Great Location, Friendly Staff, but Some Unusual Hotel Policies Worth Knowing Before You Book…read more
I recently spent five days at the Best Western Clocktower in downtown Billings with a group that booked over 10 rooms. First, Billings is an incredible little city! We really enjoyed our time there, and the hotel's downtown location made it easy to get out and explore.
I don't typically believe in leaving a negative review just because something goes wrong. Things happen. My goal here isn't to complain, but to give future guests a realistic idea of what to expect.
Housekeeping was probably the biggest surprise.
Apparently, this hotel does not provide routine housekeeping, fresh towels, or toiletries until the fourth day of your stay.
After three days, I stopped by the front desk to ask about housekeeping and was informed they wouldn't be servicing my room until the following day. I explained that I was out of clean towels and, at a minimum, needed some fresh ones.
It was around 5:45 PM, and I was told housekeeping was closed.
Now, I want to be clear: the staff was very kind. However, the interaction felt more focused on explaining hotel policy than finding a simple solution to a guest's problem.
After asking a few times and doing a little petitioning, I was able to get towels delivered. When I returned to my room, they were sitting in a crumpled pile on the couch. The used towels hadn't been removed.
Not a huge deal. Just strange. Not something I've experienced at most hotels.
The next day was day four, so I expected the room to be refreshed. The used towels were removed, but the bed wasn't made.
Again, no big deal. But apparently, making the bed isn't part of the service either.
I heard similar experiences from others in our group, so this wasn't an isolated incident. Several people commented on how unusual it was that their beds weren't being made.
Look, I make my bed at home. Haha! One of the little perks of staying at a hotel is coming back to a freshly made bed and a refreshed room. Apparently, that's not something to expect here.
The noise is another thing worth mentioning.
The rooms aren't particularly well insulated from outside noise. You can hear people having normal conversations outside your room, and when someone rolls their luggage past your door, it sounds like a freight train coming through!
If you're a light sleeper, this is something to consider.
Breakfast is a nice concept, but plan for a wait.
The hotel provides complimentary breakfast through an adjoining restaurant. It's a cute little place with a lot of character, but seating is limited and the wait times can be significant.
The hotel actually provides paperwork warning guests about the long waits and recommends arriving early. In our experience, waits of 30 minutes or more seemed pretty common regardless.
Not necessarily a dealbreaker, but if you're traveling for business or have somewhere to be in the morning, it's worth planning around.
A few positives worth mentioning:
The location is great! Downtown Billings is very walkable, and we really enjoyed the surrounding area. Parking was convenient and readily available, which was a big plus.
The staff members we interacted with were also genuinely nice people. I never felt anyone was intentionally being difficult. They simply seemed committed to following the hotel's established policies and operating procedures.
The hotel itself was clean, although the property feels somewhat dated. Sometimes an older property can be clean but still not have that fresh, clean feeling you'd expect from a hotel. That's how I would describe this one.
My overall impression:
This isn't a terrible hotel, and I don't want this review to suggest otherwise. It's a conveniently located property with friendly employees in a really enjoyable downtown area.
However, there is a difference between providing a room to sleep in and providing the level of hospitality and service many travelers have come to expect from a hotel.
For me, hospitality is often found in the little things. Fresh towels, a made bed, a reasonably quiet room, and employees who feel empowered to solve simple problems without making guests work for a solution.
I understand businesses have policies, staffing challenges, and operational standards. I own businesses myself, so I appreciate the importance of having systems in place. But I also believe policies should support the guest experience, not become an obstacle to it.
Would I stay here again? Probably not. Not because I had a terrible experience, but because I'd prefer a hotel that offers more of the usual and customary services I've come to expect.
If you're planning a trip to Billings, this hotel may still be a good fit for you. Just go in knowing what to expect.
And definitely spend some time exploring downtown Billings. What a great little city!