Best Western Cooperstown

I have stayed at this hotel multiple times out of convenience, but this was the last time. Our hotel room was cold, even after the front deck person and "fixed" it by turning the thermostat up to 80. Apparently, no maintenance person on site to really fix. The breakfast food was very stale and in short supply. The biscuits that were just brought out, were cold as the likely just came out of the refrigerator. No orange juice "as the machine is broken". Will never stay here again. Contacted hotel manager after returning, and he was very indifferent (said go stay someplace else!!) to our concerns.

The staff was helpful and friendly

Excellent

Blood-Contaminated Bedding Exposed Blind Child - UPDATE: 80+ Pages of NY State Health Violations Exposed

RATING: 1 Star (Terrible)

UPDATE TO MY REVIEWS THAT WAS VIEWED OVER 500 TIMES: I am reposting my original review with critical new information. I have now obtained over 80 pages of NY State Health Department inspection records through a Freedom of Information Law request that expose a five-year pattern of PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARDS at this property. Details and instructions for obtaining these public records yourself are below.
THE INCIDENT:
On June 30-July 1, 2025, my 10-year-old grandson, who is legally blind due to albinism, was exposed to blood-contaminated bedding at this property. He had already been playing on the bed before we discovered visible blood stains on the sheets. Because of his severe visual impairment, he could not detect the biohazard he was touching. We don't know whose blood it was. We don't know what that person may have carried.
When housekeeping arrived, they initially attempted to change only the stained sheet—I had to instruct them that ALL bedding needed replacement due to contamination risk. This demonstrated a complete lack of basic bloodborne pathogen safety protocols.
The property offered an insulting $100 credit on our $317 stay for this serious health incident involving a disabled child.
HOTEL BLOCKED MY PHONE AFTER 2 CALLS:
After nearly five months of attempting resolution, I proposed a modest $503 settlement ($203 room refund + $300 for contaminated clothing we had to discard). I made just 2 polite phone calls to the General Manager requesting a callback to discuss both the settlement and—more importantly—what safety improvements they had implemented to prevent this from happening to another child.
Instead of returning my calls to answer basic safety questions, the hotel blocked my phone number. I wasn't demanding immediate answers—I simply wanted a callback to discuss what changes they'd made to their contamination protocols. Any reasonable hotel would want to demonstrate they've addressed a serious safety failure. Instead, they chose to silence a grandfather seeking accountability.
They also told my credit card company my refund request was "attempted theft"—despite having offered that same refund in writing on August 11, 2025.
The hotel posted a public response to my original review calling the incident "unacceptable" and a "serious health concern"—then deleted that response.
TIMELINE OF AVOIDANCE:
• July 3 & 7: Emails to property ignored
• August 11: Offered conditional $203 refund requiring abandonment of all claims—then never honored it
• September 4: Hotel told credit card company my refund request was "attempted theft"
• September 29: Sent settlement proposal via email—no response
• October: Made 2 calls requesting callback—phone number blocked instead
• January 2026: Final settlement deadline ignored
UPDATE: 80+ PAGES OF NY STATE HEALTH VIOLATIONS EXPOSED
After my original review, I filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request with the NY State Department of Health. What I received should terrify any parent considering this hotel.
Over 80 pages of official state inspection records document a FIVE-YEAR PATTERN of serious health and safety violations:
FIRE SAFETY - Could Your Family Escape? 2023: State inspectors found a fire door INSTALLED BACKWARDS. Guests trying to flee could not open it. The inspector wrote: "The handle on the inside of the building was not able to open the door as the door jam was in the way." Declared a PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD.
POOL & SPA - Would You Let Your Kids Swim Here? 2021: Pool chlorine at TEN TIMES safe levels—PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD—pool forced to close. Pool ladders "not stable, large amounts of sway, easily comes out of floor." 2024: Same dangerous chlorine levels AGAIN—they never fixed it. 2024: Spa had ZERO chlorine—operator "forgot to turn chlorination back on"—PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD.
DRINKING WATER - Would You Drink It? 2021: Failed to test drinking water for nitrate contamination for an ENTIRE YEAR. Failed microbiological testing. Operating on an EXPIRED permit.
FOOD SAFETY - Would You Eat the Breakfast? 2024: Multiple refrigerators storing food at 48-56°F (should be 45°F or below)—CRITICAL VIOLATION. June 5, 2025: Food service CRITICAL VIOLATION—weeks before my family's stay.
TEN VIOLATIONS IN ONE DAY: January 25, 2023: State inspectors issued TEN separate notices of violation in a single inspection.
MY COMPLAINT INVESTIGATED: July 29, 2025: NY State conducted formal investigation of my blood contamination complaint.
HOW TO OBTAIN THESE RECORDS YOURSELF:
These are public documents. Don't take my word for it—get them yourself:
1. Go to foil.ny.gov
2. Submit a request to NY State Department of Health
3. Request all inspection reports, violation notices, and complaints for Best Western Cooperstown Inn & Suites, 50 Commons Drive, Cooperstown, NY 13326, from 2020 to present
4. You can reference my original FOIL request: #R005446-103025
You will receive over 80 pages of documented PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARDS and critical violations. Official government records.
EXPOSED: A PATTERN, NOT AN ACCIDENT
My grandson's exposure to blood-contaminated bedding was not an isolated incident. It was the predictable result of chronic, systematic negligence documented by NY State regulators over five years.
COMPLAINTS FILED WITH:
• NY State Health Department (investigated July 29, 2025)
• NY Attorney General Consumer Protection Bureau
• Better Business Bureau
• U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (Case No. 655541-QNB)
IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN—ESPECIALLY CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES:
You need to know:
1. This property exposed a legally blind child to blood-contaminated bedding
2. Staff lacked proper contamination response protocols
3. State records document FIVE YEARS of PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARDS
4. Fire doors that trapped guests inside
5. Pool chemicals at dangerous levels—same violation repeated years apart
6. Drinking water testing skipped for a year
7. Food stored at unsafe temperatures
8. Management ignores safety concerns, blocks phone calls, and accuses guests of theft for requesting promised refunds
I have photographic evidence of the blood contamination and complete documentation of their months-long pattern of avoidance, phone blocking, and false accusations.
A hotel that blocks a grandfather's phone after 2 calls seeking information about safety improvements—while sitting on 80+ pages of state health violations—tells you everything about their priorities.
Cooperstown is a magical destination. The Baseball Hall of Fame is worth the trip. This hotel is not worth the risk to your family
Anyone wanting a copy of the complete 80+ page NY State FOIL report can contact me at kesten@kestenlegal.com - I'm happy to share the full documentation.

It what I expected there was plenty to eat

Breakfast was better than most we have had at other locations. The fact that we were so close to Dreams Park was a big plus. The staff was very friendly and courteous.

The property was close to Cooperstown. It had a grocery store, McDonald's, Baskin Robbins and Dunkin donuts on the property. The cleaning staff and manager of housekeeping was amazing and so friendly we stayed in the building across the parking lot. Front desk were pleasant. The breakfast lady not so much. We asked her why there was pork in every dish and she said that's on the menu today..so if your vegetarian, gluten free, or don't eat pork..have fun eating apples and bananas..and packaged oatmeal..bring your own breakfast.

the staff were good

Clean