OYO Alpine TX near Big Bend National Park

The place felt like a horror movie, with dirty, broken rooms and sketchy people wandering around. There wasn't even a lock on the restroom door. The worst part was being told the city had shut off the hot water, but when we called other hotels, they all had hot water. We switched hotels right away and got a much better room for about 10% more.

The rooms were cheap, but the whole motel was disgusting, and it wasn't worth the price. The sink in my room was backed up, which I pointed out when I got the key. The manager told me, "You plunge, you plunge!" People ahead of me at the desk had already left in frustration, and the manager couldn't speak English. I'd paid for three nights but left after the first without checking out. I don't usually fill out surveys, but I'm glad this one came up because this is the worst motel I've ever seen or heard of.

I should've known better than to book here when the other nearby hotels cost twice as much. I booked through hotels.com with no prepayment and free cancellation, but they charged my card $20 without explaining why. After I cancelled, they denied the refund and even claimed they hadn't charged me, despite the proof I showed them. Update, 12/29: After lots of calls and several emails, I got the $20 back. I still rate it one star. I knew after the first call that chasing the money was worth more of my time than the amount itself, but it became a matter of principle. I didn't want them getting away with what felt like daylight robbery. They repeatedly said the reservation was non-refundable, even though my confirmation said otherwise.

The old building itself didn't bother me, since that's not something they can really control. What I couldn't get past was how little care it seemed to get. My room was in disrepair, with food crumbs in the odd little kitchen, stains and bits of trash scattered around, and dirty walls. It felt like the place had been left to rot. If it had simply been looked after, I wouldn't have minded the age at all. I don't usually leave negative reviews, but this felt different.