Ramada Plaza Tallahassee Capitol

I gave them 5 stars.
There is nothing particularly outstanding about this hotel. It’s your average Ramada. Nicely kept, there was some construction still when we came through here in October on our way back from New Orleans to Florida. Nothing tragic. A faint smell of paint. Some drop cloths, but nothing that would affect our stay. The lobby was clean and lovely. The rooms were average. Nothing to say about them. They were clean, big beds, tidy bathrooms. Again, nothing extraordinary, just a nice, clean place to stay like dozens of other hotels in that area.
So, why the 5 stars?
Simply put? Customer service.
As we were driving home from NOLA back into Florida, we were suddenly plagued by tornadoes. A LOT of them. My husband and I were exhausted from driving, desperate to get home, but we also heard that it was imperative that we get off the road as soon as possible as the tornadoes were moving rapidly through the Tallahassee area.
We called the Ramada from their parking lot, as we didn’t want to get out of the car during the torrential rain. We told them we were calling from their parking lot, too. They said, well, come in. It’s dangerous out there. We have rooms available and we will make sure you get off the road. They sent someone outside to get our bags with my husband. They immediately got us into a room, no muss, no fuss. They even allowed my husband to utilize the Priceline price he found for a local hotel. They matched it so we didn’t have to go through the hassle of booking through Priceline and getting back on the road to find whatever hotel they were going to come up with.
They told us to please, go order some food from Applebee’s and they would have it sent up to us. Go get dry and warm. How kind is that? That alone is 3 stars worthy. What makes it now 5 star worthy is the way they treated us the NEXT day.
Checkout there was 11 am and the weather was still horrendous. Really, really bad with tornadoes ripping through Tallahassee like I had never seen before. I was watching it on the news and was horrified to think that we would have to get on the road again. I asked my husband to call downstairs and see if we can ask for a later check out, at least noon or so? They wouldn’t hear of it…
Noon is too early, they said.
What? Too early?
The manager downstairs said that the tornado and flood warning was in effect until at least 2 pm or so, «…so please, feel free to stay in the room as it is not reserved for another customer just yet. We want you to be safe so you can come back and visit us again.»
*blinks*
I was so stunned by this gesture that I didn’t even know how to respond. I have stayed in dozens upon dozens of hotels all over the country and never, ever have I heard a manager tell a patron to stay put due to inclement weather without an additional charge, fee or something. NEVER. We were so relieved not to have to get back on the road, we were more than willing to pay to stay put there for awhile longer. The manager wouldn’t hear of it. He said he would not send his loved ones out in this weather, it’s just a few more hours. Please feel free to stay, enjoy our facilities, get some rest before you have to continue down south to Tampa.
I was incredibly grateful. What I was not, was smart enough to remember the name of this manager. I feel terrible about that, because he should be recognized for going above and beyond for the safety of his patrons. We often drive through Tallahassee to go to other parts of the state or to adjoining states. Rest assured, there are a million other place along the way that we can stay, but we will ALWAYS return to this Ramada for the graciousness they showed to us that cold, wet and stormy morning.
All that aside, the hotel was not in utter disarray when we were there. It was actually very clean and the Applebee’s in the lobby is a nice and welcome touch. There was adequate parking. The staff was lovely and the bedroom was clean as was the bathroom.
Yet, it is the customer service that will make them a staple on our «Hotels we like» list from now on. 5 STARS!!!

They are under construction so the prices are low, and it’s for a good reason. Dirty, dusty, hot hallways. My first room’s bathroom was never cleaned from the last guest. To get into the hotel you have to go through a maintenance hallway that will lead you to a bedroom where they are checking people in. Parking is a nightmare and the hotel is half empty.

They are obviously going through some kind of a transition. The room was very dirty with dust, grime and hair throughout. The only positive was the girl at the desk… she was very nice.