Border Motel

The room was poor, the hotel was overpriced, and the lock barely worked. While I was in the shower, someone knocked hard and tried the door, seemingly to intimidate me. By the time I checked after showering, they were gone. I went to Calexico to renew important paperwork, and the location was okay, about 8 miles from where I needed to go, near the border. Still, it’s a terrible hotel. Look elsewhere. Definitely not recommended.

It’s close to the border and felt safe, so it could do if you really need somewhere to stay. But the place is very run down, and I wouldn’t feel clean sleeping there. The towels and bed were stained, the pillows were very dirty, and the mattress was so filthy I was shocked.

I heard loud knocking at night and the lock beeping like someone was trying to enter with a keycard. I can’t say for sure, but I didn’t feel safe after dark, and the place looked sketchy and gave me the creeps. The AC kept switching off and back on, too. I went out for food nearby and saw someone walking around with a gun in their hands, so it seemed like it could be dangerous if they or others were around the motel. I booked for one night before going to Mexicali to visit family, hoping to relax before the long drive home early the next morning. It wasn’t worth the price. The woman in the office didn’t speak Spanish, so I had to translate for my family. That felt kind of weird given how close the motel is to the Mexico-US border, where some immigrants might need a place to stay.

The entry card gave me trouble several times when I tried to get back into the room. Hot water plumbing was poor, and the shabby motel smelled of stale smoke. One star.