Knights Inn - Glen Allen, VA

The heat and hot water were about the only things that worked well. We arrived to find a roach on the ceiling, and the room wasn't the one we'd reserved, so we had to take a different one. The floor was dirty, a lamp was broken, and the water pressure was poor, even though at least there was hot water. The room was supposedly a smoking room, but there wasn't an ashtray. Housekeeping didn't knock when passing by to clean, and we had to get towels, toilet paper, cups, or hand soap ourselves. None of the vending or soda machines worked, and only one ice machine was operational. A sign said to get soda and water at the front desk, but they only had bottled water. Every time we left the room, we had to go to the office and have our cards charged to get back in. The housekeeper helpfully suggested a nearby store if we needed an ashtray or cups. This was awful. I couldn't bring myself to give it even one star, but the site wouldn't let me post without choosing one. If there'd been a negative score, I'd have picked it.

The rooms are large, and the place looks bright and clean when you pull in. Inside, it was mostly clean too, except the bathroom door was covered in marks and fingerprints and needs a proper wash or a fresh coat of paint. My main concern was after-hours check-in. You have to stand outside in the cold and check in through a window, which made me wonder about the area's safety. We had no problems, though. Overall, a nice place.

The location worked well for getting to some Richmond sights, and the blackout curtains kept the room dark. The shower was good, too. Still, I probably won't return to this Knights Inn. I reserved a non-smoking king room, but it reeked of cigarettes. Either they didn't honor the reservation or they don't enforce the smoking rules. Most of the furniture was damaged, and the mattress was uneven. Management thanks people for feedback, but doesn't seem interested in fixing much. We travel a lot and aren't rich, so we take chances on budget hotels and can usually overlook flaws. If saving money and overlooking these issues works for you, you'll be fine, but I wouldn't recommend it.

The worst part was dealing with one employee, a Middle Eastern man whose hospitality was terrible. He made booking and check-in needlessly difficult and sent us in the wrong direction several times. The woman was fine. The room itself was okay for a budget stay. It was non-smoking and didn't smell like cigarettes, but there was a strong sweaty odor at first. We didn't find bed bugs, and the bed was comfortable, though we brought our own sheets. A few small critters were crawling on the walls, so we kept our bags closed. We didn't hear noise from next door.