I prefer not to take elevators, so I always request a room on the lowest floor available. The hotel accommodated this with a second-floor room—but failed to mention that it’s not accessible by stairs (at all). The only stairwell is a fire exit that leads to an unlit back alley with a door that PHYSICALLY CANNOT be opened (by anyone!!) from the outside. That means guests, staff, or emergency responders have no way to access the floor without using the elevator.
To reach our room without the elevator, we had to wait in the alley while a staff member rode up in the elevator, then came down the stairs to let us in. Worse, the stairwell door was nearly impossible to open from the inside. My husband had to karate kick it open every time we left (kind of funny in retrospect, would not be so funny in an emergency situation). In an emergency, guests would be trapped. They would be stuck at the bottom of the stairwell at a door that cannot be opened from the outside (or inside). Even the manager couldn’t open it and admitted it needed fixing—but nothing changed.
When we voiced concern, staff said, “Well, it was built in the ‘70s.” I can’t imagine this layout is up to code and I hope it’s a wake up call for Read before a real emergency.
Our room was also dirty, the tub was peeling, and there was a bug in the bathroom. I have photos.
The Read House may market itself as a historic gem, but I saw a troubling disregard for safety and cleanliness. The worst hotel experience I’ve had.