Photo by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
The Days Inn sits on U.S. 31 in Vestavia Hills.
Vestavia Hills Police Department Capt. Johnny Evans says the police often respond to calls and make arrests at the Days Inn located at 1485 Montgomery Highway on the south end of Vestavia Hills.
“We do respond to a lot of calls there,” Evans said. “... Anytime you have a hotel charging $39 to $49 a night, you’ll have problems.”
Drugs, guns, prostitution and even some missing persons have been found at the hotel, Evans said, though drugs are the biggest issue.
“I think it’s just the environment,” Evans said. “[The price] … that’s what attracts people.”
The department’s officer who covers that part of the city spends a good bit of time patrolling the parking lot, keeping an eye on activity, Evans said.
“You put more people where the calls are,” Evans said. “... All we can do is answer the calls that we get.”
Due to the police department changing records software, it’s unclear how many incidents have occurred at the hotel in the past few years, but it’s one of the most heavily-policed areas in the city, Evans said.
Most of the people arrested aren’t Vestavia residents, Evans said, but are from the larger Birmingham area.
Kiran Chander, a front desk receptionist at the hotel, said the hotel does indeed see a lot of problems.
“We’ve had to call police several times for [drugs],” Chander said.
Those who find themselves in the back of a VHPD squad car are also told they aren’t welcome at the hotel ever again, Chander said.
About a year ago, the hotel added security, and that’s helped some, especially with issues of prostitution, Chander said. Before that, she said there would be two or three prostitution busts a week.
“[I’m] not really scared,” Chander said. “It’s kind of bad because we have to turn people away.”
People will walk into the hotel high and ask for a room, or staff can smell marijuana on them, and staff has to turn them away.
Chander said it’s unclear why exactly the hotel sees so many problems.
“I have no idea,” Chander said. “That’s the thing that baffles me.”
Guests in the past have complained about the hotel and have blamed management for all of the issues, but things are improving, she said.
Online reviews of the hotel yield complaints about the smell of drugs, as well as heavy cigarette smoke and police presence. There are also general complaints about the condition of the hotel.
Both Chander and Evans said there hasn’t been much violence in the hotel, and Chander believes much of the drug activity is going on in the rooms.
“It’s mostly drunk people from [Bar 31],” Chander said.
There have been a few robberies, and in April 2018, Thomas Jeffery King, 33 at the time, of Birmingham, was arrested after shots were fired during the robbery.
Vestavia City Manager Jeff Downes said the city is looking to add hotels, as there are only two other hotels in the city: the Red Roof Inn located across the street, and the Hilton in Liberty Park.
“We are actively recruiting other hotels in our city and hope we are successful in recruiting those hotels,” Downes said. “At the same time, we want to impress upon the current hotel owners to put their best foot forward and offer a good product.”
