Red Lion Olympia Hotel

I cannot, in good conscience, reccomend this hotel. The room was fairly expensive-​it in no way warranted it. Although the surroundings are lovely the hotel left alot to be desired. It is undergoing a renovation and at no time were we made aware if this, offered a discount or any compensation. Our room was evidently a work in progress, as half of the room was just empty. The bar was closed and there was a small, makeshift one in a cubby. The hallway our room was in was completely torn apart at one end. The restaurant was good and our waitress was awesome even though they had her working the whole room, waiting, serving and bussing. A ridiculous amount of work for one person which speaks to the cheapness of the management company. We have travelled the West Coast from San Diego to Port Townsend and this Red Lion was one of the worst values we encountered.

Hotel is undergoing renovation so a review is difficult. I do think that the laminate floors in the rooms may be one of the features of renovation that wasn’t completely thought through. My suggestion for this «upgrade» is that the third floor be reserved for guests without children. They also need to invest heavily in extra insulation between floors to dampen the sound of whatever is dropped above you.
The jacuzzi sweet was very nice and the price reasonable. Would have been a perfect anniversary getaway if not for the guests upstairs and their slamming doors, dropping multiple items, and children doing high speed laps around the room not only after 10pm but again before 7 am.

One person at check in… very nice. Hotel being remodeled… Complete cluster…10 folks at front desk with needs. No one to help this poor guy. NO remote in room… Waiting forever for maintenance to show with it. had to call twice… No signal on TV What a joke… Am sure it will be OK after they are done. but would not stay here in the meantime for sure. Should have just paid a bit more for a place that is operational… Would have been nice to know before I got here for sure…

Was quoted a lower price when I called last night made the 2 hour drive and was charged more!!! Not a place I will return!
Room was clean.

This is my second stay at the Red Lion in Olympia. First stay was bad, 1970 – 80’s construction, you could hear every step your neighbors made. Windows were old metal frame and allows the noise from I5 right in.
Second stay. They remodeled. Some idiot had them install perform laminate in the rooms. Now you hear the neighbors 10x louder. I was woken up each time the person in the room above me stepped out of bed. The mattress cover had rust stains where it touched the frame of the bed, but thank God now bed bugs. The Pergo flooring had boogers on it from whom ever stayed in the room before me. Hint staff get a swifter and do the floors.
The conference room has not been updated in years. The AC was loud and had issues keeping the room at a consistent temp over the time my group was there. Large sections of the ceiling was water stained and buckled. You could tell that the stains were not new and that the leak was substantial at one point.
They advertised a pool and hot tub both are closed as of this time.
The two complements I have is the location is picturesque and the grounds are well kept.
But overall, as someone who’s family owns a resort and hotel I would be ashamed to be the owners of this establishment.

So this is a 3 star hotel so the 3 star rating actually means that they lived up to expectations here.
We booked through hotwire. We called before booking to find out about the pool situation. The pool is outdoors. On the call they made it sound like they were the only hotel in Olympia. We booked it for a reasonable rate. There were lines to check in and bad directions to our room. We asked about an upgrade to a whirlpool tub. The first answer was yes, then the real answer was no.
The view from our room overlooked the river. The room was clean and well appointed.
I would stay here again for the same price, but not more $.

I have been a Red Lion member for years. We stay in the one in Olympia, WA frequently. We even stayed here before Red Lion took over. It allows dogs. It has had an extensive room service menu. Two reasons we like it. Room service has been discontinued and the menu in the dining room is slim. The tv is «dish». We were only able to get one channel. The signal was too weak to receive others. We are so disappointed to have to look for another stopping off spot.

Great rooms, bar and lounge are great. Like most hotels the gym is very lacking. The view from the balcony are wonderful but they should really do a weekly cleaning of all the spider webs I didn’t enjoy sharing the space with arachnids. The business center is fine for anyone wanting to print something out or browse the Internet. They have a full breakfast in the morning, $ 10 buffet if you don’t have the breakfast included in your room rate.

