The Avenue Hotel, Lakeland

I stay here because of the location, and new management has made many improvements to the hotel. Upgrades in decor and AC units. The staff is wonderful and the grounds well kept. A large pool is well kept. The hotel is an old Holiday Inn, but the new owners have made efforts to upgrade the rooms. I have stay here 4 times and will stay here again.

Room was okay if you look past the stained carpet, poor air conditioner, leaky faucet, stinky air and holes in the blankets. (both beds had blankets with holes) Resturant was the worst my family has ever tried to eat in! When we walked in I had an uneasy feeling, since we were told we were the first customers of the day, this was a 9:00 am on a Friday. I ordered pancakes for breakfast, they were served to me "very crunchy and greasy" and I was told "try and eat them, but we will make you another batch if you prefer" and they were left for me to look at and smell. Even the waitress who served them said they weren't good (why serve them?) It took 25 minutes or more for my new order to be served (both my mom and aunt had finished their breakfasts, I had not even started). The new and improved pancakes were huge and "fluffy" and not burnt, but lacked any taste at all. My appetite for pancakes was totally gone by then. My mother had ordered a biscuit with egg & cheese she asked for her egg to be fried "well done"; she was served a biscuit with bacon and an egg over easy. The waitress argued with my mom that she ordered her egg that way! But, when she checked her ticket she had written fried hard egg; she did apologize and then took the plate back. It was obvious that they scraped off the egg cooked wrong and just put another egg on top of her now cold hard biscuit and bacon, she never did get the cheese!, Honestly, I can probably recount only one other order I have ever sent back --- I usually can eat most anything; but that was the absolutely worse meal experience my family has had; even the morning decor of the restaurant was lacking --- very pretty after hour look but for a morning look -- not good; at least open the drapes so the room was not so dark. If you want an okay room; stay here. if you want a horrible eating experience, then eat at the restaurant of this hotel --- you have been warned.!

Tuesday night my wife and I stayed at the Avenue Hotel in Lakeland, FL. and had the most wonderful experience we've had in many years! Respect & kindness from every employee starting with the general manager Susan Needham who seems to have instilled her positive, warm "Southern" hospitality on every employee from the maids & maintenance staff to the lobby check in staff. We checked in early evening & soon as we cleaned up we went to "Ruby's" restaurant & lounge there in the hotel where we found the same inviting, warm hostess, bartender, waitresses & even the chef. The food at the terrific buffet was beyond belief & the entertainment that night (local "karaoke stars") was like no other "karaoke" singing we had ever heard ! And we met Ken Brady (a "Casinos" star) who sang "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" (a hit by "The Casinos"-1967!) The rooms were so clean & comfortable & my wife woke up next morning saying she slept like a baby all night - I must say she does normally wake me up several times during a night at home so I also slept very well. Magnificent start to finish and we will be back. Thanks to everyone at the Avenue Hotel for making our single night stay-over such a marvelous time.

We weren't sure at first but this place was really nice. We had a picnic in a park area by the pool and what a pool it was, very large with a heated spa. Had a refrigerator and microwave in our room without the usual $25.00 fee! We loved the bar area and real nice people that we met and that served us. Well worth the rate we paid and we will come back because we made friends with everyone there!