Extended Stay America Suites Austin Southwest

The manager was so respectful and welcoming, and I really liked her energy. My room was clean and cozy when I arrived, and the staff were friendly and quick to respond when anything came up. They also had complimentary coffee and muffins during my stay.

For someone short on cash and willing to put up with a dingy place, it’s livable. I got through my stay, and it even grew on me a little. Still, I’d look for somewhere cleaner if you can. The price is the only reason I gave it two stars. If I’d known what I was walking into, I would’ve paid more for somewhere decent. The place smelled strongly of mold, including the rooms. Leaving the windows open while I was out helped. On arrival, I saw a woman at the desk complaining that something had bitten her lip, though maybe she was fishing for something free, and a man turning in a hypodermic needle he’d found on the stairs. I booked through Super.com, which I also don’t recommend. Extended Stay said on the phone that early check-in was possible, so I took a Lyft there. Another employee then said the first person had been mistaken and they couldn’t do it for third-party bookings. I asked if I could pay for an extra day to get in rather than wait eight hours. They said no and told me to call Super. Super was willing to cancel so I could book directly with the hotel, but needed email proof. The hotel said only the manager had email, and the employee seemed reluctant to contact her. After two calls to Super and getting Extended Stay involved, the employee finally called the manager. Turns out they could override it after all, so they did, and I was charged for an extra day.

We paid more than $200 for one night and the stay was so bad we considered sleeping in our car. The hotel had a strong, unpleasant smell and a bad atmosphere. We checked in hours after the stated check-in time, but our room still wasn’t ready and had no towels. When we asked, we watched staff take damp towels straight from the dryer. We saw police officers in the lobby more than once and asked whether there was a safety concern. One officer told us, “If you could afford somewhere else, go somewhere else.” That was enough for us. It wasn’t worth the price. Avoid it if you can.

My 11-night stay was good apart from a few things. The shower never really worked, and the neighbor was loud every day. I asked the front desk to speak with him, but they said he was allowed to be noisy until 10 p.m. I also had to buy my own shower seat because the hotel didn’t have one.