North Carolina woman goes to Red Roof Inn. Then she catches the front desk worker in a lie
A North Carolina woman allegedly caught a Red Roof Inn employee in a lie. But, commenters are saying she’s the one at fault.
TikToker Melissa Morrell (@plushpal1977) posted an interaction with a Red Roof employee that’s since garnered over 317,000 views on TikTok. The nearly four-minute video captures her encounter with an employee who allegedly threatened her. Additionally, they allegedly lied and told her she had to pay a $150 deposit because she was local. When she started recording, the employee stated multiple times that it was just Red Roof Inn’s policy to take a $150 fee.
What happened at the Red Roof Inn?
When Morrell went to check in at a Red Roof Inn in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, she did so out of urgency. She and her son needed a temporary place to stay that night immediately, so they had little time to waste.
“My 14-year-old son and I were seeking a place to stay urgently for the night,” Plushpal1977 said. “We were displaced due to unforeseen circumstances and needed temporary lodging while working through our situation.”
She had previously worked at Red Roof Inn and knew their policies. So she went there to stay for the night. Being familiar with the management at this particular location, she felt comfortable going there. However, she ran into trouble once she spoke to an employee in the lobby.
The Red Roof Inn associate allegedly told her that there was a $150 deposit for “locals” and incidentals. Online blogs and forums state the company typically charges $50. In 2024, a blog specifically stated that Red Roof Inn charges $50 for incidentals in cash. However, that rate has since changed to $100 according to a company representative. Still, that representative made no mention of “local incidental” fees specifically. While individual franchisees can increase or decrease their rates, there’s no information that dictates they should charge for “local” customers when taking a deposit.
At that time, Plushpal1977 hadn’t provided the man with any ID. So, she realized he may not have been honest with her about the room cost.
Confronting the man regarding the discrepancy
At first, Morrell approached the situation amicably. She decided at some point while looking at other hotels to ask him how he figured she was a local.
“I asked the night desk employee how he knew I was a local guest since my identification had not been checked. I was not arguing about policy, I simply asked a question,” she said. Then, he started raising his voice at her and shouting.
That’s when he allegedly made a comment that felt like a physical threat. Plushpal1977 recounted the man saying that he could “come from behind the counter.” This comment isn’t captured on her video. At some point, though, Plushpal1977 started recording on her phone. She captured audio of her asking her son to call 9-1-1.
Waiting for police to arrive
It’s unclear when Morrell started recording, but she clearly did so before her son dialed 9-1-1. While recording the video, she instructed him to go outside and call them while she continued asking the man questions.
In the recording, she argued with the employee concerning the logistics of staying there overnight. He responded by saying he was just asking her to pay a $100 deposit, not a $150 one. As plushpal1977 recorded the situation, he made no admissions of guilt. He referred to the deposit as $10o, which accurately reflects the incidentals deposit price confirmed by a company representative.
Plushpal1977 asked him whether the previously described $150 “local fee” was due to the clothing she was wearing. Instead of answering the question, he asked her multiple times to leave the property.
When they did, Plushpal1977 was shocked at how they approached the situation.
“Police officers responded to the scene. Despite the employee’s hostile behavior, I was told I was banned from the property. [I] was forced to leave late at night and find alternative lodging,” she said. “I am sharing this because no guest traveling with a child should feel threatened or unsafe while urgently seeking lodging for the night.”
Commenters add their thoughts
Instead of siding with her, commenters added that they thought the situation had been blown out of proportion. Multiple viewers had criticism for Morrell, saying that her calling an emergency line for a non-emergency was unethical and wrong. Others said that she simply cared too much about booking with Red Roof Inn and should have left sooner.
“[Ma’am], it’s the Red Roof Inn. Just go,” one commenter said.
“As a 911 dispatcher, please for the love of god do not call 911 for this type of stuff. That’s why we have a non emergen[y] line,” another viewer added.
But, many commenters didn’t mention how unusual it was for Morrell to get charged a $150 ‘incidental locals’ fee. From her description, it wasn’t just a deposit for the room or cash to stay the night. She mentioned multiple times that the employee clarified the charge was an ‘incidental locals’ deposit and that it was $150, not $100 or $50.
It’s possible they miscommunicated regarding the fee being a deposit for the room. But, it’s also possible that he genuinely tried to charge her cash for the night in an upsell attempt. It’s unclear based on the video Morrell posted.
Red Roof Inn responds
In a response to The Mary Sue, a representative from Red Roof Inn stated, “Based on the specific policy for that property, a $100 deposit is required for incidentals for all guests not paying with a credit card. This policy does not apply to Direct Bill (DB) or Universal Credit Card (UCC) guests.”
They continued, adding that “each Red Roof property sets its own deposit policy, and some do not require a deposit at all.” A representative encouraged Plushpal1977 to make a dispute or complaint regarding this specific property. Based on the representative’s response, they had no previous complaint regarding this location.
The representative also confirmed that the Red Roof Inn that Plushpal1977 visited is an individual franchise and not directly associated with Red Roof Inn’s larger franchise. Franchisees make individual decisions regarding pricing.
@plushpal1977 Last night at the Red Roof Inn in North Wilkesboro, NC, my 14-year-old son and I were seeking a place to stay urgently for the night. We were displaced due to unforeseen circumstances and needed temporary lodging while working through our situation. During the check-in attempt, I was seated due to a knee issue when I asked the night desk employee how he knew I was a local guest since my identification had not been checked. I was not arguing about policy — I simply asked a question. The employee became hostile, raised his voice, and made a statement that I perceived as a physical threat when he said he could “come from behind the counter.” My child briefly entered the building only to dial 911 because I was recording the interaction, then returned to the car to stay in a safer environment. Police officers responded to the scene. Despite the employee’s hostile behavior, I was told I was banned from the property and was forced to leave late at night and find alternative lodging. I am sharing this because no guest traveling with a child should feel threatened or unsafe while urgently seeking lodging for the night. #redroofinn #hotel #profiling @red roof inn ♬ original sound – ??LOVEMEPLUSH??
The Mary Sue reached out to Morrell via TikTok direct message.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
