PA Harrisburg Wyndham Garden Hotel

[LoneStar]

A very uneven stay. I had a strong hunch I'd get this hotel for my $35 2 1/2 star Harrisburg bid. I wanted it because I had an early morning flight out of nearby Harrisburg Airport and I knew the hotel had a free shuttle and "as long as you want to stay" free parking.

The shuttle bus part worked great (although it was a longish wait to get back to the hotel), so I more than got my money's worth. But my actual hotel experience wasn't so great. I had called ahead to request a 2 bedded non-smoking room for my family. No problemo, I was told. But when I arrived early evening, my request (as so often happens) had disappeared. But the lone front desk clerk -- who seemed frazzled and overworked -- eventually found such a room for me anyhow. But there was a big problem -- it was already occupied! First time I ever actually "walked in" on somebody in a hotel (good reason to use those door jams, folks!). Went back downstairs. Still frazzled desk clerk didn't seem too apologetic. Gave me another room. This one only had 1 bed and a pullout (a configuration I had rejected when I first arrived). Had I had more stamina, I probably would have returned to the desk again, but this time we had had enough and just "lived with it."

Otherwise, the hotel is fine, but not great. Bed was mediocre at best. Size of rooms merely adequate. Seems a reasonable 2 1/2 star hotel (not to be confused by the 3 star Wyndham directly across the highway, which used to be a Marriott). Location is also pretty convenient for Hershey, so I could see the priceline appeal of the property as a cheap but decent place to crash. Just don't expect too much!