Motel 6 Albuquerque, NM - North

I only needed a cheap place to sleep for one night, so I wasn’t expecting much. But there were roaches crawling all over the room, and I packed up and left. The whole place smelled bad, people were really loud, and it looked run down and dirty. Even the elevator looked like it might break any minute. The staff member I spoke to seemed rude about the roaches. She said I’d have to call a manager to get my money back, which I will do, but I expected at least some apology or reaction. She asked, “well did you use the room?” How else would I have found them? The nearby Target and other places were a plus, I guess. I don’t normally write reviews, but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you really love roaches.

Jess made the biggest impression on us. She answered all our questions by phone before we arrived, then checked us in, and was an absolute gem. Her friendliness is why we’ll definitely come back. Keep up the good work, Jess! My boys and I usually pick Choice hotels when we’re in town, but we tried this Motel 6 and were glad we did. It was quiet and cozy, and during the few days we stayed, we had the nice, clean pool to ourselves.

The room was the last straw. We couldn’t find a working light switch at first and had to use a phone flashlight; only one light worked, while another kept flickering. Though it was supposed to be non-smoking, the room smelled of smoke. The bathroom floor was filthy, there was no toilet seat cover, nowhere to put toiletries, and no hair dryer available at the desk. There was also no coffee pot, microwave, or refrigerator. Housekeeping entered while we were out without permission. The entrance and lobby were just as off-putting: cheap-looking plexiglass doors, an overflowing ashtray, people smoking outside, and cigarette odor throughout. The location felt unsafe, with people hanging around, including someone who looked homeless coming inside for coffee. Guests had to show ID to get through the only entrance. I’ve traveled a lot and hadn’t encountered that before. I booked because the property had a four-star rating and mostly good reviews on my booking site, which surprised me for a Motel 6. I was sick when we arrived, so I didn’t immediately leave, but I wish I had. I’d tell people to run from this place. I rarely book Motel 6, and now I remember why. Yuck!

I booked online for my niece, but she was turned away because she didn’t have the proper ID yet. She was waiting for it to arrive in the mail and had the paper ID they give you. I went in too, with my ID, but they still refused us even though I’d already paid. I canceled and asked for a refund. They said they were processing it right then and it would show up in about 24 hours, but I never got the money back. The staff were very rude, especially the woman who said she was the assistant manager on duty. I’ve booked with other motel chains without any problems. They treated us like trash and then kept the money, and I don’t believe the desk intended to refund it. I travel a lot, and Motel 6 has lost my business. I’d give zero stars, but had to select one to post this.