Econo Lodge

The room was clean and welcoming, and even though I arrived around 1 a.m. and had to wake the attendant, she was very courteous and nice. I gave four stars because in the morning my daughter dried off with one of the towels and found a poop stain on it.

We left about 30 minutes after arriving, mainly because of the location. While we unloaded the car, lots of people we took to be drug addicts and alcoholics stared at us, and we felt watched the whole time. A few minutes later, a man was standing by our car looking inside. The room was supposed to be non-smoking but smelled like people had only stopped smoking yesterday. The bathroom was very old and poorly cleaned. The landlady was kind, understood why we felt uncomfortable, and gave us a full refund. We’d stayed at other Econo Lodges farther north and liked them, so the logo brought us in. We went instead to a hotel in Fortuna, a 30-minute drive south, for about the same price.

I was utterly dissatisfied, and there was really nothing positive about this place. When we arrived to check in, two people were being arrested. The website said pets were allowed, but a sign in the office said “absolutely no pets,” so we had to sneak our dog in. Our key card wouldn’t open the room, and they had to make another. While we waited, people were yelling and a guy in his car was playing loud music, past 1 a.m. by then. The room was gross, the bathroom had mold, and the TV and remote didn’t work. There were only two small pillows, and it was the most uncomfortable bed I’ve slept in. I may as well have slept in my truck. Someone knocked twice very late or early in the morning, and although dogs supposedly aren’t allowed, I heard two different dogs yelping and barking all morning. I would never book here again.

The staff were very friendly, and the location was convenient, though the area seemed to have a lot of crime. But even at $70, this room cost too much. It was extremely outdated, like everything had been picked out of a thrift store dumpster. All the bedding was heavily stained, and there were food crumbs all over the bed. For $70 or more, I expected clean bedding, some basic cleanliness, furniture that wasn’t free, and a TV made after 2012. I’d gladly pay $30 for this room.