Morrison Clark Historic Inn

VERY overpriced, they charged me $28 a day EXTRA for parking, I discovered this at checkout. My big gripe was the service. I called ahead for early check in was told I could check in as soon as the room was ready (about 1) & they would store my bags and park my car as soon as I got in. I arrived at 9:15 and was told I had bring my car around and haul my bags up the stairs to the front desk myself! I protested that I was parked literally right outside the side door, and I didn't want to take my 3 yr. old daughter down the stairs, belt her into her car seat, drive literally 15 feet around the corner, unbelt her, and then haul my luggage up the other set of steep stairs, with my daughter, just to make the staff's job easier! Brenda at the front desk said "Well then you can leave your little girl with me while you do that."! I got upset at this and went to my sister's room. I left my daughter with my sister while I was my own bellman and brought the car around, only now the early check in that Brenda had promised was suddenly not possible! I would not be allowed to check in till the regular check in time of 3! My sister (who had picked the hotel) was very upset and embarrased and went down to rase some heck. She came back and said "Your room is ready." I went down to check in again and was told I still couldn't check in. I mentioned that my sister had just been here and she had been told I could check in... NOW it seems my room WAS ready. (Gee....).

This is just one example of the horrid service at the Morrison Clark. I tried the "complementary shoe shine" service, and my boots came back untouched, I had to shine them myself. The manager said he was sorry, apparently they had been out of brown shoe polish, and nobody had told him, or done anything... even though there was a CVS around the corner where I bought my own brown shoe polish! Apparently the thought of sending someone to go GET brown shoe polish in order to help out a PAYING GUEST was beyond the Morrison Clark staff.

Unique Quality: No in room coffee maker. Several very steep steps at both the doors I saw... I have no idea how disabled people are supposed to get into this place unless they wheel them in through the garage and into the elevator. No compuer access for folks without their own laptop. No guest laundromat even though some sites say there is one (they charge about $7 a garmet so I didn't try the laundry service).
The neighborhood is spotty, I saw guys sleeping in the park out front but I think it is getting better with the new convention center nearby. No pool. If there is a fireplace or a fitness room I did not see it. Low water pressure.

This would be the ideal hotel for the married man to take a 19 year old intern, and I think the Morrison Clark knows that. I've seen reviews talking about how the staff is "descrete", they still use metal keys so there is no key card that might get forgotten and left in a wallet, and I know the fridge was packed with booze. The "mini-bar" was overpriced, but if you are drinking from the mini-bar there is no bartender to check if your date is underage. The room service charged $30 for Crab Cakes PLUS a 20% gratutity PLUS a $3 room delivery charge, and it was only available from 4PM to 9PM, which was wierd because when I worked at Hyatt we kept room service open till 1AM for late arrivals. If my spouce was staying at the Morrison Clark without me, I would want to have a long talk with them.

Unless you are cheating on your spouce, this hotel gives you a bad value for your money. You don't get any value for your dollar, so I rate it as expensive.

Directions: Near the convention center, about 4 blocks from the Metro Stop. Would not walk from the Metro at night, but OK during the day. CVS and a nice little cafe are around the corner.