Days Inn Charlotte/Woodlawn Near Carowinds in Charlotte, NC

The entire property smelled like cigarettes and marijuana. There were people loitering around the property exterior and hallways at odd hours and the walls seemed to be paper thin since you could hear just about everything your neighbor was doing.

At all costs this hotel should be avoided,but if you like smoke smells and other types of smells in the hallway, while avoiding trash on the floor and then killing cockroaches in the bathroom when you turn on the lights,by all means stay there. The staff also doesn't know how to check in as well as have functioning printers so you can obtain your receipt upon checkout

Our flight arrived so we checked in arouned 10:45pm. The entrance is hidden. Poorly lit. Red flag #1. The check-in process is via a walk-up window outside, like ordering fast food at a drive-thru. Red flag #2. It was cold. The lady was asking for my $100.00 cash deposit. No mention of it when booking. It chilly, we asked if my 69-year-old mother (5ft tall Asian woman, certainly non-threatening) could just wait inside the vestibule for warmth while we check in (which took forever). Door was locked, they ignored us. Gets colder. There are people inside. They are not in any uniform with no name tags. They are laughing & talking to check-in lady. They are clearly friends, not co-workers. We knocked again asking if Mom could wait inside. They started yelling at us, banged on the glass pointing to a sign on the door “Can’t you READ??? We can’t let ANYONE in”. The lady checking me in also yells at me “no exceptions” then grabs my 100 cash. Red flags # 3 &4. We are told to enter through the side door. It needs a key to enter. However, it is broken, ANYONE can enter. The door swings open and closed freely. The halls smell dirty. The 2nd floor wreaks of marijuana & old cigarettes. The room is filthy. Absolutely gross. Looks like it hasn't been cleaned. The rooms smell like smoke and dirt. The AC unit smells like mold when you turn it on. When you switch to heat it smells like vomit. The sheets have cigarette hole burns in it & black skid marks & stains. The chair has white residue, like people had sex on it & didn’t clean up. Bathroom curtains smelled like body odor from an NYC bum on a hot July summer day after doing 100 jumping jacks. We didn’t unpack because we didn’t want our things to touch anything dirty. We hear banging, screaming, load noises, things being dragged in the hallway. Someone is surely being murdered on our floor. Hope they are ok. The next morning, we inquire about checking out a day early and getting my deposit back. No one at the front desk. We get breakfast. I put bread in the toaster and when I went back to get it, they had tossed it in the garbage. We asked for more hot coffee. They rolled their eyes at us, jiggling the coffee pots as if we didn’t know how to use it. I waited 20 minutes for someone to show up at the front desk and no one was there. The ladies working the breakfast seemed to speak only Spanish and did not try to acknowledge any English or try to help me. I guess we’re staying another night if I want my cash deposit back. The next morning, we checked out in a hurry, 7:43am to be exact. We try to leave with some coffee, there is no decaf. My mother politely asks if anymore will be made. They give her attitude telling her she needs to wait. We decide to have a banana and share a waffle. We attempt to throw it out. The garbage is stacked so high with there is no place for us to put it. When we peek through the door it looks like the fridge is in the same room as the janitor’s closet. There was a mop and a slop sink literally next to the fridge. They quickly shut the door. Checkout Experience: There is a guest checking out and he is livid. He was given cleaning rags instead of towels. He showed me pictures and they were clearly frayed at the ends, with black streaks and had holes. He wanted a shuttle to the airport. They said none was available. He said that the woman the night before said there was one. The lady at the counter kept shaking her head no. He asked if she could call one, she said no. He then asked how far the bus is and she responded – if you look that up yourself it’ll tell you on your phone. She then tries to check me out while dealing with him. He continues to complain. I recommend he write a review on Trip Advisor and send an email to the manager. I grab a card from the desk to give to him. A line is forming, and people are grumbling with more complaints. The women behind the counter just continue to shake their head at me instead of trying to alleviate anything. I ask if I can add my Days Inn membership number but that I don’t have it with me. The woman checking me out says she has no idea what that is and suggests I just call a number online that I can Google because she can’t help me. I go get a cup of coffee. There is decaf. I ask for milk or creamer and the ladies, who the day before spoke no English, tell me today “no, we can’t give it to you”. I bring my cup to the front desk where they are STILL checking me out (time elapsed is now 12 minutes) and ask them to dump my coffee because the garbage is full and they wouldn’t give me coffee or creamer. One lady who looked annoyed asks if she can get it for me. Why would I say yes? She would spit in my coffee or stir it with her finger - she looked so annoyed at me. I told her honestly, I just want my $100 and I want to leave. They give me more attitude and I leave. I can hear the rest of the people behind me start to complain about one thing or another. Not once did I hear an apology or an offer to mediate anything. NONE. It's like they took everything personally. Note to travelers: Don’t believe the pics from the website, it is a pic of the lobby and breakfast area that you don’t really have access to. Unsavory people hang out there and I don’t think they even stay at the hotel. DO NOT STAY HERE. It looks like people pay to stay for a month at a time. Note to Days Inn: Teach your staff professionalism, how to be courteous, and how to provide better customer service. Inform them that there IS a membership program for Days Inn and sister hotels. Have your cleaning staff run a vacuum in the room and use Clorox wipes perhaps? Maybe focus on the bathrooms too. Have your custodial staff fix things, like the security door that is supposed to be locked.

Awful.just dont stay here. I left a long review on their site. Disgusting. Couldn't even get a fresh wash clothe when I requested one. Remote control held together with duct tape. Toilet malfunction. Really!!

I had a wonderful trip to Charlotte,NC. My hotel was very nice and comfortable and really enjoyed my stay there. It was located in a beautiful area of Charlotte and close to everything I needed for my trip. I think I would definitely stay in this hotel again if I am ever in the Charlotte area again. I would recommend this hotel to a friend.