We've stayed at this motel many times over the past three years and have generally had positive…read moreexperiences. However, our most recent visit was extremely disappointing and unsettling due to an encounter with the manager's husband, Joseph Griffin.
Over the years, we've heard stories from others about Joseph being aggressive and hostile toward guests, but we had never experienced it firsthand -- until now. During this stay, I was in the room asleep with my 3-year-old while my husband walked to the nearby Dollar General. A friend of mine, who I didn't even know was stopping by, came up the outdoor stairs with her dog to knock on our door, unaware that pets aren't allowed upstairs.
The manager, Nell Griffin, came out and politely let her know that dogs were not allowed on the upper level. My friend apologized and immediately began walking the dog back downstairs. That should have been the end of it -- but then Joseph came out and began yelling at her very aggressively. Her father, who was with her, tried to calm things down, but Joseph continued to escalate the situation. As they left, he took down their license plate number.
Soon after, Joseph came up to our room, yelling that we were being evicted and charged a $350 cleaning fee -- despite the fact that no dog ever entered our room, and I was asleep the entire time with my child. My husband wasn't even on the property when it happened. We tried to calmly explain that we didn't know what was going on, but Joseph refused to listen and told us to leave with no refund.
When my husband returned, he spoke with Nell, who was much more professional and understanding. After explaining the situation, she allowed us to stay. Still, the experience left me feeling unsafe and uncomfortable, especially being alone with my 3-year-old while my husband was away fishing. I wanted to speak to Nell about how upsetting the situation had been, but I didn't feel safe raising the issue further out of fear Joseph might escalate things again or involve the police.
This entire situation was blown way out of proportion by Joseph, after Nell had already handled it respectfully. His behavior was aggressive, unnecessary, and unprofessional -- and it made us seriously question whether we'll return to a place we've stayed at loyally for years.
We would appreciate the opportunity to speak with the property owners directly, either by phone or email, to discuss how this situation will be addressed and hopefully rectified.
