Comfort Inn Yellowstone North (107 Hellroaring St )

smells like cigarette smoke, rude service, etc.

From April 21 - 25, I was attending a week-long training in the conference room of the hotel. The training included about 16 employees of Yellowstone National Park and other National Park Service units in the area. During our lunch break one day, I wanted to heat up my food, so I went to the dining area, but I didn't see a microwave. So, I went to the front desk, but no one was there. There was a sign saying to dial "0" if you needed assistance. So, I dialed 0, and a man answered. (Apparently, he was at his residence, and there was no staff available at the hotel.) I said I was here at the hotel for training and was wondering where a microwave was so I could heat up my lunch. The man said that there wasn't a microwave at the hotel. I was incredulous and asked "There's not a microwave for guests to use?" He said that there was no microwave. I asked if there was any microwave at all in the hotel - even one that employees used. He said that he didn't think there was, unless his wife put one in without his knowledge. So, I asked again whether there was a microwave in the hotel. He said no. He asked if I was a guest there, and I said I was attending a training session in the conference room. His tone and demeanor were very abrasive, rude, and unprofessional. He identified himself as Rod McAllister, the owner of the hotel. I asked who I would complain to for the lack of the microwave. He said I would complain to him, as he is the owner. I asked if there was anyone above him, perhaps a Board of Directors or some other entity. He said there was nothing above him and no one else to complain to. So, I asked him for his mailing address, which he gave me.

From my experience, microwaves are a standard and fairly basic item that hotels and motels have available for guests to use in the dining area. It seems so primitive and behind-the-times for a name-brand hotel chain like Comfort Inn to not have something as simple and basic a microwave. The lack of a microwave (which cost under $100) at the Comfort Inn in Gardiner was shocking and disappointing. The very rude encounter with the owner was even more shocking.

Another disappointing and unusual observation about the Comfort Inn in Gardiner was that the whole inside of the building smells like stale cigarette smoke. Perhaps smoking used to be allowed in the building. I did notice a "No smoking" sign on the front doors, but this may be a new addition. Once one enters the building, the smell of smoke is obvious and strong and annoying. I noticed that there is a separate room - like a bar/tavern - above the front desk/lobby area that says smoking is allowed in it, so perhaps smoke is leaking out of that room into the main building that is supposed to be smoke-free. The training session was held on the 3rd floor, and the smoke smell was still apparent there. One day, an attendee opened the windows of the conference room to let fresh air in. Unfortunately, one the hotels employees decide to take a smoke/cigarette break directly below those windows, and the wind carried the secondhand smoke into the conference room. Those of us in the training could smell the smoke, so someone got up and closed the windows.

Comfort Inn should look into these matters and try to address them so they don't happen again. First, get a microwave. Second, have the owner attend training on how to treat guests in a professional and polite manner. Third, prohibit smoking in the entire hotel and then deodorize the inside of the hotel so guests don't have to breathe stale secondhand smoke during their stay.

Until then, I will definitely NOT recommend the Comfort Inn for my family, friends, and other guests when they come to visit Yellowstone.

Unique Quality: None.