Clayton Hotels & Accommodations

Wanted a weekend staycation and it was perfect. Great Friendly staff, shower was one of my favorite things about it, it was in a prime location. The only thing that Dayton rate five stars was the breakfast, with the pandemic we understand the Buffay not being available, but the sack breakfast they provided was a banana and a banana muffin, no drinks, cereal, nothing else. Other than that we really enjoyed ourselves.

It was 105 degrees when we pulled into St. Louis, our 3rd stop on a cross-country trip. So sadly, we were not able to explore the area much at all, as the hotel is situated not far from Wash U in an area that seems really interesting. Check-in was a breeze, staff wore face masks, our room was quiet, clean, nicely decorated, good bathroom, comfortable bed. There is lots of moon & space decor throughout the hotel, Jetson-esque furnishings, definitely a theme going on. The restaurant was not open due to lack of staff, but there was 1 chef working and we ultimately decided to eat in the (enclosed) rooftop bar (it was a Monday, many places were closed). The bar staff could not have been nicer, the drinks were good, food was .. pretty good and definitely acceptable for a nosh-type dinner.

The location is excellent, restaurants and shopping malls are within easy reach. The hotel has just opened for two months. It has complete facilities, large room space, and very clean and hygienic. Although it is shown that breakfast is not included when booking, the hotel includes breakfast for the guests who check in. Although Breakfast is simple, but better than going out early in the morning to find something to eat.

At check in we were told that, in order to receive standard housekeeping services, we needed to explicitly request daily cleaning (”because COVID”). We confirmed that yes, we wanted our 2 rooms cleaned daily. We were out of our rooms the next morning until 10PM, at which time we returned to find that our rooms were not cleaned. When we brought the matter to the front desk clerk, she adopted a petulant attitude and told us that the rooms were not cleaned because there was a ”do not disturb sign” on both rooms' doors. Both of us knew that this was not true, but the statement did its job insomuch as it allowed the desk clerk to avoid accountability and get back to scrolling TikTok. I asked that she confirm our that our housekeeping request was in place for the next night and she mumbled confirmation. As we walked out the next morning we saw the housekeeper in the hallway and asked that our room be cleaned. She said that she would do so. We also stopped at the front desk and confirmed that our room would be cleaned that day. Upon returning that night we found our rooms in the same condition we left them in the morning. I realize that there was a time before we all learned about the airborne nature of COVID transmission that it made sense to be cautious and minimize the chance of infection by minimizing the possibility of contact. Given the benefit of a few years of data and common sense, that time ended years ago. Hotels know that, and we as guests know that, yet some properties continue to leverage the 2020 COVID pandemic as an excuse to provide less/fewer services. That's shameful. I suggest that Drury and other value hotels stop presenting a diminished service offering to their guests under the guise of non-sensical and out-of-date health protocols while giving their employees a pass on doing their jobs.