Comfort Inn Conference Center

Absolutely terrifying experience at Comfort Inn Co

This review is not solely a review of the Comfort Inn Conference Center at Tampa, but is also a review of the Choice Privileges Rewards Program which helps represent and
promote this hotel. We are and have been members of the Choice Privileges Rewards Program for many years. We have used this program because of the number of nights
that we stay at hotels/motels per year. Through this program individuals can receive cash back or free nights based upon the number of nights stayed.
A friend and I planned a two-week Goldwing motorcycle vacation. We chose this hotel because of its close proximity to the Tampa Bay Busch Gardens Adventure Park for
which we had purchased tickets. Upon arrival at approximately 6 p.m. on Sunday July 5th, we were greeted graciously by the desk clerk on duty that afternoon. The lobby of
the hotel is probably one of the nicest I have seen at any Choice Hotel at which we have stayed. There is an impressive water fountain in the lobby which makes quite and
impression on all arriving guests. Unfortunately, this is the end of the positive things about this hotel and where our nightmarish experience began.
After receiving our room key (the room was paid for using points that we had accumulated by staying at several Choice Privileges hotels previously on our trip), we were
told laughingly by the desk clerk to, "Park our motorcycle on the side of the hotel because if it's stolen, that's where the surveillance cameras are and at least it will be
recorded". Now, I don't know about anyone else, but to me this would be like a waiter telling someone eating at a restaurant to, "Sit by the door so when you choke on a
bone, the paramedics can at least attend to you if they arrive in time!" However, seeing as the room was located in that direction we complied and found an entrance near
where our room was suppose to be. After unpacking the bike, I grabbed my room key expecting to need it to open the entrance door. However, as we found out now and
more about later, none of the many entrances to this hotel have locks on them! In fact, many of the doors can not even be closed! Our room was located on the second floor
over-looking the indoor pool. We carried our gear upstairs and tried to enter our room. Interestingly enough, our room was locked by the door safety latch from the INSIDE! I
made my way back down to the front desk only to be told that, "That happens sometimes." As you can imagine, my friend and I were starting to get just a little concerned
about security in this hotel.
After receiving a key to a different room, we unpacked and called the front desk to see where we could purchase something to drink and get a light snack. We were told
just across the street was a liquor store. We weren’t too thrilled about shopping at a liquor store but thought we could make due. Heading to the exits, we were very surprised to find as I explained before that none of the many entrances to this hotel have locks on them and many of the doors can not even be closed. This is when we really started to get concerned about safety at this hotel.
Exiting the hotel and walking across the street we were met with yet another surprise. The liquor store was also a bar and the whole building was so covered with gang
style graffiti that we not only refused to go in the place, we wouldn't even go near it! Instead we did our shopping at the gas station across the street from the hotel which not
surprisingly, the checkout clerk sits behind the thickest sheet of bullet proof glass that I have ever seen. My guess is that it is at least 8 inches thick. At this point we
decided to just head back to the hotel and lock ourselves in until morning.
Arriving back at the room, we discovered that we had left the portable GPS which we had carried with us in the bike. I left the room and headed to the second floor exit
which also heads to the outside second floor balcony for the rooms located on the outward side of the building where the motorcycle was located. As I made the corner I
was startled to find about a dozen people wearing medallions, baggy pants, chains and backwards hats on the balcony directly over my motorcycle. After going through the
previously mentioned experiences at and around this hotel, I was really starting to get concerned not only for our only means of travel but also our personal safety. I quickly
retrieved the GPS from the bike by way of the lower exit and headed immediately back to the room. After locking the deadbolt on the room door, we decided to place a call to the local police department to find out about the neighborhood we were in. This met us with yet another surprise...there wasn't a phone book in our room! All I have to say is thank GOD for the portable GPS unit that I just risked my life retrieving. We powered it up and found the number to the local police department. After telling the officer on
duty the location and name of our hotel, he informed us that as we were from Wisconsin us staying in that hotel would be like us staying on the north side of Milwaukee. He
told us to leave the hotel immediately or at the very least leave as soon as we could before dark as the time was now 7:30 p.m. He told us if we DID stay and were to leave
our room, to NOT take any wallets, watches or any other valuables that we wanted to keep. He said this is one of the worst areas for crime in Tampa. He also went on to
say that they advertise this area and the Tampa Bay Busch Gardens area as tourist friendly and then he added, "Trust me, they are not". I then asked him how he thought we should we should get to our bike and pack as it was being hovered over by some not so nice looking individuals. He told me to leave all of my valuables in the room and if I thought it possible, to get to the bike and take it to the front entrance and pack there. He thought that if I made it look like I was just leaving and returning later that I might
be alright. Otherwise, he said he could send someone to escort me to the front entrance. As all of the individuals were on the balcony before, I thought I could at least sneak
out the lower entrance and would be alright.
I told my friend what the officer said and also told her to start packing immediately. I left the room and headed for the lower exit only to find that now the parking lot also
held several low-rider style cars with even more people wearing medallions, baggy pants, chains and backwards hats. As I exited the building below the balcony full of
individuals I heard one of them spit off the balcony at me. I also was on the receiving end of a remark of, "Hey, where are you going #%^%$&#." I jumped on the bike and
headed luckily without anymore altercations to the front entrance. I locked the front forks of the bike and headed as fast as I could to the room. My friend was completely
packed and we headed out. It took us each two trips to bring all of the gear into the room, but we made only one trip out as we were so concerned for our safety. We packed
up the bike and I gave the room keys to the front desk clerk. She asked why we were leaving and all I said was, "Because we weren't happy." We then traveled 30 miles
north of Tampa as we already decided to pass on the Busch Garden tickets even though we had already purchased them.
The following day, my friend called the hotel to explain our situation and to talk to the manager and see if there was a possibility of getting back the points we had used to
book the room that we didn't stay in. We felt that if we felt unsafe to stay in the hotel let alone the area that we should not be charged for the room. After being told several
times that the assistant manager would call us back as he was busy, we tried talking to the manager whose name is Randall. This however was met with the same results. After several days we
tried contacting Choice Privileges who assured us that they would look into the situation. Several representatives (one of whom was extremely rude and was quite annoyed
that we would even bother him about such a matter) and days later we finally talked to a representative that said that we could file a formal complaint which meant that she
would log it in Choice Privileges system and would also contact the manager of the hotel. The manager would then have 72 hours to contact us to try and resolve the
situation. If he didn't, the hotel would receive an unfavorable mark against them from Choice Privileges. After once again not being contacted by the hotel, we again called
Choice Privileges and was told that Choice Privileges was assured by the hotel manager that he had sent us a certified letter to resolve the situation. To date we have once
again received nothing.
Today is July 14th. We contacted Choice Privileges and told them we have still received nothing from the hotel and informed them we will never again stay at a Choice
Privileges hotel. If it were possible to give this hotel a negative rating - we would.

Unique Quality: Stay away at all costs. It should be stripped of its Quality Inn Name!