Econo Lodge

Our room had clearly been renovated, with wood laminate replacing the carpet, and the beds were clean, firm, and comfortable. The place is still upgrading rooms, and we could see work underway in two nearby rooms. It smelled a little musty at first, but running the AC cleared that up. The lobby was clean, and the night clerk was friendly. The back parking area felt dark and dodgy, so we parked out front, which was fine. I was initially uneasy, but it was late and this was the best price among the Choice Hotels affiliated places. There were cheaper hotels, just none with names I recognized. We skipped breakfast because there was a great restaurant next door with a really good buffet.

For $50, I don't expect much, but I do expect the room to be clean. There was hair in the shower and a used bar of soap, the main room floor hadn't been swept, and the sheets looked clean but were covered in lint. The room was warm and the bed uncomfortable, though adequate for a night on our road trip. When we checked in just after midnight, the night receptionist was smoking in the lobby. I raised the cleaning issues at checkout, and Amber just said, "Sorry about that." She didn't make a note or try to fix anything.

The friendly staff were the only real plus, and I learned my lesson. The photos and low price drew us in, but the motel looked rough outside and the room seemed barely cleaned. The sink and toilet were clean, but the shower mat was gray with what might have been dirt or mold, and I didn't use it. There was rust and hair in the shower area, plus hair on our sheet. The door had dirty shoe marks because you had to kick it to latch. The floor looked like it hadn't been mopped in ages. The furniture was updated, but the bed was hard and only had two thin sheets. The heater was set to 76, yet I slept in my coat because there was no blanket and I was cold. The sink light and the outlets on the bedside table didn't work. The coffee tasted bad, and I only ate a waffle because the breakfast area's sink was nasty. Breakfast choices weren't great either. They need better maintenance and more careful room cleaning. I wouldn't stay again.

For a cheap place, the breakfast was very good, and the cable was great. My room had a basic full-size bed and was clean, but the microwave was broken. There also weren't any open outlets for charging a phone, computer, or tablet, so the electrical setup needs updating.