We had Mother's Day brunch 2026 at the Best Western Gateway in Gainesville and it was a wonderful experience. The staff was excellent from the moment we arrived. As they escorted us to our table, they explained the layout and all the food options available, which was very helpful. They also provided table service for drinks and clearing plates, which made everything feel very organized and relaxing. The food was excellent -- the prime rib was absolutely delicious. I also loved that the desserts were bite-sized, so you could try a variety without overdoing it. The brunch was also very well priced, especially for the quality and variety offered, and they even had a kids buffet which was a nice touch for families. Overall, it was a great experience and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a nice brunch outing. read more

We lived in Gainesville before BWGG was built, and have since moved. This is our 2nd stay since moving out of the area. Check-in was easy. The lobby was orderly and clean. A manager, Ari, was delightful, giving us a summary of what we are offered as guests of the hotel. Our room was #366, which we would soon discover was a handicap-accessible room. This was not a problem for us, but since my wife has a 25+ year history as a case manager for people with physical and mental challenges, she assessed the room and took joy in pointing out its deficiencies for the "definitely abled" population. The major one was how furniture placement creates challenges for a person who uses a wheelchair or motorized chair to access the bed. No way to climb, slide, or be lifted into the bed, certainly not around the sharp-cornered desk. Now, as for the bed itself. The mattress has seen its best days around 20 years ago. Springs can be felt easily, and if one shifts, the whole bed moves. And movement will be accompanied by sound effects, for a loose piece of metal flashing flaps noticeably underneath the bed, especially if one seeks to practice the finer arts of marital massage. But, hey, sound effects are freebies, right? Finally, the basic, handwritten "Do Not Touch" sign on the a/c unit, which blows loudly, even loudly enough to compete with Beverly Hills Cop 1 & 2 on sound setting 25, is an interesting touch. The hotel needs a general update. As I said earlier, this is our second stay, and by comparison, it is about 2-3 stars lower than our last, back when we stayed here to celebrate my cousin Beau's wedding. But that is not Ari's fault; she is a delight. read more

Best Western Gateway Grand - the dodgy a/c notice - Hotels Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Delivered us folded towels that smelled like hot stinky dookie poop. Obviously someone doing laundry is just drying and folding towels and not washing them. So disgusting will NEVER stay here again. Even crappy hotels do the laundry. I'd rather sleep in bedbugs than use dookie towels to dry off with. This place and every other Best Western chain will NEVER see another penny from me ever again! read more

Stayed here while celebrating our SIL's birthday. We have stayed here in the past while attending a wedding of our Niece a little over a year ago. Rooms were excellent and well maintained. Check in went smoothly with our a problem. Breakfast was very good every morning also had an omelette station set up which was a great t shift from scrambled eggs. Lily and her staff did a great job. Only side effect is that there were no recycle bins in the lobby area, as they post a certificate they are a member of the "Florida Green Lodging Program". Kind of hard to believe that statement. Otherwise a very pleasant stay, a lot of Softball teams stying at the hotel for tournaments and not a problem We had a down stairs room facing the pool and we were not bothered when they and adults were at the pool. read more

When I search for a decent place to stay to break up our trip, I should NEVER have believed this site: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g34242-Gainesville_Florida-Hotels.html This hotel/"conference center" appears to be 35 years old and never been updated. The rooms were run down, ants in the sink, cobwebs in the ceiling corners, vent on the A/C unit was filthy, pull out bed was broken in several places. Oh and the service was horrible. NEVER AGAIN! read more

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First time in Gainesville. Not many options for places to stay. Then I stumbled across this hotel. The outside was beautiful. Hotel is in a good area. The lobby was designed beautifully. In the room, it was overall nice. Bathroom was OK, not very spacious. The king bed was comfortable but the queen bed wasn't very comfortable. Lots of pillow though! Room was clean and no bugs. We got towels very quickly when we needed fresh ones -- great service. However, the shower was difficult to get to a good temperature, and the door slams, but if you don't let it slam then the door doesn't shut fully. But every morning I ate the breakfast and it was lovely! They have eggs, sausage, a yogurt bar, omelette bar, bagels, toast, and a waffle bar! I loved the bagels and the waffles. Make sure you get you a waffle. Staff was nice, room was decent, breakfast was good. This place was nice. read more

