From the beginning my stay at the Super 8 in South Jordan, I felt unwelcome. This was my first visit to the Salt Lake City area for a dog show. This Super 8 has some unusual practices and doesn’t honor the supposed special deal you get by making early and non-cancelable reservations.

My online reservation for the South Jordan Super 8 (10722 S. 300 W Interstate 15) supposedly gave me a 15 percent discount. For four nights, one adult, it was supposed to be $259.72 with taxes. Dog fees are not included in that total and one is supposed to ask about an AKC special price for the Beehive Cluster of dog shows in April through May. I was charged $260.87 at the desk. I had my online receipt printed out and showed it to the clerk, but this did not make any difference. There was no AKC rate either from what the desk clerk told me. That $1.15 dollars might seem like a small amount, but there seemed to be no reason to make an early reservation that I could not cancel. It was too late to reserve another hotel on a Thursday evening, even when I called around. I called the Super 8 company 800 number, but no one was able to respond at that time of night.

Further, once I agreed to these new terms, I was then required to give my credit card so that the clerk could run a blank credit receipt that I was required to sign. I was given a second floor room and a key card. The nearest stairway led down to the ice machine and to the indoor pool on the right side. Once out the door, you could see the pool as could anyone else in the parking lot. That particular door leading to the outside was never locked. This set up an unsafe situation where a person alone would easily be targeted by someone watching in the parking lot and then approached, either at the pool or on the way back to one’s room. The whole weekend I was there, the door was never locked. At times, there were people lingering outside, mostly smokers. The neighboring building is an auto dealership (Honda) and not active in the early mornings or evenings, increasing the sense of isolation.

There is a short grassy area where one can walk their dogs, but the people in charge are not necessarily aware of what room has what kind of dogs so should there be a complaint, they cannot follow up. When I was there, a man has his two Dobermans off-leash and one barked aggressively and dashed partway down the opposite end of the hall toward my two dogs. I reported this, but the clerk was afraid of my dogs and didn’t seem aware of who that person would be.

The Super 8 reservation included a queen bed in a non-smoking room, free wifi, free breakfast, a refrigerator and a microwave. The floor had a carpet. The room was reasonably clean and the service was fine. The neighborhood is fairly quiet. Just down a building is another hotel, Sleep Inn. The road isn’t that busy although you are right off of the freeway.

The closest store is a huge WalMart. On the other side of the freeway is a Whole Foods. There were, at the time, 2015, no restaurants in walking distance. In 2016, a BBQ joint opened next to the Sleep Inn.

Later, on the trip, I learned that my credit card had been compromised and I couldn’t help but wonder if that had happened at this Super 8. After reading other reviews, I noted that the blank signed charge receipt was a regular practice. Be sure to ask for it back before you leave and watch your credit card charges afterward.