Hotels near Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry

"I travel frequently and am comfortable staying in modest hotels as long as they are clean and safe. Unfortunately, The Capitol Hotel in Hartford raised serious safety concerns and appears to be significantly misrepresented online. The property does not resemble the photos on Expedia. The exterior is extremely run down, and the covered entrance had large holes in the roof with exposed pipes and roofing material hanging down, giving the immediate impression that the building is poorly maintained. My daughter arrived around 11 PM after a late flight. When she entered the lobby there were multiple people sleeping on the floor and in chairs, and she overheard the front desk telling someone without a room that they could sleep in the lobby for the night. This did not feel like a safe or properly managed environment for guests arriving late at night. While the room appeared old but generally clean, the bed was two box springs with only a thin mattress topper instead of a proper mattress, which is completely unacceptable and clearly not what is represented online. The listing also advertises a fitness center, but the front desk confirmed there is no gym. The television only received one channel. These issues reflect clear misrepresentation of the amenities advertised on Expedia. When I arrived the next morning, I was so concerned by the property conditions that we immediately checked out and left. Travelers should be aware that the actual conditions of this property"

"It was dirty "

"Good location "

"Room was clean "

"The overall hotel is clean. Our room was clean and comfortable with no noise issues. In fact, that was probably one of the comfier beds in comparison to other hotels I’ve stayed in around the country! The common areas were tidy but worn down. I could see how travelers would see it as dirty but everything I saw was just signs of normal wear and tear - rust around areas that are frequently mopped or wet from pool travel, dust build up in nooks and crannies, and grout buildup. The worst of it was the elevator which had broke buttons and rusty panels. It’s clear the staff take care of the hotel regardless. The pool area was crowded and the pool was surprisingly so warm I wondered how anyone was getting in the hot tub but my toddler LOVED it. The only issue we encountered was other guests but the hotel can only do so much. Not everyone respects public areas, it is what it is. We didn’t grab complimentary breakfast (we went out) but it was packed and everything looked and smelled amazing. Overall great experience!"

"The floor we were on had a weird smell as well as our room. The curtain that is suppose to darken the room did not cover the window it was on a small track that you weren’t able to pull the curtain all the way, so the parking lot lights glared in our window all night! Will not stay there again. Glad it was only a one night stay there for us!"

"Friendly staff, good food and interesting historical building. "

"It was ok. A little run down, but they are working on it "

"Pool was under construction but we didn't find out until it was too late to do anything about it. It ended up not being a big deal because we stayed busy elsewhere. The staff was extremely nice and attentive. Overall it was in a great location and checked all the boxes for what we needed"