I've stayed here multiple times but my last visit was my last visit. Every year my buddies and I rent a place for us guys to video game and hang out. Last year I rented 3 double rooms for us all in a row. Our first night some older woman beat on our door demanding to be allowed into our room. She claimed she could hear a woman screaming from our room. I explained we were playing video games and there's no woman in our room. She kept demanding to be allowed in, I told her there's no way I was giving some random person in our room and said if she got a hotel employee, we'd let them in and shut the door. A few minutes later she came back with a gentleman who looked straight off the street. He was wearing dirty clothes and had no ID. She claimed he was hotel security and again demanded to enter our room. I decided to call the front desk and get their help. I explained that there was some random woman at my door with a guy who was supposedly security. When I described him as a black guy in dirty clothes, the front desk guy yelled at me calling me a racist! I told the guy that I'm Native American and my son is half Hispanic and race has nothing to do with my description other than describing what the guy looked like. He then continued to call me a racist and curse at me. My son and I went down to the front desk to talk to this guy. He continued to attack me and I stepped away so my son could talk to him more calmly than I was about to. The next morning we went back to the front desk and spoke to a woman, "who heard about us". I told her that I don't feel comfortable staying there any longer for fear of future attacks and that we were all checking out. I prepaid for all three rooms for two nights. She said that she understood and "didn't blame me for leaving" and that they would reimburse me for the last night of prepaid rooms. I waited all year for that reimbursement and now the new year is here and no money. Every year my buddies and I do this, sometimes there are up to 30 of us. I love the location of this place and the cheap price reflects the quality of the rooms, but to be attacked and called such abhorrent names has made my choice clear. I'll never come back and neither will any of my buddies

Only go there if you want to feel Cecil Hotel. On 3-12-22, I checked in with my 2 kids after a long day traveling, and we had selected a non smoking room for 3 nights. Specifically non smoking and paid extra for an upgrade so it's a larger room. We get to the hallway and we started feeling uneasy and tightness from the condition of everything, then we get to the room and we were shocked. The smoke was almost fresh and everything smelled tobacco. Even the air coming from the vent was moldy and hot. We couldn't change the temperature of the room it was 1 temperature that wouldn't change no matter what you do with the thermostat. The room was too small and not upgraded. Having an asthma I had a hard time breathing there and although we were completely exhausted, we started looking for another hotel, so we don't end up in the hospital. The paint was pealing, the air vent was moldy, the window wouldn't open to get fresh air, the bed plywood is exposed and you could hurt your leg walking by it, many damages in the walls, bathroom counter. I immediately talked to Danielle at the reception and asked her if there were other options because that was not what I booked. First she said yes, then she said "it's all going to be the same. It's an old building and the temperature doesn't change". After some give and take with her, she said that there was nothing else she could do. I said Alright then we are going to another hotel, and I asked for my refund. She said to call the agency I booked through and they will refund me. All that was done within 20-30 minutes. We move on and go to another hotel, straight to bed exhausted. She even had the guts to charge another $60 from the card we put on file, but Capital One Venture was quick to charge it back. After we returned home I called the agency - Chase Travel, part of Chase bank - and told them what happened, they communicated with the hotel but the hotel refused to refund me. I feel my kids and I were abused and lied to, and illegally charged money for no service, and misleading advertisement. I ask for my money to be refunded. We filed a complaint with BBB and we may also be considering legal action.

My first room was 90 degrees upon my arrival. The 2nd room was 75 degrees. They said they don't cool the rooms down because they are on a central air system. It took till the next morning to be comfortable in my room. They did refer me to a great Bar & Grill for dinner.

Rooms could be cleaner, and staff a bit more friendly. Staff avoid you or greet you with sarcasm and a little attitude … not what I want to be greeted with when I first walk in! Breakfast could be better for the price as well. Worth the extra money just to get something from Starbucks for breakfast. Location and view was good. Parking sucked.

Where do I begin... so I attempted to stay here for a work related trip. I say attempted because I can honestly say I gave it the old college try, however, I had to switch hotels. I finally get up to my room, which was as basic as you would expect. I don't ask for much. I invite my coworkers to my room so we can go get some dinner. When they arrived at my room, they promptly let themselves into my room. Just like home! Literally pushed a locked door open. Like I said, I don't ask for much, Red Lion. Service? Maybe that section should read, "Lack of Service". My room was paid for by a company credit card days before I arrived. When I checked in, they asked me for a card to put down for a $50 deposit. Now, I don't mind the $50 charge. That's fine. What I do mind is the hotel charging my card the $50 and the full amount of the room (almost $500). Just help yourself, I guess... and the reason for such a transgression? They needed to "pre-authorize" the $50 charge. I'm no prodigy, but I'm fairly certain that math doesn't math out right. The one redeeming factor: it's near the capitol building, which is gorgeous. No lie. Also, the free coffee was terrible.

This is my first time staying at a Red Lion, and overall it was an okay experience. Unfortunately when I first arrived on 12/10 in the evening, I encountered a transient/homeless man in the parking lot, who may have either been on drugs or was mentally unstable & talking to himself, but the man did not engage with me. Either way it did make me feel vigilant and on edge. The staff was polite and professional my entire stay. The hotel is somewhat outdated. I stayed in room 700 and the room was clean. The bathtub did have a large chip in it, so that could be fixed. I will say that I had a pretty good view of Capitol Lake. Otherwise, I didn’t experience bedbugs like some other reviews mention. I didn’t experience the free breakfast so I cannot comment on that. The location of the hotel seemed great, it’s in downtown, but the town was pretty empty and quiet for a Friday night. Not sure if I’d stay again, but I would give this place a 3/5 stars overall.

It said this was a 3.5 star hotel. It was maybe a 2 star. The room was really cold, no heat. It wasn't very clean. There was hair in the bathtub drain, like a lot! And the tub itself was cracked and just old and in need of repair. I have stayed in old hotels before that have charm, this is not one of them. I should think Red Lion would deliver a better experience. This hotel needs help. And major renovation. The service at front desk was lovely though. No fault there.

Where do I begin. This is mine and my son's 2nd night and last night here. When we first got here there was a group of I'm assuming drugged out homeless people literally just hanging out outside the front doors. There is no easy access to get a trolly to carry your luggage from the car to the hotel or vice versa. Then we get to our floor, which smelt super musty, then we get to our labeled non-smoking room, and it reeks the same as a house does that homes an indoor smoker. Our window view ends up being the group of homeless people who I could hear more clearly with the window closed than I could if someone was outside the door. I had the heater in my room at 80° constantly, yet it has stayed consistently at 62° in here. We are so cold. I tried to take a shower, literally tried, but you would only get at first maybe 45 seconds of regular shower temperature before the water would get scolding hot for probably about 60-90 seconds and have to jump out of the way and stand on the edge and wait for it to go back to normal. This happened consistently my whole shower, though the time I had normal temperature became less and less each time to where i had 10 seconds of regular temp and 90 seconds of scolding hot. Can you imagine if i had my child shower first like i originally intended??? And now I'm in bed listening to the drug addicts fight outside and blare music. This was supposed to be a treat for me and my son, but it just ended up being a nightmare. The only thing decent about this place was the worker Manny, who brought up a portable heater that is probably 70 years old and only heats up the square foot around it.

Some of the rooms have a view of Capitol lake, which is really cool. The hotel itself is very dated and the rooms reflect it. Our bedspread had what appeared to be a blood stain on the corner, as well as a white stain on the office chair. The room had a fridge, and everything else besides the phone was in working condition. The staff at the front desk were great the whole time we were there. The hotel is right near downtown, so there is a lot to go see and do, but also garbage and drug use all around the area. Not the hotels fault, but it can feel a bit unsafe to go outside at night.

The rooms were nice however breakfast was mediocre no hot breakfast. If you want a hotel where they have housekeeping for no reason this is the hotel for you. They don't reup your towels or take out trashes. You have to ask for everything and do it yourself or they will let it pile up. This include making the beds yourself. One toaster was broken no attendant at the breakfast counter. When things are out they don't replenish that either. Definitely not worth the $600 they charged us. The A.C system sucked we had it on high the entire time and not much of a difference. Pool was not open and trash and needles were found at the back entrance

Sad to say, it’s nowhere near a 3-star as indicated on Priceline. Check-in was cumbersome in that the clerk was visiting with the manager and not watching the desk. By the time I was assisted, a second guest arrived. My reservation was easily found and I was booked-in by a friendly clerk and I should add, early check in at no additional charge. The room itself was OK, but the smell of curry permeated the air. The sliding glass door was difficult to open and probably impossible for a smaller person. If the door had been impossible to open, I would have surly asked to be re-roomed due to the smell. TV selection was nice and the TV itself better than most hotel TVs. Room and bathroom were clean, but I still take a huge issue with calling itself a 3-star.

