La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Newark - Elkton

Breakfast: Frequently praised as "exceptional," "wonderful," or "good," with some noting its quality and availability.

I rarely write reviews, but my experience at the La Quinta Inn in Elkton, MD was so poor that I felt compelled to share. I've never stayed at this chain, and after this experience, I never will. I had flown to North Carolina to accompany my senior parents on an emergency 10-hour drive due to the sudden passing of my mother's sister. The weekend we traveled was the same weekend as the jazz festival in nearby Wilmington, DE, thus many hotels had no vacancies. We arrived at La Quinta a little after midnight. From the moment we walked in, the night clerk, Harry, was rude and visibly irritated. Yes, we were late (my father later pointed out that I should have called ahead to alert them to our late arrival--lesson learned), but Harry's attitude was unnecessarily hostile. He coldly told me I was late (as if I was a child), then started the check-in process asking for over $600 for a two-night stay. I explained that I had signed up for the FlexPay option on La Quinta's website, hoping to manage the unexpected funeral travel costs. Harry dismissively told me, "We don't have a program like that," offering no explanation or attempt to help resolve the issue. I was stunned but unwillingly to direct him to his own corporate site or my confirmation email. Never before have I encountered a hotel staff member so unwilling to assist a customer or even show basic courtesy. By then, my father had returned from the restroom. And, I had decided that this establishment would not get a single dollar from me. My dad's a Hilton Rewards member, he agreed with my decision when I said, "I refuse to stay here after this treatment.". Unfortunately for us, every nearby Hilton and Hampton Inn was booked. We sat in the parking lot making calls until we found a lead: Holiday Inn Express was also booked, but when I asked for a nearby suggestion, the staff member recommended Country Inn & Suites about 20 miles away. I called and spoke with a kind desk clerk--Kristin or Kristina--who was warm and helpful. I prepaid the reservation over the phone to avoid any other issues. When we arrived, she checked us in professionally. The lobby and room were clean, comfortable, and welcoming. It was such a relief for a trip we wished we didn't have to make. I'm deeply grateful to Country Inn & Suites and especially to that young woman for her compassion and professionalism. In contrast to La Quinta, she reminded us that good customer service does still exist. Country Inn,please recognize this woman's stellar work!

We have stayed at MANY hotels in and around University of Delaware. This by far has been the best one! It is only like 15min from the University. It was clean, up-to-date, nice staff and rooms, and decent simple breakfast. Would TOTAL stay there again.