Good experience! The pool area is incredible, Nice view , breakfast could be better but is free so no complaints! read more

After,staying at this hotel two times before, I was very disappointed with my third stay. The wall unit for heating and cooling had a dirty plastic cover hanging from it. The lamps had waterstained shades. The pillowcases had stains. The toilet had a really bad dirty ring in it. The microwave was also dirty. "Free" breakfast was late in opening and dogs were in the restaurant. I know they allow pets but they should not be where food is served. Some of the front desk were pleasant, others weren't. Lanes are not marked in the loading area so one car can park in the middle to unload instead of on the side so others could unload. read more

Biohazard is the best way to describe this hotel. The first room we were given wasn't even cleaned, towels were dirty and there was hair shavings all over the bathroom. The second room we were given smelled like mildew and had a dirty plunger right outside our door. Not to mention all the room have papers that warn you about carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms. When I expressed these health concerns they refused to give me a refund and told me that the plunger could have been left by anyone, not necessarily hotel staff. So if you want to be poisoned or exposed to human waste by all means book a room here. read more

Breakfast Hours M-F 6-9AM. Really great customer service but the hotel as a whole is in need of TLC. Bedding is very thin. I hope the Best Western chain invests more in this location. Really good customer service and a great location. There's a beautiful state park within 5miles. read more

I'm writing about my stay, July 17-20, 2025 at the Best Western Grand in Gainesville, Florida. The cleanliness of this hotel was HORRIBLE. The bathroom floors were dirty (I provided a dirty paper towel to management from wiping it), the carpet was dirty and unvacuumed. The furniture was dirty and dusty, the refrigerator was poorly maintained and not working correctly. The air vents, particularly the bathroom was caked with dirty and dust. I brought all of this to the attention of the manager Juan, and everything was ignored. Be it the hotel is dated, I get that, but it's NO excuse for being dirty. read more

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My husband and I affectionately call this "the omelette hotel." They have a fantastic complimentary breakfast which includes an omelette station. One of the best complimentary breakfasts we've had anywhere. The pool area is beautiful and every employee we've met there has been super friendly and helpful. The rooms are acceptable. The bathroom is one of those where the vanity is separate from the tub and toilet. This makes taking a shower a little difficult because you have no where to put your clothes/glasses, etc. And even when using the toilet, it's hard to move as the door closes into the tight space. Finally, there is no room for a bathmat on the floor when opening and closing the door. We like the hotel amenities, but I think it's time for a bathroom remodel. read more

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We need a -0- review point This is the nastiest, dirtiest hotel I have seen in my years of travel and they have been many. Room was dirty, toilet had caked on pee on the side, rust and grime from bathroom to everywhere. Mold and mildew on curtains. Mini Fridge never been cleaned. So much caked ice there was no space to see inside. Floor dirty. Just too much to mention. I have so many photos and they were sent to their corporate office. read more

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This year's visit not great. Room disheveled, sheets looked old and spotty. Asked for clean sheets but housekeeping refused. Towels old and worn. Sofa very uncomfortable. Pillows small And hard. Breakfast is outstanding. read more

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I've stayed here a few times because it is close to where I work. It is also conveniently located off I-75 and near gas stations and restaurants. It's tucked away in back by the Harley Davidson business so it isn't on the main street of 39th. I also like that it isn't near all the college hotels. The hotel itself is very pretty, well decorated. The rooms are a nice size with a bedroom separated from a small sitting room. The bed, pillows, and linens are very comfortable. The bathroom is a good size. My only complaint on the bathroom is the "rain" shower head. It is high up on the wall and it decreases the water pressure. This is important for those of us with long hair that need to wash out shampoo and conditioner. Otherwise the bathroom is nice. There is plenty of room for hanging clothes and storing luggage. The attached restaurant is a fun place to hang out and grab a burger or wings. I like this hotel a lot and will return in the future. read more