With all the crazy weather, a friend and I had frozen pipes with no running water so we opted for a girls weekend away in Olympia! The staff is very nice and was as accommodating as they could be. There was absolutely no hot water - like ice cold- to bathe our two toddlers under 2 but Jillian was able to get us into the room next door just to have a warm bath. Thank you Jillian! However this was one of the worst stays I have ever had in my life. I have never been so frightened to sleep with screaming and yelling and fighting coming from the room across the hall. I'm talking 3:00am until 10:00am on an all night bender. I couldn't leave when I wanted to because I didn't feel safe taking my toddler out to the parking lot where people were actively doing drugs and hanging around. This is not a safe place for families or kids.

Where to start... The check in process was easy and the front desk woman was super nice. She was explaining to others that the entire building is on the same HVAC system so the west side rooms get super hot on sunny summer days. She offered to send fans to people staying in these rooms. So, I requested a room on the east side and was fortunate to get the last one! So I thought. One of the beds collapsed in the middle when we sat down on it. This was obviously a problem that has happened before and it was just stacked back up to give a good facade. At this time, the air conditioning unit was audible, but bearable. And, being a light sleeper I packed earplugs, just to be safe. At 3:00am the HVAC system escalated to a screaming crescendo of loud noise. No ear plugs could ever hide it. We finally called the front desk to ask for a different room. We were told they all sound like that and there were no rooms available anyway. After a miserable night we complained to the manager and received a 30% refund. A small pittance for the suffering. Oh, and the place smells of old cigarette smoke. My advice - just don't do it. Stay some where else.

The good stuff: The desk staff was really nice, and the view from my room was amazing. Also the bed was comfy. The bad stuff: The A/C is definitely dated, the "high" setting didn't even work. The room was insanely hot when I first walked in. The room faces the setting sun and has a giant window for a wall so I get it but DANG. 🥵 (I closed the curtains very quickly after a brief enjoyment of the view.) The REALLY REALLY bad stuff: I got TRAPPED in the fire escape stairwell. I stayed on the 7th floor and was leaving to walk to a local restaurant, I added a photo of what the door looks like. It just says "exit", so I thought "I'll take the stairs and get some exercise!" I got to the first floor only to discover that BOTH exit doors were locked! The one leading to the street had actual cobwebs on it. I walked back up a level and discovered all the doors to the other floors were also locked, so you could exit them but not reenter. So I got to sit in the stairwell, waving at the security cameras and considering how I was going to get out. Luckily I had my phone, and was able to Google the number to call the front desk. The staff member, who I won't name because she was very sweet and I don't want her to get in trouble, had to come rescue me. Unfortunately, rescue also meant walking back up 8 flights of cement stairs. In 80° weather. A gross, sweaty mess was I upon my rescue. The staff member (who again was my savior so I wish only rainbows and hugs upon her) told me that I was really lucky I had my phone because NOBODY CHECKS DOWN THERE. Hey Red Lion...maybe make sure your emergency fire exit functions as such.

It was a rough stay because the air (AC) wasn't great. Tub did not drain. Called for towels and TP because they ran out quickly, but no response from the front desk. (Had to go up and get them). The elevator smelled so bad... the whole time we stayed (2 nights). It's a decent location, but it is not worth 160/ night. We felt it was really overpriced for the experience.

A straightforward hotel at a modest price. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The room was clean and pleasant, nothing fancy, but comfortable. Breakfast was sadly lacking; apparently they had recently stopped serving eggs and waffles (probably because of the current price of eggs!) and only had cold cereal, yogurt, a few bagels and buns, and sticky oatmeal.