What a fabulous stay this weekend for a mini vacation in Olympia. The check in was so fast and easy. David at the front desk was so friendly and funny. He almost seemed to be personally expecting us.
All the front desk staff including Ida and Sarah were awesome throughout our stay. I asked for extra pillows and blankets and Sarah had them to our room before I got back, delivered by Doug who was so pleasant to my mother. And then there was Jeremy the best bartender ever. He made a great recommendation for an Oregon Pino Gris and Proseccco. He was friendly and hilarious.
The room was spotless– Thanks for the nice welcome note from Tiffany our room attendant.
The beds are so cozy. The hotel grounds are gorgeous, wooded and serene. Great job, Red Lion.

We booked a king size bed room on the floor level thinking it would be quite, what a joke that was! Teenagers running through the halls all night slamming doors screaming playing loud music. Got about 2 hours sleep! Called front desk said they would take care of the matter, that never happened. Asked if we could get a discount some way! They gave the room to us FREE. even though my husband had no sleep practically he was happy to here I called and the matter was fixed ! Kudos to them for taking care of us but we may try to stay at another place next time“maybe ”

I did not get the room I reserved. Or a phone call to let me know the room I reserved was out of order. It was a holiday weekend so because they waited until we were checking in we were unable to book a room anywhere else.
I booked a jetted tub room for my pregnant wife, they downgraded our room to a standard room. They knew in advance and did not call.
The hotel was clean and nice, but I did not really want to be there because I booked it for the purpose of the jetted tub…

We stayed here two nights on our trip to Washington and overall we were pretty pleased with our stay. We got a good deal from hotel tonight for about 80−90/ night.
The location is beautiful. When you drive in you feel as though you’re entering a lodge hidden within an enchanted forest.. Or maybe that was just our Midwest impression, we don’t see trees very much.
The front lobby is large with a lovely entrance. Everyone we spoke with at the front desk was friendly and helpful. As we started walking the halls to our room it became obvious that it’s a bit older of a hotel.
Our room was average size and the bathroom was okay. Our bed was comfortable and we never had any issues with noise. My favorite part was actually the really amazing toiletries they provided. The lotion, shampoo, etc. had very unique and pleasant scents.
The grounds were gorgeous with a nice pool, though outdoor and closed in the winter, and beautiful areas to go sit and relax. They also have a lounge we never made it to, but it looked nice when we walked by.
Overall– it was a good price and a convenient location near the freeway. Everyone was friendly and rooms are small and dated, but comfortable. Parking was free which was a big plus. I bet in the summer months the grounds and pool are really enjoyable.

I stayed here for six days for back-​to-​back conferences and here are the goods: the staff — everyone seemed very nice, but I only talked to one person; the super toasty fireplace in the lobby (I just wanted to nap there because it was much better than my room); ample parking; clean – it was very clean; the view is really beautiful if you take a walk on the grounds. Now for the bummers: no great food options (one restaurant and no little snack shack or anything); paper-​thin walls – the guy in the room next to me watched TV allllll night (which, granted, is better to listen to than SOME things); crap wi-​fi – we had a conference here about eLearning and the wi-​fi just couldn’t handle it. I even paid for the wi-​fi which was a joke because there was NO discernable difference (it was HORRIBLE). Also, they haul these trays through the lobby and it sounds like a volcanic eruption – it’s terrifying. It’s an okay place to stay, but it is the type of hotel that makes me glad to go back home instead of the other way around.

We checked in rather late for just one night at the Red Lion, with Ida at the front desk. Ida was immensely helpful and very kind, just a lovely person all around. This hotel is rather special to my boyfriend and myself, especially the lovely rooms facing the lake, with immediate first floor access to the grounds just at our back door. Ida gave us exactly what we were hoping for. We slept very well on the amazing king bed, waking up to the beautiful view. Thank you Ida!

We stayed here for a PTA convention and had a nice stay. Dave at the front desk was super helpful. Rooms are average but the price is great. Location is convenient to the freeway. I would stay here again.