This is a lengthy post. If you don't have the time to read it all, here is the executive summary: DO NOT, DO NOT, under any circumstances consider staying at this run-down, unclean, unsanitary, dingy, aging-badly hotel with the comically pretentious name of "Gateway Grand Best Western". Now on to the details: As an aside: If possible, do not visit Gainesville on a weekend when the Gators are playing at home in the "Swamp", because every hotel in Gainesville charges more than double their normal nightly rate. There are laws about "price gouging" that apparently do not apply in Gainesville. How this Best Western property received a rating of 8.6 on Hotels.com is completely unimaginable, unless of course, 10 is the worst possible rating on a scale of 1 to 10......and if that is the case then it should be rated at 9.5. First indications of a potentially negative experience begins outside where the sidewalks leading to the entrance are obstructed by fallen tree debris...which remained untouched throughout the afternoon and was untouched the next day. Lack of staffing or just complete indifference? Check in was uneventful, or so we initially thought....we arrived at 2:30pm and check in is at 4:00pm. Being early, we asked for a room as far away from the elevator as possible. No problem we were told and we were then assigned to the room 10 steps from the elevator. We returned to the front desk, patiently waited in line and matched up with a room that met our elevator criteria. Time wasted: 30 minutes. Now here's the part you should all be interested in: How was the room? It was what one would expect to find at a cheap run down hotel charging $49/night, not what one would anticipate for the outrageous charge of $250 (taxes included) for one night! Upon entering our room and closing the door, the first disappointment we encountered was that the safety lock on the inside of the door was broken, the metal actually snapped in half, the screws that once secured it, out of the door frame and just hanging in the air. So much for the additional security one would expect while we were sleeping. As we tentatively continued inside the room, the next disappointment was the bathroom which featured a toilet and ancient bathtub crammed together with a door that separated that claustrophobic space from the sink / mirror that shared the open space of the room. The towel rack over the toilet was bent and never replaced, the tiles defining the tub area had mold growing on the grout, and then there was the long black hair inside of the tub, presumably from the prior guest. The water overflow on the sink was filled with some sort of "growth" that was nothing short of disgusting. Moving on into the room a bit more, we encountered a rolling chair / desk. The chair being torn with the interior upholstery visable through a fairly substantial hole. Five more steps brought us to the side of the king sized bed and revealed a stain on the bedspread. Air conditioning was provided by a wall mounted mega-unit typical of an older hotel and it did provide cold air as it noisely cycled on and off throughout the evening. The mattress was comfortable and was fortunately free of bed bugs, which I was sure we would have encountered at this point. Lighting in the room was dim despite multiple lighting fixtures. Probably better that we did not have brighter lights to see what else was deficient in the room. We were originally intending to spend two nights but had decided upon check-in to cancel our second night. I could go on but at this point, I hope the takeaway is that unless you have no other options for an overnight stay in Gainesville, DO NOT STAY AT THE GATEWAY GRAND BEST WESTERN IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA! Footnote: Upon checking out we advised the front counter of the deficiencies in our room and the response was, "We'll mention it to housekeeping." Hilarious. read more

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Very clean and well maintained, with very good rates. Plenty of on site parking, and the restaurant & bar area served very good food, and wait staff were friendly and attentive. The only two problems were, There was no way to enter the restaurant and no from the hotel, You had to leave the hotel, walk around the building and enter from the outside. The second problem was the beer list, was exceptionally lacking, very few beers on tap. What was on tap were all national beers, there is a micro brewery revolution underway nationwide, and this bar chose to ignore the big picture. read more

