Super 8 by Wyndham DeKalb IL

There were cobwebs on the walls, and the room smelled like pee. I told the woman at the desk, and she said she’d let housekeeping know, but nothing changed. They charge a separate deposit for smells, yet they still rent out rooms that stink.

If you want a classic dirt bag motel, this is the place. Room 19 is the one to ask for if you like the smell of mildew. And if they take a security deposit, I’d recommend filming the room with the TV on before you stay and again when you leave, with the date showing.

The beds were comfortable, and breakfast for guests runs from 6am-9am. Getting checked in took too long, the shower water felt slimy, and the juice machine was broken.

The breakfast was pretty laughable, just Eggo waffles and unwrapped poptarts, though the apple juice was great and very cold. The rest of the stay made me wish I were home, or literally anywhere else. Sure, it’s budget, and you get what you pay for, but here’s what we ran into. As soon as I entered the room, there was a strong moldy, musky smell coming from the A/C, which was set to a chilly 67°. When I looked around, I found a frozen, exploded modelo in the freezer, a wet stain on the floor, and something smelly left under the lap/radio/phone on the end table. It seemed like the beer might have come from the same pack as whatever left the floor stain and the mess on the table. The chairs had so many stains you could play “name that stain.” There were flies all over our room, and the hallway felt like a breeding ground. And the ear plug in the picture wasn’t ours. I’d have been more comfortable sleeping in the hatch of my SUV.