Knights Inn Aiken

If all you need is a warm bed for sixty-five dollars, there was one. The clerk handled things quickly without being rude, though the front desk was just a window and the lobby was behind a locked door covered in printouts, with toys that might have been for an animal or a child. In my room, ashes on the writing desk matched burn holes in the carpet. The couch cover only partly covered the sofa, and its shiny, flaky white stains looked suspicious; there were oily marks on the pillowcase too. Tissue paper was stuffed into the peephole, and I left it there in case it served a purpose. There was even an old-fashioned speaking tube through the bathroom vent to the neighboring rooms. Only two lamps were out, including the one controlled by the door switch. After I was at work, the cleaner seems to have done the best they could. Management and ownership may be doing the same to keep the place going, and at these prices tenants probably damage rooms often.

Rooms here get cleaned on an unpredictable schedule, maybe once or three times a week, but not daily. They don’t vacuum, and towels seem to be changed about twice a week. We found bed bugs in more than one room, along with roaches. There’s a pile of trash at the back corner, and the staff have been extremely hostile and unprofessional. The parking lot also has late-night activity, including what looked like sex workers and drug deals, and police regularly show up looking for people. The staff issues go beyond what I’ve mentioned. This is the most unprofessional hotel staff I’ve encountered.

The bathroom towel bar had been broken off, and the toilet seat was cracked and pitted. Paint was peeling from the walls and doors, and there were strange stains on the sofa cover. The place was so disgusting I couldn’t believe they charged guests to stay there. Avoid it.

The beds were very comfortable, the rooms were clean, and the location made it easy to get everywhere nearby. Everyone was nice and helpful too. Thanks, guys. See you next year.