The Waynesboro, PA Best Western - Incredible Hotel If You like Dirt!

I think Best Westerns are one of those hotel/motel chains that are either hit and miss. I've stayed at some pretty nice ones and I've been to so not-so-very nice ones. The Best Western in Waynesboro, PA is one of those I would actually say goes BELOW the level of not-so-very-nice locations in their chain.

My family recently stayed a night at the hotel while we were attending an orientation at nearby camp where our kids will be going for a few weeks this summer. We were told the Best Western was the only hotel within a reasonable distance from the camp. I wish we had checked further!

Sometimes there's just a bad omen about a place. For us, it occurred with the directions provided from Best Western to their location. The directions just weren't clear. We called the hotel from the car for clarification when we thought we were close. We told the front desk clerk exactly where were were on the Interstate, the milestones we had just passed and the direction we were traveling. She told us we were going the wrong direction and to turn around. 10-15 minutes later of driving and we were sitting at the Welcome Center at the West Virginia state line. Well, that certainly wasn't the right direction. My wife called back the desk clerk and told her where we were. Her curt response: "If I was any good at giving directions I'd be writing computer programs, not working here at a Best Western!" Well, it was downhill from there as far as the hotel went.

Check in was in a small smoke-filled area with a piece of plexiglass separating the front desk clerk from the customers.

Our guest room (234) was small very small; The room was the closest to what I've called a fleabag. That's quite surprising, considering AAA gave it a 2-diamond rating and Best Western advertises it as "recently renovated." Recently renovated? The room was filthy. We had asked for a rollaway bed that just wouldn't fit in the room until we moved the beds further apart. That's when we saw all the dirt and trash around the floor. In fact, we looked at the kids socks a few minutes after they pulled off their shoes and had walked around a bit. The socks were filthy! That carpet looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a few years. The rollaway looked like the sheets may not have been changed after the last guests who used it.

The room had a work desk but get this. Since there's no high speed Internet in the rooms you'd have to use the phone's dataport. But because the only phone in the room is on the clothes dresser, you'd need a pretty long phone cord to go online and work at the desk.

The only decent thing I did find about the room was the TV. It had a decent number of channels and reception was good.

This is one of those motels in which you get the soaps which are only good for one shower and the towels which feel like sandpaper. This Best Western only supplies two towels, two soaps, and two small shampoos so we had to request more in order for our family to all be able to bathe.

We found old hair in the bathroom that had not been cleaned from previous guests. I had no problem with the shower or pressure, but my wife said she had a problem with the water maintaining a consistent temperature.

We had a difficult time sleeping! The rooms were not soundproof at all. Outside there were motorcycles going up and down the street all night, and it sounded like the people downstairs were playing basketball against the walls. This place felt like I was in some beat up old drug-dealer infested building in a low income area of New York City. Then it didn't help when the power went out for about 40 minutes and the room became stifling hot.

If you head down the street a bit there's some restaurants. Frank's Pizza is amazing! It was very close to what I remember as growing up in New York. I believe there was also a Golden Corral and some other restaurants in the area.

Here's another gripe. The hotel advertised itself as including a hot breakfast with the room rate. When we went downstairs to get breakfast we were told the restaurant was closed for renovation. Well, that cost us another $40 because we ended up going to iHop for breakfast.

By-the-way, pets ARE allowed at this location with a $20 fee. There are limitations so you need to check (don't bring your pot belly pig, for example!).

It was a relief to check out of that hotel. I will not ever stay there again. In fact, we've made reservations at a Hampton Inn, about 30 minutes from there for when we take the kids to camp. It's worth the extra time and gas to go to a better hotel. Gettysburg is not far from there either, so that might also be a choice if you need, for some reason, to be in the Waynesboro PA area.

This hotel is located not far off Exit 5 from I-81 (in Pennsylvania). Don't get confused. Within a 30 minute drive there's three exit 5's: There is an Exit 5A and 5B off I-81 only 10 minutes away from there, but it's Maryland!! And if you head the opposite direction on I-81 like the desk clerk told us, you'll also end up at exit 5 in West Virginia.

Best Western
239 West Main Street
Waynesboro, PA 17268
717-762-9113 (don't use to get directions)