Red Lion Inn & Suites Olympia, Governor Hotel - Hotel in Olympia - 621 Capitol Way S, USA

Positive: Location is awesome, very central with lots of good food and shopping nearby. Our room faced the lake which was nice. Negative: The room definitely could have been cleaner and was extremely hot inside when we got there. The TV only had cable (no streaming platforms).

Where to begin…if you look at the photos on the website and think it looks nice just know that the photos are not of the current state of this place. Those were clearly from the previous owners before red lion took over in 2019. When we first arrived my husband ran to the lobby bathroom where the only form of soap was a bar soap for EVERYONE to use. The rooms are disgusting, like don’t take your shoes off or sit on the chair disgusting. The chair from the 70’s had rips in it and looked filthy. The air conditioning worked somewhat but literally sounded like a prop plane taking off and the thermostat did not work well. There was visible black mold on the ceiling and other stains on the walls. The bathroom sink drain did not work and was stuck closed, I told the front desk person and he looked surprised but said literally no words and offered no help with it. The counter was stained and did not look clean. The tub dripped loudly the entire time and had holes in the porcelain. Paint was peeling off the walls and there were cigarette burn holes in a chair near the elevator. I was happy that our “view” was of the parking lot so we could keep an eye on our car as the parking lot was very sketchy. The only plus was the location and I guess the fact that we were doing a pub crawl so we could hopefully be inebriated enough to not care as much about where we had to sleep later that night. They should at least change their website to reflect the truth of the place so people know what they’re getting into. It’s deceptive to keep the current photos up. We will most definitely not be staying here again.

The first thing o noticed when I entered the building was the funky smell in the hallway. There was the same funky smell in my room (like dirty carpeting). Then the mini fridge in my room didn’t work at all and had to be swapped out with a different one. The bulb in the desk lamp was burnt out and had to be replaced. I opened the patio door to look outside, and the whole entire sliding door came off the track and I had to have someone come to my room and put it back on. There is no breakfast, only snacks such as bagels, toast, bananas, packaged oatmeal, mini muffins, coffee and tea. No eggs, bacon, waffles, etc, nothing hot. The room was very clean and very quiet, and the view out my window was absolutely beautiful. The staff were all very nice, polite and courteous. I was told this hotel will be shutting down completely for renovation in December, and when they reopen, they will be Hampton Inn. Perhaps that’s why they let the place get run down and don’t keep tabs on things that need to be repaired in the rooms.

Let me start off by saying that this hotel is in the downtown historical district, so there's a lot to see and do. The hotel itself let's just say, it's vintage! It is indeed in need of a remodeling update. Other reviewers commenting about the homeless people, yes there are homeless people around, but they are not on the hotel site that I have noticed. There are quite a few homeless around this entire port area and the downtown district. I chose this hotel because of the price plus I got a discount. So as an avid traveler I knew what I was getting into. People expecting the White House when picking the lowest priced hotel in the area is quite funny. The staff is friendly, and eager to help. The rooms are basic but clean like the rest of the hotel!

Giving a generous 2 stars because the mattress was actually comfortable and the first guy we met at the front desk was nice. Really run down hotel- super thin scratchy towels, scratchy blanket, 3 pillows on the king bed and the woman at the front desk couldn’t handle getting us another while her kids ran around. Smelled bad (especially the hallway, yikes) 2 lamps had burnt out light bulbs, ceiling pieces (what looked like it) flaked off onto the couch. The outlets on the desk in the suite didn’t work. Shower water switched from hot to freezing over and over again. Fan didn’t work on “high” setting- definitely overpriced for how dirty and old it felt inside.

The room was nothing like the photos posted on the website. Tired and sad furniture, stained on both the main cushioned chair as well as the carpet and bed. Carpet pulling away from the baseboards on the wall. Lights don't all work/plug in. The bathroom is dinky tiny and the water constantly fluctuates between boiling lava hot and intensely cold... I think if anyone uses any water on your floor while you're in the shower, good luck. The only positive was that the front desk crew were very friendly, otherwise the place smelled funky, is obviously in intense decline, and they really need to put some work into renovations or improvements if they're going to continue to host people.

Positive: 2 staff members at this hotel were amazing & made my stay was as pleasant as possible. Carlos w/ housekeeping & at the front desk went above & beyond with patience, grace, & a willingness to assist that is invaluable, but should be rightly rewarded. Negative: The hotel needs renovations. Signs of water damage in the rooms, peeling walls & ceiling, the cooling system's inability to handle demand, skin & eye irritation from bedding (wash the mattress protectors!), & the lack of hot breakfast at this price.

I cannot say enough good things about this property. First, I accidentally booked through a third party service that refused to help when I had a death in the family. The general manager couldn't offer my money back since it went to the third party service, but she did offer me a free future room. She didn't have to do anything, but she was so kind to me. When I went to check in, I was a little apprehensive that things would go awry, but it as smooth as can be. I just showed my email from the manager and they got us right in. Now, bear in mind. This is a 3.5 star hotel - it isn't super luxurious but it is clean, quiet, and well appointed. The location is fantastic and the beds were comfortable. The view of the trees of the park were lovely and I'd happily stay here again.