Magnuson Hotel Baton Rouge East

The roaches are what made this a no for me. A fly or even some gnats wouldn’t have bothered me, but roaches are a big deal. The rooms had recently been renovated, and the bed was comfortable, though so light you could slide it across the room. The location is okay, with most places a drive away. Check-in and checkout felt strange. They made us stand outside even during the day, though the front door only says to use the window at night. At $55 a night with no deposit, I might come back if I had nowhere else to stay, but I’d bring bug spray. I’d give it no more than about 3.2 stars.

The pool water looked like sewage, the toilet was disgusting, and the white towels were grayish and stained. There were holes in the walls, which looked like blood splatters, and burns in the already horrible-looking bedding. I asked whether they knew about the roaches, and they acted like they couldn’t speak English. When I asked for a refund, they understood me just fine. I don’t know how this place is still open. It needs a wrecking ball. Nobody should book this roach motel. Do not stay here!

The location was the one thing I liked. It’s close to the interstate, so it was handy for getting where I needed to go, though the highway noise was still there. I didn’t sleep well any night. The bed was hard and uncomfortable, with sheets that were way too thin. Neighbors were loud every night, and construction woke me up during the day. The shower curtain rod was installed so the curtain bunched in the middle, leaving water all over the bathroom floor no matter how I turned the shower head. There were holes in the wall, too. Then at about 1 a.m. on my last night, someone tried to get into my room with a key. Luckily, I had double-locked the door. This motel is awful. I’d never recommend it.

In less than an hour and a half, I killed at least four roaches, including some crawling on the bed and in the bathroom. The desk clerks weren’t friendly, and there wasn’t even a phone in the room. The keys were really janky, and service in that area is trash. This place is a waste of time and money if you can’t get comfortable. I’ll never stay there again.