This hotel is very convenient because it is right off the highway. Went to the spring so this was not very far from ichetucknee spring and some of the other springs. It was a about a five minute drive from devils millhopper sink hole and most restaurants. The room was clean and so was the bathroom ,the air conditioner worked good. We chilled the room to 68 degrees and then needed extra blankets to be more cozy. The beds were tall in height, I kind of felt I needed a step stool to get into it, the mattress was firm and the pillows were just perfect. Over all I slept very good. The pool area was pleasant filled with a lot of guest. The only thing I did not like was the bag breakfast . The breakfast consisted of a stale danish , granola bar, orange, water plus some kind of sandwich if you are a meat and egg eater. My friend said she did not care for this. Coffee was good however. Parking was adequate. Staff was very nice and helpful. read more

The staff here are absolutely AMAZING. I was here for a four day event, unfortunately the hotel was full so I didn't stay here, but they put bartenders out at the pool and in the hallways. To say these people jumped through hoops is an understatement. To the point that they didn't have mudslides but put chocolate syrup and ice together to do it. I can't overstate this- keeping up with pool towels, keeping things clean and picked up, and happy, pleasant, hard working people. This is exactly the kind of "can do" staff I would want on my team. The service at this hotel was nothing like I have experienced before. 200% across the board. An absolutely GREAT TEAM. read more

Overall a great stay. Hotel is older, but the rooms have been somewhat updated. There is a sports bar on site so we didn't have to drive anywhere. Breakfast was what you would expect from a hotel. AC in room would not drop below 74, but I managed to sleep through it. I would stay here again. read more

Best Western Gateway Grand - Bathroom - Hotels Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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This place is disgusting ! It's the cheapest most awful stay I have ever had. Do not bring your children here . Anyone saying it's good is lying . Pool gross hot tub nasty room and carpets nasty . Front desk zero help . No towels no soap no vaccuming no cleaning nothing . No garbage pick up . Less than 0 read more

Roadtrip Gem We stumbled across this place looking for for a dog-friendly hotel on our way to FL. We weren't needing or expecting much and were pleasantly surprised. The exterior and grounds are very pretty, including (what we were told was) a large Japanese plum tree laden with fruit guests can pick and eat. The rooms (and hallways) are a bit wider than a normal hotel of this caliber. We didn't get a suite, but just a regular room and had tons of space. The sink was separate from the shower and toilet, which I always appreciate. The bathroom was a little tight compared to the spaciousness of everything else. Our room was on the back side of the hotel (away from the freeway) and very quiet, with a window overlooking the nice pool/hot tub area and the lush area behind the hotel. Our view made us feel like we were out of country. The bed was very firm, but still comfortable and we slept quite well. Breakfast is included in the stay and is standard continental fare, but lots of it: scrambled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, oatmeal with all the fixings, cold cereals, some fruit, a Belgian waffle iron, a yogurt machine, juices, and lots of coffee. Outside of breakfast, there are always containers of ice water (one with fresh lemon) and coffee, with fresh baked cookies late afternoon in the lobby. There is a sports bar and grill in attached to the hotel/conference center. We didn't eat there, but did get drinks, including a good margarita. The price is definitely good for the value you get. Also, the price on all the discount websites (Expedia, etc.) is exactly the same as if you book directly through the hotel. We paid $20 extra for our dog for the night and got 10% off for being a AAA member. The experience was so good that we stayed there again on our way home! read more

Best Western Gateway Grand - View from our 3rd floor room window of the pool area and beyond. - Hotels Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Stay away from this hotel, awful carpet smell me and my boyfriend woke up with terrible allergies. Due to the terrible and dusty smell there is in the rooms and hallways. Had to call Expedia to process a full refund. I lost all day on this. As i was leaving i also saw wasps and bees in the entrance. The girls from the front desk are very nice too bad they have to deal with an awful place like this. The hotel does not look at all like the pictures posted on the site, looks like a haunted hotel inside like the movies. read more

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This is the worst hotel possibly. It will never get my business, ever again. It's ridiculous!!!! I booked a room and had it for two nights. I've stayed here a total of 4 times now. 3 of the visits have been horrible and then at my check in, they let me know that they could almost triple the price because there's an event and so they took one of my nights away from me and left me without a room. Who does that???? They charged two cards, I guess to make sure that they get their money... instead of charging my corporate lodging account. They are not about customer service or hospitality they're only here to make a buck and it's just a job for them. half the hotel stinks bad!! There's always hairs left places and stains on towels. But I have been in 2 rooms that were very clean and nice on the left side. But I will never trust them, ever again! It's not worth it!!! read more

