I stayed at the Genesee Grand at the very last minute after stranded at the Syracuse Airport, which is a short car ride away. I opted for the hotel based on advertising of new renovations and luxury accommodations and looked forward to the stay as a perk for being stranded over night.

Almost each person with whom I dealt, from the initial reservation to the front desk staff to even the manager, was vague and unhelpful. My first room had a broken window, faced a parking lot and a broken stone wall, had a TV on the fritz and a small possible blood stain on the pillow sham. I requested a higher floor room and was moved quickly and without issue. The second room was better than the first, but by the next morning I discovered that the shower backed up, which was really unclean and unpleasant. There also was no wastebasket in the bathroom.

The bar/lounge area was alright and the staff there was actually very friendly and pleasant; they encouraged me to not venture far at all outside the hotel on my own as the area around the University is not the safest. My food was adequate - basic small plates and salads. The wine selection was fine.

The final straw came upon checking out and confirming a complimentary shuttle to the airport. I arranged for the shuttle space the night before because when making my reservation, I was told this was a free service - important to me since I opted to not stay at the actual airport. When I called in advance in the morning, I was told "I'm sorry, the shuttle has already been booked for another group. We can call you a taxi."

When I argued that I had arranged this before, they claimed there was no record of it, but I stated I had spoken the night before with a specific person. I was then told, "That person doesn't work here anymore." I said that didn't make sense and described the woman and was then told, "Maybe someone was wearing her name tag."

After nearly an hour arguing at the desk, complaining about the poor room and stating I didn't appreciate the attitude and denial from the staff, the manager eventually granted my request that the hotel pay for the necessary taxi to the airport.

The taxi driver said he had not heard good things about the recent renovations, and at the airport when my travel partner and I shared our frustration, the gate attendant said "Ick - why did you stay there? I've been there only for a gross wedding reception."

Stay at the Genesee Grand at your own risk. It's an expensive mistake and a waste of time.