The Brooks Motel

A There are not many places to stay near Hillsdale, NY. The Brooks Motel is an exceptional find. A renovated 1950s roadside motel, The Brooks provided a safe haven for the night. A no host hotel, guests are provided by email a code for the keypad on the door. A text and phone number are provided to reach the host if something is needed. The hosts are quick to respond and very gracious. Beds are new memory foam and very comfy. My only complaint is that there is no carpet on any floor, only concrete.

Unsafe, Unprofessional, and Refused a Refund. My stay at Brooks Motel in Hillsdale, NY, on December 22, 2024, was an absolute disaster. This place is unsafe, poorly managed, and blatantly disregards guest safety. Here’s what happened: First, the heating and hot water in my room didn’t work—in below-zero temperatures! Management, who only communicates via text, told me to let the water run, claiming “ongoing plumbing issues.” Unsurprisingly, this didn’t help. Next, I noticed water pooling under the door of the room next to mine. Instead of sending staff to address the issue, management asked me to enter the room myself. When I did, the ceiling collapsed, unleashing water and steam. The structural and plumbing failures were horrifying and dangerous. The situation was so bad I called the fire department, who arrived, assessed the damage, and declared the property unsafe. They ordered a full evacuation. While packing my belongings, the power began failing, adding to the chaos. To make matters worse, there was no staff physically present to handle the situation or help guests. Their complete lack of emergency preparedness left everyone on their own. After the ceiling collapse, I was moved to another room in terrible condition. Shortly afterward, the fire department evacuated the entire property. Despite all this—no heat, unsafe conditions, and being forced to evacuate—Brooks Motel refused to refund my money. Their refusal to take responsibility for these catastrophic failures and refund my money is unprofessional. Stay away !

I can only speak to room 26 which had no bathroom mirror, no lighting options other than harsh overheads, and a gigantic stain on the carpet by the bed, consistent with where one might vomit if roused from drunken sleep by the need to do so. What's more, this is one of those no-front-desk code-key fake hotels, so customer service is nonexistent; as a business traveler booking with a corporate card I had to contact my supervisor on the weekend to send both sides of her driver's license before the property would provide me with the code to check in. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO ACTUALLY *RUN A HOTEL*, MAYBE DON'T BE IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS.