I wish I could leave a review without leaving a rating. We were not surprised by anything we experienced, but also compelled to report our findings so folks in the future can make a more informed decision than we did when looking for the cheapest hotel or motel in the area.
When we went to the office to check in (which I had difficulty finding as there was no sign indicating where the office was, though my partner tells me it was obviously under the big "6" sign) it was empty, and one of the light up "Motel 6" signs facing out on the counter was flickering on and off. This was the first sign we were in a B horror movie.
An employee came out to tell us to meet them in the room next to the office, not the office, so we went next door to the laundry and vending machine room (both the washer and dryer had notices that they were out of order). In front of us, speaking to the employee behind security glass, was a traveling nurse. She explained to the completely burnt out staff person that she was upset that the mold she found in her room and reported to the staff that morning was still there. She was told that they could not clean the room, because she was currently occupying it. That didn't make sense to her, because she reported it that morning and packed up all her stuff and left the room for the day, giving them opportunity to clean it. But they couldn't clean it, because she was technically occupying it. She had found a different place to stay so she declined the offer to switch rooms, but was not refunded her stay for that upcoming night because it was past 11 am and they could not refund her. This is apparently an inflexible policy, mold being no exception. She could not speak to a manager because there wasn't one.
I am eagerly checking review sites for more details of her experience.
We checked in with no issue and found our room easily. The motel did not appear full, so it was with a little disappointment we found he put us in the room closest to the highway. Between the traffic din and the garbage truck emptying a dumpster at 5 am both mornings, we slept a total of 6 hours in 36. We briefly considered trying to switch rooms, but we decided we didn't want to play "mold roulette" especially as there was no manager available.
Our room was as clean as we expected it would be. The floor, luckily, was not carpeted but had a strange slippery grime all over it that turned the bottoms of my feet, then my socks, black. I've not taken off my shoes again since we checked in except when getting into bed. The modern minimalist decor unfortunately did not include any surface for us to store our luggage in or on, so we will be double washing all items now stacked on the floor when we get home.
The bathroom had some curious stains and my partner and I have been discussing whether it was a splash of blood or vomit on the wall that seems to be bleeding through the relatively fresh paint. I'm convinced the brown spots behind the toilet on the floor are poo poo, but their location almost directly behind the toilet does raise questions about how it got there. The bathroom door also has a large dent it in that could be a result of a) furniture being moved around or b) a strong kick to the door - maybe this has something to do with the stains and poo poo?
Above the sink, stuck to the wall, are a smattering of dead fruit flies. This has been another exciting mystery - what is attracting the fruit flies, what is killing them, and how are they sticking to the wall above the sink?
The curtain across the window is small enough, and broken on either end, so that it doesn't completely cover the window, which allowed us to see if anyone was walking by all night. The door has a similar half inch gap around the frame so the room was brightly lit by the porch lights.
Happily, I've been nicotine free for three years but unhappily, my partner is still in the process of quitting smoking. This was unfortunate as our room smells like the bottom of a butt can that has been sitting out in the rain for a week. I'm not sure if this has acted as a trigger for him, or a deterrent from ever smoking a cigarette again. I woke up the first morning with a swollen throat and a rattle in my lungs - don't know if I inhaled fruit flies or if I unintentionally become a smoker again.
The bed was comfortable, and the mattress did not have any bed bugs. I found a few hairs on the sheets but it could have been mine or my partners - I'm sure our immune systems started breaking down as soon as we crossed the threshold.
So we wouldn't stay here again but hey, it was $116/night and we didn't have a lot of options, price wise.
If you find yourself in a similar position, bring some bleach wipes, extra socks or slippers to wear in your room, ear plugs and eye masks, and whatever combo of drugs you need to sleep through the night. read more