FairBridge Inn Express Melrose Park

We got a refund right away and left. Pulling up, we already had a bad feeling because the place reeked of body odor and cigarettes. The front desk guy was rude and seemed fine with guests not getting hotel-level hospitality. The hallways were gross and stinky, and the elevator smelled bad and felt scary. Our room barely had anything: a bed, dresser, small TV, and cheap microwave. The comforter had cigarette holes in it, and I wouldn’t even sit on the bed. This was the worst hotel experience of my life. We booked a cheap place through Hotwire, but I’d warn anyone concerned about their health or safety to stay away. You’ll regret it.

I only stayed because AA cancelled my flight and arranged this as a courtesy. By the time I got through the airport mess and checked in at 11:30 pm, I wasn’t going to go elsewhere, though I would have if it had been earlier. The place smelled terrible everywhere, from the elevator and hallway to the room, which also reeked of stale cigarette smoke. The bedding and towels were stained, and there were visible streaks, drips, and blotches on the walls and carpet. I wouldn’t undress or shower there. I slept on top of the sheets and left first thing in the morning without showering. Absolutely disgusting.

For a one-night stay when you can’t spend $200 on a nice hotel, this could be okay just to lay your head down. The bed was super comfortable and there weren’t any bugs or rats in my room. It was a good price at around $80, but the place wasn’t worth that to me, more like $40. The room was in rough shape and smelled like someone had just left. The floor was oddly damp, and the bathroom mirror had spots that looked like burn marks, so I call it the polka-dot mirror.

We were charged $117 for the room, plus a $20 early check-in fee. For that, the room was barely furnished, the bathroom door was awful and wouldn’t close properly, and there was only soap, no shampoo or conditioner. The bedding had cigarette burns all over it, though we were in a smoking room. The pillows were old, lumpy, and small. Our phone didn’t even have a power cord. I called from my cell to ask for more pillows, but they kept transferring me back to the automated system.