The a/c does not work in the rooms. This needs to be advertised on the listing. The front desk (who was incredibly helpful and friendly) told us the hotel has one setting for climate control which means either the a/c works or the heat. They currently have the heat on because the first few levels are cold. That means if you stay on the 7th floor, the room is gets down to 75° if you're lucky. Also, the sliding glass door in the room only opens 4". They gave us a box fan to help. If I had known this, we would have stayed somewhere else.

I wish I could upload the pictures. At night it’s very hard to see the hotel. Once you drive around the block to try again, you’ll see a dark, narrow driveway to take you back to the very cramped, small parking lot at the back of the building. You go to the doir and then see a sign telling you to walk to the left of the building. Eventually you’ll get to the front desk. He was pleasant and quick with the checkin. I get to the room, which has patched up walls & looks over the parking lot, so at least I can see our car. Then the bathroom. The counter has a huge crack all the way across it, and the whole end of the tub is peeling! The top coat is gone and you can see the layers underneath. If it wasn’t already 10:00pm, we’d be going to another hotel right now. Don’t book this hotel unless you have no other choice. The Motel 6 was probably nicer!

Summary: dirty and has bugs. Seriously grossest hotel I've ever been to. At first, walking into the hotel, it seemed like an okay place for the price, a little run-down looking I thought. I wasn't expecting anything special just a clean basic hotel room. We decided to book the room for 3 more nights because of the price and it had the basic stuff you'd expect. After an hour I became very aware of how HOT it was in our room. There is no a/c and the window only opens a few inches so it doesn't help cool it down. Then my husband says, "Look behind you on the wall". I stood up from the bed and on the wall was a big bug (a cockroach?) crawling around. I was horrified. It was then that I thought 'NOPE' and canceled the 3 extra nights I had booked. I got charged a little over $100 for canceling a dirty hot sweaty bug-infested room. If there are bugs I can see crawling around how many other things are crawling around under the bed and behind the furniture? I wouldn't even want to see what a blacklight would show. Who wants to pay any amount of money to "relax" and "sleep" in a sweaty room with roaches? Not me. When you start to take notice of your surroundings here it's pretty dirty, with more bugs, what appears to be boogers smeared on the wall next to the bed, an elevator that smells like wet dog, and a musty-smelling room. I'm not bothered by a little dirt or small messes but nose goo, bugs, and uncomfortable temperatures I can't do. It tells me this room is surely covered in germs and the heat is probably making it worse. I don't know what other rooms are like but I do know my experience in this one room. If this room is a reflection of this hotel it's pretty bad. I would highly suggest to management to get an exterminator and perhaps hire more help to get things cleaner or at least tell your cleaning staff to do better. I would also suggest putting fans in the rooms or ceiling fans - something to help with the cooling cause this is a bit ridiculous to sweat while sitting still. It's extremely stuffy in this room. I've honestly never stayed in a hotel where I had so many things be this bad. It's unfortunate. Maybe you guys are short-staffed or can't afford to fix certain things. I just don't know the management's position they are in with all this but please try to fix some things. This could be a wonderful place, it has a great location and some good views of downtown Olympia.

This is the WORST hotel I have ever stayed at. Arrived and the room was 58 degrees and the heater did not work. The hot water ALSO did not work. I informed Jillian at the front desk and requested a discount and to be switched rooms. She was unapologetic and threatened to throw out me my five year old daughter for “having a bad attitude” about it and said she would not refund our amount we paid for the room! Completely DISGUSTED with this hotel. I have never been so badly treated!

Back in the aughts, this place was considered “nice”, like where the legislators and Evergreen parents would stay. And I stayed there in 2016 or so, and it was… fine. But my stay here this weekend was ROUGH. The corridors were dark and dank. The carpets, walls and ceilings had obvious signs of unmitigated water damage. The linens were scratchy and pilled and for my peace of mind, I did not inspect the stain on the bedskirt. And in the wee small hours of the morning, lots of activity: thumping and slamming and lively conversation. I think someone might have been rearranging furniture at 4am, but I was just trying to sleep. I did not mess with the breakfast or coffee - Dancing Goats is right across the street, after all. And for what it’s worth, my dirty old Subaru was just fine in the parking lot overnight. And the location can’t be beat! I don’t know what the deal is. I went to Evergreen, ok? No one could accuse me of being a neat freak or a prude. I got the impression that some of this facility might be used as transitional housing, which I support! But for the money, we all deserve a clean, well-lit, peaceful and mold-free place to rest.