Best Western Gateway Grand - Hole in shower curtain - Hotels Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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Was there for 4 nights. Did not come to clean the room once, even after I asked them to. Room had a weird smell. One of the towels was folded up in the bathroom on the shelf, but when I took it down, it was stained and dirty. It's an older hotel and looks it. They have coffee in the rooms but no creamer. I know it's not the ritz but there should be some standards. people who work there look like they would rather be anywhere but there and not super helpful. I would pick a different hotel, maybe one with clean towels. read more

no cleaning service asked 5 times to please clean up room and bring towels no one came each and every time they said yes we will send someone and no service no towels delivered place is dirty. outdared read more

It was dated and the beds were so uncomfortable and a weird smell when the air kicked on every time, but we liked the hotel space the pool was big and clean but the hot tub wasn't working. The breakfast in the morning was really good and the on-site restaurant looked good as well. It was a surprise to see an omelette station we all enjoyed that for breakfast. read more

Selected this location for close proximity to the various springs which was very convenient. Hotel staff was wonderfu. Shout out to Howard who went above and beyond to ensure all our needs were met. read more

This is the worst hotel I've stayed at in years. I was here for a conference and the rooms are stinky and not well kept. The entire hotel was awful. The young lady that checked me in was super nice. read more

This is a true find. It is a former luxurious hotel. Everything and everyone is lovely. Be warned or advised...local people use the pool. One day, three young children took over the space and the next day an older woman and her husband dominated the pool water space, talking ceaselessly about her family. There is plenty of room to avoid them. He did tell us that in the weekends there are more locals and they stay all day. In the afternoon and evenings drinks and food from the restaurant are delivered poolside. read more

I was traveling from TN back to West Palm and we wanted to take a little break. My arthritis was acting up so I was looking for a hotel with a hot tub. Normally BW wouldn't be a top choice for me but this place was wonderful! The hot tub was large and it was perfect for soaking. The staff was very friendly, the hotel itself was very clean and our room was immaculate. They were also dog friendly and for a very decent rate! Tara was very pleasant and I will absolutely be staying again next time we take a road trip. read more

I was here recently for a work conference. I drove here but did not stay the night, so this review is for about 4 hours spent in the conference center only, not than the hotel at large. The conference room has its own entrance, and I appreciate not needing to navigate the hotel lobby. The ballroom was neat, tidy and quite spacious, and the chairs were comfortable. The room was a bit chilly for my taste, but I'm sure it was fine for the presenters who were moving around a great deal more. The staff had laid out some coffee, water, and continental breakfast items, which were appreciated. I didn't get to interact with any hotel staff except the custodian, who I found to be quite courteous as he went about his duties. Overall a pleasant experience, and based on that, would have no qualms returning for a night when I'm back in the area. read more

Best Western Gateway Grand - Hotels Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

They matched my price on Expedia on my first night and continued to match that price. It's really really nice and the people are so sweet there and very helpful. I would recommend this place to anybody ! The lady Elizabeth she has her eyebrow pierced is the sweetest. I lost the last bit of my money I had for gas and milk for my son and she gave me the last of her money she had to be nice. It was so sweet and kind! Please check this place out if you are close to it it's amazing! read more

Front desk was amazing Room super nice size Lots of space for 2 Golden's and me Meadows all around for dog play area !!! Gainesville is an awesome cycling town read more

Pretty old and lousy hotel. Paid $320 for a 2 star hotel. No bueno. They can do better. You can do better too!