Loved it! Best hotel in the area.
Has that homey rustic relaxing feel. Fire place in the lobby, green redwoods all around, jet tubs, friendly staff (Sean was awesome), good dinners and wine.
Everything was perfect. Just loved my view into the redwoods and lake. They had bicycles you could use to ride around town for free, soaps were lovely, and gym was decent sized.

Clean, in a pretty area with lots of greenery and tall trees. Asked for an upper floor w/​balcony, and they accommodated me. We had a large, comfortable room w/​King bed and sitting area – and balcony as promised — but NO CHAIRS! How weird is that? We looked around us and all the balconies were without seating. And this was in early Sept., when it would be nice to sit outside and look at trees and the water view. So that is the reason for 3 stars. It doesn’t make any sense to me to offer a balcony w/​water view and no where to sit!
Props, however for the bar downstairs that has a happy hour daily from 4 to 6. Half price appetizers and $ 1 off cocktails that were double shots. We had tasty wings (bone-​in, the only kind we will order, ever), and a hummus plate w/​pita bread, cheese, & veggies. Got out of there for just $ 26.00, not bad for «dinner»!
I would definitely recommend the bar at the Red Lion Inn, but the deal of not supplying guests w/​chairs on their balconies is just plain stupid. And it’s a nice view, too! What’s up with that?

Great hotel, clean, and welcoming. Very friendly staff let us check in early after we desperately needed a shower from camping. The hotel bar was awesome and they had good direct TV channels. Great place, I loved our stay and would love to come back again!

This is only my 2^nd stay at the Red Lion in Olympia. I was impressed with the comfort of the bed, pillows, and room on my 1^st stay so I booked here again when I had a weekend seminar in town. My impression during this stay is less favorable. It started with my experience on the phone, with the representative clearly not from Olympia and unfamiliar with the specifics of the Olympia facilities, and very unhelpful with regards to questions about my new Hello Rewards membership-​I had signed up during my first stay but was unable to get password to work to sign up for discounted rate, and phone rep had no sympathy nor suggestions. Then upon arrival to check in (late evening, 10pm), I did not feel at all welcomed by the front desk staff. They simply asked me to produce ID and credit card and handed me the room key. No welcoming smile, no «thank you for choosing us again», no offer of information about amenities such as pool hours, breakfast, restaurant hours, etc. I expected more-​I want to feel welcomed and that my business is appreciated when I travel and pay good money for lodging. I felt neither, rather, the staff on the phone and at front desk made me feel like I was imposing on them by being here and asking questions.
I will be making monthly business trips to town over the next year, but I am unlikely to stay here again after this experience. I wish I had booked the DoubleTree, where at least I could have accessed the pool and Jacuzzi 24 hrs.
No longer impressed.

Seriously the worst Red Lion I’ve ever stayed at. Dogs on all floors and if you have allergies that is not good! My daughters room had a mold smell. Front desk staff was not accommodating and had attitude when I added for a late check out.

Found this place driving from Seattle. This is one hidden gem of a hotel. Very nice and clean, great service at the front desk. We really liked to pool and spa. The bar was awesome and they put drinks in plastic so we could bring them to the pool. Room are nice sized and very clean. After a week of either expensive or crappy hotel, it was nice to end up here.

This is for the hotel portion only as I was not impressed with the restaurant at all.
If you join their club the room a are affordable. We got the executive site for 3 nights for $ 550. The beds are comfortable and the rooms are spacious! It’s quiet with a good view. I’m impressed with the pool and it seems to be quite popular. There is no free breakfast. I’ll never understand why these higher end hotels can’t put I one on for a few. Especially with a commercial grade kitchen at their disposal, but I digress. I think my absolute favorite part is that they are pet friendly. I take my girls everywhere with me so this was important.

