Econo Lodge Defuniak Springs

The mold smell hit me as soon as I opened the room door, and the whole bathroom wall was covered in mold. I’m highly allergic and worried a couple of nights in there could make me seriously ill, so I drove to a store to buy cleaning supplies. The AC had been off, leaving the room hot and humid, which made the smell even stronger. After cleaning, I tried to shower and found a huge hole in the bottom of the tub. It was hard to stand without slipping into it or losing my balance. The stained shower curtain was so old that water poured onto the bathroom floor. I kept my things in my vehicle so my clothes wouldn’t take on the room’s nasty smell. I hadn’t expected much when I booked, but this hotel was worse than I imagined. After driving over six hours, I just wanted to rest, and the condition of the place made that impossible. At check-in, the lobby was locked to guests, so I had to use a window outside. I thought about leaving for another hotel, but the no-refund policy meant I’d be throwing away my money. I strongly suggest avoiding this place unless it’s your last resort.

This place was terrible, so beware. There wasn’t even coffee in the lobby. The bedding was burnt with cigarettes and stained with urine, and it looked like it hadn’t been changed since the previous guests. There were huge holes punched in the bathroom door, no trash cans in the room, and a broken desk propped up by the nightstand. Daylight showed around the main entry door. The AC made a sound like it was about to blow up and only sent out hot air. If I hadn’t brought my own blanket, I’d have had nothing to sleep under. People really live in the rooms next door, and drug deals went on all night. There was no WiFi either. The list just goes on.

The spacious rooms were clean, and the beds were very comfortable. Our accessible room had a large bathroom with grab bars. I liked the palm trees out back, and there’s a guest laundry area, flat screen TVs, hair dryers, refrigerators, and shampoo and soap in the rooms. I just wish they had a pool and free breakfast.

The room next door had a bullet hole in its glass. Our own room was in rough shape too: dirty walls, stained sheets, and paint coming off the walls. The ceiling was falling apart, and some lightbulbs needed replacing.