Ron W.

The only reason I give them 1 star is that I am being generous (could not give minus stars), not so much for the room but for the treatment. I made the reservation through Expedia and they also get 1 star.

I stayed in Sonesta Suites a few times when visiting Portland, OR and loved it, so opted for them again in Seattle (Renton). Big, big mistake.

Reservation was for 2 nights and was higher priced than any hotel I ever used before. I am not wealthy but chose this one due to experience with Sonesta only a few years ago at a different location. It was not in Seattle proper but was close to a cultural event my wife wanted to see. We are in our 70's and both have disabilities, and she needed this mini-vacation. When we arrived at the front desk inside a nice lobby, the clerk told me she did not show my reservation, but then asked if I had reserved it through a third party. I said "Expedia" and she said, "Oh, you have to go to Building 3. They have your name." I drove to Building 3.

The lobby there was much smaller and less attractive; however, after a very slow
Check-in process with a very pleasant but soft-spoken young lady, got my room key. She asked if I had a car. Confirming that I did, she gave me a parking pass and informed me that I would have to pay a parking fee of $10 (plus tax) per night in their very large open lot. I told her that was not the agreement I made with Expedia. It said nothing about parking fees. She said I had to scroll through the Expedia site to find that info. I just did and it is not there.

It gets even better. The ground floor room we were assigned (requesting "accessibility") was 81 degrees and getting hotter because the heat was blowing and the thermostat did not work. I went back to the desk, had to wait in line while my wife waited in the car (small lobby), and after another 20 minutes and a major struggle for a different accessible room, finally got a new room. It was acceptable.

With no advance notice from the hotel or Expedia, I just learned that my $393.03 room (for 2 nights) was billed to my credit card for the amount of $515.05, which includes the above, plus $20 (and tax) for parking, plus $100 deposit (already charged to my card). I was informed I will receive a credit for the deposit in 8-10 business days.

So, for roughly $415 for 2 nights (AFTER return of my deposit, if I get it), we had no bed made, no fresh towels, no vacuuming, no bathroom cleaning, no morning coffee in the lobby (the young clerk had not been taught to make a pot), an extremely poor TV line-up, and no understanding or empathy with what I believed was a contract through Expedia. I actually could have gotten the same rate without going through Expedia. I am done with Sonesta, Expedia, and even Seattle, but they won't miss me, or care.

Because the Winco in north Spokane is not far from my home and on a route I take frequently, I stop there 4-5 times per week for small purchases. Overall, I find the selection good, the stocking good, the prices generally lower than any other grocery in the area (even Walmart, and WAY lower than the Albertson's and Safeway stores). In particular, produce (packaged or in bulk) as well as most fresh meats and frozen vegetables are all generally less expensive here.

I also find the quality, yes including the produce to be good, although if the produce is bulk and not packaged, I do pick through it before it goes into my basket.

The best time to go is between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. After that, it gets crowded, but MOSTLY at checkout. Checkout here can be nightmarish, with unbelievably long lines. The cashiers are, for the most part, very courteous and pleasant, but there are way more checkout stands than employees manning them.

Which brings me to my biggest gripe and why I am beginning to hate going there. Their "self-checkout" is poorly designed and equipped. There are 4 checkouts for debit card only (no credit cards, no cash) and 3 checkouts that are cash OR (debit) card "only"). I and a lot of other people use only cash (some don't have or can't get bank accounts). Unfortunately, on any given day (remember, I stop there for SMALL purchases 4-5 times per week) at least 1 of the 3 cash machines is out of service, and generally, just while I am waiting, issues arise with the other 2, requiring an employee to help.

There are soooo many problems with that. First, having some but not complete knowledge about it, I assume the NCR equipment there is leased, that there is a maintenance and service contract attached, that the contract was "low bid," and that the servicing company is over-committed elsewhere or just doesn't care. After all, these are Winco's customers, not NCR's.

As a customer, it also appears to me that leadership in Winco couldn't give a hoot about their own employees, much less the customers. You can see it in their faces at self-checkout. They are stressed, unhappy, and have been the recipient of complaints (like mine) hundreds of times in a week.

They really need more "self-checkout" lanes (including for "cash only,") if they care about their customers AND their employees, and get a BETTER contractor.

I place the blame for every thing that is wrong in any company directly on the leaders/management. I was one for many years. Believed it then, believe it now.