Good place I stay there often rooms are normally clean service is good. Has taken a down turn since COVID no more good breakfasts everything is cold good value for the price still. One note they charge a deposit that never gets returned Buford 7 days although they claim it gets returned at checkout doesn't happen..

Love this old hotel. It used to be called the Governor, and is still referred as so by the locals. The elevators used to be slow but they have been upgraded. (Thank heavens) The rooms are clean and nice. I have stayed at the governor many times and recommended it to friends and family. If possible I try and get the top floor or two facing Capital Lake

Older hotel but perfect walkable location to pretty much any downtown Oly attraction. The view of Capitol Lake and the sunset was amazing. Room was clean and comfortable, service was impeccable. Continental breakfast was not the most luxurious I've had, but was very adequate. Would definitely stay here again.

A spacious, clean room with good cooling/ventilation. However, there was no easy chair, sofa or table (besides the desk). There was adequate room for all of these, which would have made the room more user-friendly and comfortable. Breakfast offered a nice hot buffet. We also took late-night dips in the hot tub and pool, which were both clean.

The staff here were great but the hotel is dated, the glaze in the tub super cracked, the hot water intermittent, the heat really hard to figure out, and the locals outside the hotel are a bit worrisome. Breakfast was fruit and cereal, oatmeal, or various breads. I’ll probably skip this one next time and try a different hotel. 2 stars for the facility but 5 stars for the awesome folks working there.

This is the worst hotel in Olympia. I booked a week stay and was evicted after 1 night for hang my hand out the 4inch sliding glass door to a 1 foot balcony to pick up trash . The management team gave me less than 15 mins to vacate the hotel and did not refund me the rest of money or allow me to go up back to the room to get $100 worth of 1946 no mint mark walking liberty 50¢ piece coins. They also didn't refund the 100$ deposit I paid although I left the room spotless. There was cat hair and the counter tops were dirty upon check in and there was cat hair and other hair in the drains to the bathtub and sink . Homeless people pestered me for cigs multiple times and made me feel uncomfortable. The staff were rude and un helpful wouldn't even listen to my side of of the situation. DONT WAIST YOUR MONEY 💰!! They alley next to the alley next to the hotel was cleaner than the room .

We had a great stay last month here! Jasmine at the front desk was very welcoming and had some great recommendations for dinning options in the area. She was a very good Olympia ambassador. The location is excellent. We had a great visit to Olympia and I doubt we would have if it had not been fot the hotel. The hotel is rough around the edges, but remains an excellent budget hotel. The damages around the rooms is totally fine and found the hotel to be very comfortable and clean in spite of its age. Any negative reviews I find here are laughable, it exceeds its expectations as a budget hotel and would recommend it.

The room was nice and clean. The AC was on and rattling loudly when I walked, but I found that with a lot of effort I was able to open the sliding glass door to cool the room. I turned on the AC with the 1950's thermostat and the rattling was gone. The main reason I choose this place was the lower price and they had a coffee maker in the room. This hotel has seen better days and it looks like they threw a coat of paint on it to clean it up. The beds were old, the mattress hadn't been rotated, ever. And the frame of one of them appeared to be bent. I was laying on the bed, leaned down to pick something up off the floor, and the next thing I knew I was on the floor.

Cool old building in a great location. Very walkable/bikeable area. Room had some problems: hot/cold water was backwards in the shower, the bathroom door didn't lock and the microwave plate didn't rotate. Wasn't impressed by the breakfast options. Virtually no plant based options, nothing was labeled (F for folks with allergies) and the people behind the counter had no idea about ingredients either.

This is definitely a “get what you pay for” stay. No frills experience in a great location with average accommodations. The room was very standard but the bathroom is in need of major attention. Overall, this worked for a place to land at night but would not likely stay again.

Great staff, location and view was great. Bathrooms really need a deep cleaning, paint touch up and over all updating. Was expecting something a little more upscale for the price. Breakfast was "standard" attendant was wonderful. Kept everything clean and fresh.

