Howard Johnson by Wyndham Boise

We’re leaving as soon as we can and won’t be trying the breakfast. The bathroom seat still had pee on it from whoever stayed before us, though luckily I travel with disinfecting wipes and spray. There was also a strong smell coming from the AC, and it kept shutting off before the room could get cold, so the odor made it hard to sleep. The remote would turn the TV on, but wouldn’t let us change channels. If you have the choice, I’d stay somewhere else.

We spent $85 a night and it felt like a waste. The room smelled awful, had dried puke in the garbage can, and, worse, earwigs all over. The pool was empty, and no one had mentioned that to us. When I brought the problems to the office, all I got was an apology. Check-in took 45 minutes, then we waited nearly another hour while they cleaned the room. I wish I’d read the reviews before booking. I’ve never stayed at a worse hotel.

I’ve stayed in hundreds of hotels and motels of every kind, and this is the first time I’ve ever written a review. My room was dirty, there was no hot water in the morning, and the sink was broken and moldy, just like other reviewers said. I asked for another room and was told no, because the sink was supposedly “functional.” I wasn’t asking for a refund, just a clean room with everything working, and they refused. Management was terrible and the place was nasty. I slept much better in the back of my truck, which was cleaner.

The TV worked, which was about the only good thing in the room. We’d booked four nights but left after two, and I’m unhappy about having to wait anywhere from two or three business days to two weeks for the refund for those last nights. It should’ve gone straight back onto my debit card. We were warned that a smoking room might not be the cleanest. That was an understatement. The door looked as if someone had kicked it in, and the top security lock was broken off. Both sides of the mattress looked stained, as if someone had been sick on it. There was no mattress cover, just a thin sheet, and the pillows were stained too. The shower and toilet were dirty, the carpet looked unvacuumed and had several stains, and I had to keep my shoes on. There were broken outlet covers, mold on the bathroom ceiling, a bathroom fan that didn’t work properly, and flies in the room. The landline didn’t work when I tried to call the office. People were noisily working on a motorcycle in the parking lot. I spent $100 on cleaning supplies trying to make the room feel clean, with little improvement. I’d choose sleeping in a vehicle over staying at Howard Johnson's in Boise.