Americas Best Value Inn Gainesville

We left within minutes because we feared for our safety, and I worried the people outside would retaliate if we took more photos. Outside our assigned room, 223, two women were visibly using crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia. A nearby person looked heavily impaired and unstable, with what seemed like signs of fentanyl use. There was debris and sleeping arrangements in front of the parking space that looked like they were associated with homeless people. To get in, we had to use a locked side cage window instead of a normal front desk. The room had mold, notably above the bathroom entrance, dead cockroaches, stained walls, inadequate supplies, and bed bugs. The booking pictures were not what we got, and we were told we would not get a refund. Things were so bad that our alternatives were sleeping in our truck or, at the last minute, paying $640 a night for the only other available room in the area. This needs to be shut down. Update: It looks like "America's Best" (more like worst) has started using ChatGPT to respond to my complaint. Hey, America's Best, you pasted the canned, not heartfelt letter twice and left the auto-format where you were meant to insert your phone number. Lol. I know you don't want calls about this; we've already tried, and you didn't want to resolve the issue, you just want to keep our money. That's okay, you've already been reported everywhere it matters. Disappointed customers, please report your own issues too, or more people will keep getting ripped off.

We paid an exorbitant $230 for two nights, and the stay was an unacceptable nightmare. The room was neglected and had visible, concerning mold, leaving it unsanitary and unhealthy. Management refused to give us a full refund for a room in that condition. We felt cheated and disgusted, as if profit mattered more than guests' health and satisfaction.

The lobby wasn't open, so we checked in through what felt like a jail cell window. The rate was exorbitant, and we're seeking a full refund. This deception ruined our family weekend with our daughter at UF. My husband and daughter booked based on the photos and advertising on booking.com/hotels.com, but the pictures didn't match what we walked into. The place, inside and out, was dilapidated and run down. I felt like I was in the Dharavi slums of India. The pictures must have been from when it was built 100 years ago. It should be condemned. The furniture looked like it came from the dumpster next to our unit. The floor had a greasy, slippery substance on it, and I wore flip-flops the whole time, nearly falling a couple of times. Pictures had been ripped off the walls; there were holes, including outlet holes, a TV mount, cobwebs and spiders, rust, dirt, dust, mold, scuffed doors, a dirty shower curtain, and missing lightbulbs. There was no coffee maker as advertised and no beautiful sparkling pool with lounge chairs. Our room was by the "pool," which was full of dirt and surrounded by garbage and rusty chairs. It was "closed for maintenance." I asked for towels but never got them. The "comforter/bedspread" was actually a thin curtain with no substance. Thank goodness I brought a blanket from home. I folded it around myself like a cocoon on top of the bed so I wouldn't have to touch anything, and used a towel from my car over the pillow. I was praying I wouldn't get a fungus or disease. If I'd had a hazmat suit, I would've worn it. I would've left right away, but it was family weekend at UF and there was literally nowhere else to go. One of the worst experiences of our lives.

Watch your belongings. The place was dirty, smelled awful, and had no security support at all. The cameras weren't working either. If you have the chance to stay here, don't.