Red Roof Inn Arcata

This isn't a Red Roof Inn as of today. We stayed there back when it was, and it was easily the worst hotel I've ever used. The place was dirty, the furniture was old, and the carpet smelled. Our sheets were dirty when we arrived. When I asked the maid to change them, she gave me attitude, and the deadlock didn't work.

The pool and hot tub were very clean, and the kids had a lot of fun there. The room was decent, and the housekeeper was friendly and accommodating, bringing extra towels or another pillow whenever we asked, even though they were short staffed for the weekend. Booking and check-in were simple, but I hadn't realized there was a $100 deposit until I arrived. The front desk staff were very friendly. The hotel was a little messy, though with animals there all the time, it was clean. They were still working on some areas, including the bar/resturant. Overall, it was a great place to stay.

The bed was comfy, dogs could stay at no extra cost, and the staff were polite and straightforward. Still, the TV was inaudible even at full volume, and there was a cigarette burn on our sheets. We stayed three days and the room wasn't cleaned once. Fresh towels would've been nice, though that wasn't the biggest issue. It's extremely cheap, and you get what you pay for. With more staff and a few renovations it could be much better, but I'd stay elsewhere for now unless I was on a tight budget.

The rate was $67, compared with $140-150 at the other budget chains, Choice and Wyndham, in the same area, so it was an amazing value. We were nervous about booking because of the negative reviews, but the stay exceeded our expectations. The front desk staff were welcoming and friendly on the phone and in person, both at check-in and checkout. The room looked recently renovated, with laminate floors and desk and nightstand lamps that had outlets and USB ports. The bathroom was clean and looked nice. One towel had a mark like nail polish, but it smelled washed, and housekeeping would have had to inspect each towel closely to notice it. There was no fridge or microwave, but neither was listed on the reservation. I'd stay again for that rate.