Very disappointed with their customer service! I made a reservation two weeks ago for the stay of night on July 4^th because we’re going to be visiting the Olympia national park. After driving 180 miles and arriving around 10pm, they told us that they are overbooked and had to transfer us to another hotel. I mean seriously!!! I even called a few days in advanced to confirm the reservation and was told everything is good! They could have at least called us earlier today and give us aheads up. This is very unprofessional!

Executive Suite: two large rooms connected. One room with a small wet bar, love seat and chair room to sleep 8 or more on the floor. The other room a typical king size bedroom with balcony. No furniture on balcony. No available glassware. Good view of the river. Very sad attempt at an executive suite. $$$

Five stars for views of trees, green landscapes, singing birds, balcony, functioning indoor air system, pleasant outdoor pool, friendly service staff, fresh ornate carpet along the hallways, and large clean rooms. Decent price. Wait… But what? The WI-​Fi Is STILL down? No free breakfast? Morning coffee in paper cups with fake creamer? No organic salad greens? With a few easy tweaks I’d raise this hotel to five stars. Will return.

I used to love this hotel. It was quiet, clean and comfortable. I was willing to accept powdered coffee creamer and paper cups because I could sleep well at night and enjoy the beautiful green surroundings. The new remodel with wood laminate floors makes for a loud experience. I can hear feet upstairs. Water in the pipes as others take their shower sounds like a vacuum cleaner outside the door. Can’t sleep :(

This place is very nice its hidden in the woods, very cozy and semi elegant I would give it 5 stars if some of the furniture or carpets would be a little more up to date but besides that I’m loving my stay… this is exactly what I needed :-) the restaurant is pretty good the food is delicious … happy hour food menu is awesome and very affordable so leave a nice tip ;-) service has been outstanding here. finally found my place to stay when I come to this area.

To begin with the worst, they shut off our water as we were trying to get ready and check out. We left for breakfast at about 9:45 AM and returned to our room approximately 30 minutes later to find a letter slipped under our door. It read as folows: «Due to some plumbing maintenance, the water will be shut off from approximately 10:30 AM to 3 PM today. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please let the front desk know if you need anything in the meantime. Thank you and have a wonderful stay.»
What I needed was WATER! Check out time was noon, therefore we thought we would have at least an hour in which to shower and attend to our personal hygiene. Instead we were given less than 10 minutes. When I called the front desk to verify the situation and point out that this was highly inconvenient, the man did not apologize but merely stated, yes we just found out about this ourselves. Maybe, but I’ll bet he got to shower and shave that morning unlike some of us.
Cleanliness was an issue. The coffee maker had grounds in the filter area and there was brown coffee-​water in the pot. We were on the ground floor and had a window that faced the parking lot. This window was heavily splattered with some sort of goo. It wasn’t bird poop. It looked as if someone had thrown a bowl of cream of chicken soup at the wall and a good deal of it had splattered on our window and dried there. The grounds of the hotel are pretty and even though it was rainy we enjoyed walking around them. I would have enjoyed looking at them from my room a good deal more minus the sheen of goo through which I had to do so.
There were a few other small items that gave a general impression of low end hotel room: some stains on the bedspread and carpet and a coupIe instances of the staff not seeming to know what was going on and not seeming to particularly care.
Trying to submit guest feedback was a joke. I spent 20 minutes surfing around looking for an email address for the general manager to which to send my complaints. Unable to find one, had to use a generic corporate inbox. It immediately bounced back to me, «undeliverable». I then PRINTED the email and MAILED it to Danny Rogers, listed as GM of the Red Lion Olympia. No reply. Several weeks later I WROTE a LETTER which I MAILED to Greg Mount, listed as President of Red Lions Hotels Corp of WA. No reply. Never a word from anybody. I waited a couple months to post this review, giving them time to respond to my complaints, hoping that I could at least include a happy ending to this tale of travel woe. Alas, it was not to be…
In summary, this was my first and last stay at a Red Lion hotel anywhere. Any corporation that runs such a shoddy and apathetic gig as what is going on in Olympia WA is not a business that I will trust my travel dollars with again. I have too many alternatives and I deserve better.