Stay away from this hotel! We reserved the room one month in advance only to arrive at 3pm the day of check-in to be told we cannot check in on NCAA home game days until after the game starts. The game started at 8pm. The purpose of our trip was to go to the game, which meant we obviously could not wait until after the game started to check in. We did not get checked into the room until after midnight. After finally checking in, the room was absolutely disgusting! More than a dozen hairs in the sheets, a baby bottle in the floor sticking out from under the bed, carpets not vacuumed with crumbs, hairs, and just dirty! Bathroom just as dirty with hairs everywhere and obvious signs of the room not being cleaned. All of these concerns were addressed with the front desk and they were rude and expressed zero concerns about the situation. We will never stay in a Best Western again or recommend the brand to anyone we know after this experience. If this hotel is allowed to be woefully mismanaged to this degree, we are not interested in wasting money on a service this bad again in the future. Best Western should be ashamed. read more

Came down to see my son at UF - the only "reasonably" priced hotel was this place...other/closer hotels jacked up their prices to take advantage of "student week"...the same hotel that normally goes for $100(ish) was jacked up to $200-$300/night!!! This is Gainesville...not even MIAMI or NYC!!! The people/staff are extremely helpful/friendly. As for cleaning service as it was explained at the time of check in (due to COVID they've had to scale back their service - if you wanted your room to be turned down - you'd simply tell the front desk the night before)....or if you catch one of the people in the hallway - they're more than willing to give you towels/toiletries off the cart - just ask. As for the room- typical hotel room - clean/AC worked. We were lucky enough to be spread out and away from ALOT of the visitors while we were here. Didn't realize how MANY people were at the hotel until breakfast..OMG!!! As for the smell of the carpet - yes my room did have a smell - but once the AC kicked in - it didn't bother me - look it's FLA - it's humid- the staff does vacuum and clean Food - typical breakfast - eggs, bacon, sausages, biscuits/gravy, grits, pancake, waffles, coffee, etc. So all in all - it was a good quiet experience - every so often you could hear a truck rolling by but that's to be expected when the hotel is close by. read more

Beautiful entrance during the holidays with a large Christmas tree, lights, and especially the mini display of a village, but all with the smell of musky farty carpets. Best Western doesn't vacuum its carpets but uses a push brush suction "machine". Although there are vacuums on the backs of the cleaning carts I know they weren't used because there was what looked like a piece of old candy from day one on the floor. Came here as a dive group so I'm sure my instructor got an amazing rate from the typical $120 a night. Beds aren't the most comfortable, pillows are tiny, but there's more than enough space for two people to move around in the room. The bathroom is tiny where the toilet and shower are in one room and the sink is located outside. The door can barely clear the toilet. Toiletries include shampoo, conditioner, and a bar of soap. This is the first hotel I've ever stayed at where the conditioner actually works! If you need any additional toiletries the front desk has shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, sewing kit, razor and shaving cream, mouthwash, all a different brand than the in room supplies (Bath & Body supplies). Plenty of outlets in the room. Mini-fridge and microwave, along with a bright alarm clock, broken hair dryer, and tv with cable. Continental breakfast includes all kinds of carbs, oatmeal, make your own waffles, cereal, boiled eggs, coffee, milk, juice, yogurt, and pay per omelet or scrambled eggs ($3). Pool, hot tub, and gym are open till 10PM daily. Front desk is always available and are at your service. read more

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$104 a night 2 double beds. Price was a pleasant surprise for this much better than usual interstate hotel. Recommend for families and general travelers. Our family stayed overnight on way to a day of tubing on the Ichetucknee River State Park. Very clean with breakfast. Used for conferences so larger and kept current because of repeat business. Rooms are simple and clean. Very nice pool area out back. Exit at SR 222 read more

Main point: This hotel is gross. Details: We booked the hotel through Priceline and ended up paying a little over $100, which is about four times what it should've cost. Lobby and exterior look promising but then you get to the room. There was gum on the floor, sticky stuff on the tv stand, and pee on the toilet seat. The room looked like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. If you have any other options for lodging, take it. Stay away from this place! read more

Best Western Gateway Grand - Toilet didn't look like it was ever cleaned - Hotels Near Me - Gainesville, Florida