLY HIGH. I felt like I was being robbed when I checked out. Why did I choose to stay here, you might ask? I assumed, given the price, that I would certainly be in a more luxurious room. Furthermore, Tom’s River is close to the shore, and I did stay during the peak summer season. Nonetheless, I expected a lot better then what I ended up with. I will try to be objective here, and not disparage the place due to one bad experience, because that won’t help anybody reading this review. The bottom-line is I have spent the night at Red Roof Inns that were significantly nicer, and literally a third of the price of this place. It was essentially an economy-class hotel with luxury-class rates. It was NOT the worst room that I have ever stayed in, but I definitely expected a whole lot more. I couldn’t believe how many other people were there paying the same rate. The location isn’t bad, right off the Parkway exit, across from a 7-11. One side of the building does face the river and a bridge. The parking lot was the equivalent of a sardine can. The parking lot lights were lying on the ground [they are meant to be standing up]. The air-conditioner was on, but the dial was broken and missing [I asked for assistance with this, and got none]. The website description stated that the room would have a microwave and a refrigerator, it had neither. The cocktail bar looked nice, but it was never open. The staff was pleasant enough, but didn’t seem involved. The bathroom was horrible. It had obviously been remodeled, but it seemed unfinished. The bathtub didn’t drain fast enough. I hate it when my own bathtub has me standing in water, but in a hotel room I find it particularly gross. I am not a snob when it comes to hotel rooms. I didn’t expect the Ritz Carlton here, but I certainly expected more then a no-frills off-the-highway budget hotel [which I’ve spent plenty of nights in – knowing what I was in for]. For the rates this place charges, any sane person would expect a MUCH nicer room and better amenities. I expected something like a Residence Inn or a Courtyard; I ended up with something more like a mediocre Red Roof Inn. Lastly, the pictures on the website [as of August 2006] are mostly not of this hotel, and there is no pool there.