I reserved a room that sleeps 4 from May 13-19 2022 a few months prior with a $300 deposit and $610 remaining balance due at the time of our stay. At the time of booking, I also stated that I have a Registered Service Dog that would be with me as well. The week before our trip, my mother had a stroke and was hospitalized. Not knowing what her future prognosis was, I contacted the Inn and spoke to Julie attempting to cancel and hopefully get at least a portion of my deposit refunded. Nope. Apparently, the cancellation policy at The Inn has no room for family emergencies. She blatantly told me that, not only would I not be refunded my $300 deposit, BUT If she could not book the room to someone else, I would also be responsible for the remaining balance. She than gave me one other option of switching my dates to the next week but that was the only time she would give us because the rates go up after Memorial Day. I was so irate and overwhelmed, I told her I would call her back in a few days once we found out more info on my moms health. After 3 days in the hospital, my mom was up and moving and her doc said some fresh air could do her some good. So I phone Julie again and let her know we would be keeping the reservation. (Not really any other options or I would be out $910. Get to the Inn the afternoon of the 13th and as I am checking in and paying, I see that my balance due is now a little over $700 and I question Julie about it. She gaslights me and tells me that's the amount I gave you over the phone when we spoke. Which is not true, because I wrote the remaining balance down in my planner. So I'm going over the receipt and I see that she has charged me $15 a night for my service dog. "The ADA and the state of Minnesota prohibit public accommodations from charging a special admission fee or requiring anyone to pay any other extra fee or cost to have a service animal with you". So I asked Julie if she were really charging me for my service dog and her response was she would have to clean up after him.
Strike two. We park, get out of my vehicle and look UP UP a huge steep set of stairs which lead to The Wolves Den which is our accommodation for the week. My mom just had a stroke. Her body isn't even working at 75% and now we have to go up and down these stairs the whole week!
WTF?! Trying to stay positive, my husband and I unload everything and help my mom up to the room. Open the door and oh good lord. There's no separate sleeping area so all 4 people that the room supposedly sleeps, are right next to each other. Awkward but again willing to make the best out of it and maybe a good idea to be so close to my mom in case anything happened. The bathroom folks...in 5'2 and small. You can't open the doors and go in to sit on the toilet without opening one door, sliding in sideways closing the other door than moving over to the toilet and closing the second door. My husband is 6'2. He was miserable. He couldn't even stand up fully in the shower. On a positive note, they have supplied you with dishes, silverware, coffee pot, stove and mini fridge and a microwave from the year I was born (1974). I was bound & determined to make this late Mothers Day trip a good one and hope that it helped my mom heal up from her stroke. In the middle of the night on Monday May 16th my mom had another mini stroke. Terrified, we contacted her medical team and threw everything on my vehicle and took off for home and the hospital. I messaged Julie and let her know the situation and that we had to cut our stay short to rush my mother home and I asked if she could or would consider compensating us with a refund for the two remaining nights we had left on our reservation. Her response was that she would "figure out a rain check for us to use at another date"
I have never in my life felt so defeated and disregarded by another selfish human in my life. I understand a business needs to make a profit, but where is the humanity? The empathy or basic human compassion?
Thanks but no thanks to your offer of a rain check. I will not EVER stay at your establishment again. My mother ended up having to be taken by ambulance to Fargo to have Carotid Endarterectomy surgery. I live 2 hours away and have had to drive both ways each day. I could have really used the refund so I could've stayed closer to my mom in Fargo. I am SO angry with this establishment and disappointed in the behavior of its owner. I love supporting small local businesses but this one completely ruined that for me.
P.S. the pancakes were good. read more