Birch Run, Michigan: Best Western Plus of Birch Run/Frankenmuth

January 2022, weekday, 1-night 

I do not typically stay in Best Western hotels, and after this stay, I am even more convinced to avoid them. Last year, I traveled to a remote city for work. My lodging choices were either Best Western in the area, or I would need to add about two hours drive time to each day, if I wanted to stay in a Hampton Inn or SpringHill Suites (I also checked all the local hotels, including Bed & Breakfasts, Airbnb, etc.). I decided to see if I could get a status match at Best Western, and then I chose that hotel. With the status match and promotions Best Western had last year, I ended up with $75 in lodging credits to use before the end of March 2022. We had a few days with no plans after Christmas, so I looked at all the Best Western hotels in Michigan, to try and see which one looked best. Unfortunately, this hotel turned out to be a poor choice.

Diamond perks and check-in

The front desk agent asked if I wanted a ground floor room, or the top floor. I told her top floor. I had written top floor in my reservation requests, and I assume she had not read that. She said there is no elevator, and we said that was okay. She said something about depositing my 500 points, although she did not actually recognize my status, and she did not offer bottled water. The front desk area smelled musty damp, and I hoped our guestroom would not smell like the check-in area. 

Whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western in Birch Run, Michigan 

King whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western Plus

This guestroom is across the outside drive from the lobby and check-in desk. The employee had said she was putting us in the "tower building," which did not sound like a bad thing. The guestroom was awful, and I would never stay in this hotel again. It was after dark when we arrived, and the room lighting was extremely dim, so everything was not evident when we first arrived. The photo above was taken with every working light in the room turned on. The bed sheets looked clean, the room did not have an odor like the lobby, and it had been snowing a lot, so we settled in to make the best of it.

The bed comfort was okay; however, every pillow on the bed belonged in the trash. I have never slept with such lumpy old pillows in any hotel room--ever. The cover on the bed was thin, and not warm enough for cold winter nights.

Bathroom in whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western in Birch Run, Michigan 

The bathroom was spacious. The toilet is located behind the door on the left. It took a long time for the shower water to get hot, and there were hairs in the shower stall (not observed until the next day). Soap, shampoo, and conditioner were provided.

Whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western in Birch Run, Michigan 

The fireplace did not work well. It made an extreme amount of noise, and it did not give off any heat. The ratty looking chairs in front of the fireplace were okay comfort wise. It was extremely dark where the chairs are located, as well as above the tub.

Desk chair in whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western in Birch Run, Michigan 

The desk chair was a huge embarrassment to this hotel. It also belonged in the trash, along with the pillows on the bed.

Tub in whirlpool suite 5 in Best Western in Birch Run, Michigan

If all that was not enough to keep you out of this hotel, the whirlpool tub was even more disgusting. I always bring cleaner for the tubs in hotel guestrooms. This time, I had also packed a brand new sponge to clean the tub with. Sometimes, I get just a small bit of residue when I clean the tub, and sometimes, the tub is actually clean. This time, the sponge turned black, and there were hairs in the tub, just like the shower.

Sponge used to clean whirlpool in suite 5 in Best Western in Birch Run, Michigan

A couple more room discrepancies: I called before our arrival to ask if the suites have a microwave, as this info is not listed on the website. The person I spoke with said yes. She also told me the whirlpools in the suites are heart shaped. Our tub was not heart shaped. This was not a huge deal, although it seems like staff should know what their rooms look like. Online, it also appears that the whirlpool suites have a patio or balcony. Apparently, you only get this if you have a suite overlooking the courtyard. Our suite in the tower building overlooked the parking lot and expressway.

Breakfast in in Best Western Plus in Frankenmuth, Michigan

Food and beverage

There is a lounge/bar area next to the front desk that was not open during our stay. Breakfast in the morning looked NOTHING like the online photos (just like the online room photos did not match the room, as the pictures must be over 10 years old). Beverages included coffee, tea, juices, and milk. Foods included nasty tasting mini-breakfast sandwiches (on my plate above), waffle maker, cereal, individual yogurt and fruit cups, and mini-muffins. A pre-measured cup of batter for the waffle maker was not enough; you need 1½ of the cups that were out to make an entire waffle.

Misc. and overall

Something else that further reinforced my opinion about never staying in this hotel again. I received an after visit survey from the hotel, which I filled out. I mentioned the unsatisfactory things in the guestroom: the chairs, pillows, dirty tub, fireplace noise, darkness, and no balcony. I received a generic reply from the manager, which made me feel like s/he either did not even read what I had written, or does not care about guest satisfaction. The email was not even signed with a name. It merely said, "General Manager, Best Western Plus of Birch Run/Frankenmuth."

There is a Holiday Inn Express and a Hampton Inn across the street from this hotel. I suggest one of those hotels, if you are visiting this area to go shopping at the outlet mall. They are all close to I-75, with easy expressway access, if you are traveling by. If you are looking for a place to stay downtown Frankenmuth, we had a nice stay at the Holiday Inn Express in March 2021.

Let me know if you have any questions!