Just checked in for 4 nights and am dreading it. First impressions was “wow this is old” followed with “wow that’s a lot of police.” So already not looking good. Check in was easy and the lady was super nice and helpful, I believe her name is Jasmine. Upon entering the room, it’s just a big let down. The room looks dingy and the bathroom was disgusting. The bathtub (first picture) was peeling and looked like it had not been cleaned. There was even a hair in there! The bathroom itself didn’t look clean either and the toilet handle was breaking off. After looking around the room more, it’s just one after the other with problems. Holes in the curtains and crumbs on the floor, it was gross. After going downstairs and speaking with the clerk, we were able to be put into another room. Opening that door and seeing that the main light wouldn’t turn just put me right back into that dreadful feeling. After going to the check the second rooms bathtub (second picture) it’s just another tub that is peeling and chipping away. At least it was cleaner than the last though. Really, really disappointed and want to get out as soon as possible. Not the best way to start a vacation!

Positives: Front desk and breakfast staff/breakfast were excellent. Beds and linens fine. Room was clean. Free parking. Neutral: Location convenient to Capitol, downtown, waterfront, and homeless folks. Negatives: High price for (poor) quality. Hotel is dingy, rundown, in need of total renovation. Room was 83 degrees upon check-in and air conditioning was ineffective; we had to request a fan. Tub finish worn off and very stained. Faucet leaked continually. Hallways smelled stale. Room windows needed cleaning. No room service even though "Do Not Disturb" sign was taken down before 10 am. No tv info/instructions. Only one hanger provided. Freezer in room fridge needed defrosting.

I’ve stayed in A LOT of hotels and giving the place a five star review I feel like is a fake or lazy review. I’ve been in places where I definitely would never want to stay again and I’ve stayed in places that I wanna live at. This location falls right about the middle it was pretty standard for a hotel some things made me feel uncomfortable about the area that it was in but the staff was really nice the breakfast was good and the gentleman that made the breakfast cracks me up. Oh no I will stay there again however I I hope that don’t have to.

I stayed one night out of the 4 I had paid for and never thought I would receive any refund back. Not only was I refunded 2 nights but it was processed by the hotel and the third party I had booked it through within 1 day. The exceptional customer service I received from Charlie at the hotel's front desk was extremely comforting. He made a situation I really was dreading; thinking how much of a hassle this things seem to be and made anything but. I definitely will be returning my business to show thanks for a job well done Charlie!! I cannot thank you enough!

Clean rooms with great views, nice breakfast with tons of options, and incredibly friendly staff. The balcony door was bolted so it will only open about 6 inches. The walls are paper thin so you can hear everything in the surrounding rooms. Location is within walking distance of the Capitol building, Farmers Market, and historic district, but there are plenty of unsavory characters around that will have you triple checking the lock on your door. Decent price for the stay.

BED BUGS! This hotel is disgusting. When we first arrived they gave us a hotel room and when we opened the door to said room, there was someone already occupying it. The second room they gave us was at least 85° with no air conditioning and very small/outdated. They ended up "upgrading" us to a third "bigger" room that was exactly the same size, but looked nicer. The room was still very hot and again, no working air conditioning and no way to open the sliding door more than a couple inches. We woke up at 2 am and found bed bugs crawling around the bed and we got several bites. We had two children under 2 with us. We captured some bed bugs in a baggie and gave them to the front desk. They gave us a full refund and we did not stay the second night like planned. On top of all this, there were homeless people hanging out and sleeping inside the "secure' parking garage and even caught someone casing cars on our way out. Absolutely disgusted and have NEVER had this bad of an experience at a hotel.

I myself haven't stayed in this hotel, but when I had to come here for a work related delivery, I was genuinely grossed out, and actually fearful for my safety. As I parked in the pee smelling parking garage, a huge rat ran out of a hole next to my car as I stepped out of my car door. Homelessness is a problem for almost every part of the state, especially major cities, but around this hotel it is particularly a heavy drug and crime ridden area. Okay, so what are the "internal discussions" that have been promised to paying customers for years. Furthermore what solutions has this hotel come up with. In my opinion, due to the rats and homelessness both in the parking garage and surrounding the entire hotel, I think it's time to sell this hotel. The Red Lion should be ashamed to have this atrocious of a structure under their brand name. I don't think this should be a hotel at all, it's not safe. Just my short visit, first in a long time, I felt it was necessary to share my experience as I really hope that management either makes changes, or does the right thing and close the place down.