Motel 6 Covington, TN

We only stayed because it was a quick stop, but I wouldn't pick Motel 6 again. The room was dated and a bit dirty, smelled like cigarettes, and had a terrible mattress with no blankets. There was a tub instead of a shower, and we found fake eyelashes in a washcloth. People above us played music all night. The heat worked, check-in was easy, pets stayed free, and amenities were convenient. Maybe other Motel 6 locations are different, but I'd rather pay more for a comfortable stay with my pets.

After one night, a toilet in another room backed up into ours while we were out at dinner. We moved, but the next room was just as bad. The old building smelled awful, and the fixtures were rusty. Smoke from guests' rooms traveled through the vents, and there are people living there full time. After we left, they charged us without permission, claiming we'd damaged the bedspread. That was a lie, there was no damage. I wouldn't have let my wife stay here. I would have taken the loss for her safety. Don't book this filthy place.

The room was in disrepair and reeked of cigarette smoke despite being marked non-smoking. I did get a decent night's sleep, but left first thing in the morning. I was exhausted after being awake for 22 hours and had been falling asleep at the wheel, so I stayed instead of leaving immediately. At checkout I told the same front desk clerk about the room, and she denied knowing it was in that condition. I'd said at check-in that I'd write a review and contact corporate as a courtesy. What happened at check-in appalled me. An African American couple ahead of me were polite, well dressed, and had a clean, newer vehicle. The two desk clerks acted standoffish. After the couple left, the older clerk said, as close as I can recall, “we have certain rooms for certain people here, and I guarantee we're going to have trouble getting those people out of the hotel tomorrow.” I can only assume racism from that encounter. In my opinion, Motel 6 should remove its sign from this location or replace the staff, from management down. The staff weren't doing their jobs properly, and racism seemed rampant. This place hurts the otherwise stellar reputation of the Motel 6 brand. Keep driving. Don't stay here.

We moved rooms after the toilet broke soon after we arrived, and the place still felt unsafe every night. People seemed to be living in every other room, with their belongings outside the doors, and police were constantly around in some way. The rooms were awful, with stained beds, roaches in the bathroom, and a pot smell throughout. The desk was unattended more than half the time, and when the woman was there she was very rude. After our five-night stay, they charged my card an unauthorized $100 for “black stains” on the sheets. I know there weren't any because I cleaned and folded the sheets before leaving. Don't stay here.