Rowland Vacations from $352

Do not stay here. Checked in for our reservation at 11 pm and told there was no hot water and there wouldn’t be for the duration of my stay which was only one night to break up a long drive. They said they couldn’t contact us before arrival to let us know because I booked through a “third party.” (Expedia). A call with Expedia told us that Hampton Inn has access to our phone number and email. Plus, I know they can message us through Expedia, because I have been contacted by other hotels in the past. Hampton Inn offered to cancel my reservation and give us a refund, but it was late at night, we were tired, the car was unloaded, and we were there. I get that things break, but Hampton Inn clearly lied in order to hide the fact that there was no water until we were there and blamed the communication breakdown on me using a third party to book rather than letting us know before hand in order to make an informed decision. Other than that the hotel room was definitely dated compared to other Hampton Inns I have stayed in, but I knew that going in by looking at pictures, so no complaints on that, and the house cleaners seemed to do a good job because the room was clean. It just needed hot water and more importantly for me told me there was no hot water before arriving and not blame it on fact I booked through Expedia. I also after staying there, read a review from a couple weeks ago about the hotel not having hot water so it is not a one off issue.

I cannot see why anyone would choose a chain hotel if a room at the Grande Magnolia is available. Our weekend in Benson, NC was exceptional due in large part to staying at the Grande Magnolia. When we arrived we were greeted at the door by a man who knew us by name. We were shown to our room and given a one on one explanation of some of the features and history of the hotel. We walked to the historic downtown area and when we returned we were greeted by Ms. Nancy, the owner. Her passion for the Grande Magnolia radiates uninhibited. The attention to detail and quest for historical accuracy permeates the design decisions made for this magnificent building. The Grande Magnolia serves breakfast every morning (I believe). While we were there no less than seven families came to the restaurant, so it’s popular with the locals. True to the spirit of “bed and breakfast”, our morning meal was included with our stay. The staff was on the ball and we never had to ask for coffee refills. Checkout was a breeze. I would very much recommend this place to anyone looking for a unique experience in the Four Oaks, Benson or Dunn area.

The smell of disinfectant was so strong in the bedding and spiders and bugs were found in the room.

pool- cold, exercise room- closed, breakfast great, room clean, front desk staff great.