Bella Oasis Hotel & Spa in Homosassa, FL: Few Redeeming Qualities

Back in October, I decided to take a much needed weekend away to sort through my upcoming goals and refresh myself. The Bella Oasis Hotel & Spa in Homosassa sounded so inviting and had such a great website that I decided to book two nights. I drove the two hours to Homosassa and pulled into the hotel parking lot. Everything seemed ok, although I could tell it was a motel, not a hotel. (The rooms were on the outside of the building, not the inside.)

Then I got to my room. Although I was told my room was "newly renovated", the intense stench of stale smoke is what greeted me upon first opening the door. The walls may have been painted, and the mattress may have been replaced, but the towels were gray with age, the entire room stunk, and there was actually a dehumidifier in the room, an indication that it was damp and uninhabitable. I immediately opened the door to my room and tried to air it out, but it was to no avail. Not only did the room smell foul, but everything was dingy... the carpet, the towels, the blankets. The whole place felt unclean.

This hotel has so much potential - it does have a spa right next door, and the spa is clean, professional and well-run. On my arrival, I got a massage, and the next day, I had a facial. I was very happy with both services and couldn't help noting the irony of having to return to my yucky room after getting them. The girls at the spa told me that the hotel is often home to traveling work crews, which would explain a lot.

The hotel is also steps away from the wildlife park, a definite plus. I tried to get all the value I possibly could out of this disappointing encounter, so I visited the park and spent some time watching the manatees and other interesting creatures there. They have a walkway that provides a pleasant stroll throughout the park, past the animal displays.

Despite the few nearby amenities, there is no escaping the fact that the rooms at this hotel are just not nice. I checked out after one night of my planned 2-night excursion because the smell of the room was just so awful and there were stains on one of the blankets on the bed. No one in the world who would want to stay at a "hotel & spa" would want to stay at this property. There is nothing "bella" or "oasis" about it. Even for a chain-smoker who would be too drunk each night to notice how dirty things were, $120/night for a room would be a bit much.