Americas Best Value Inn And Suites Homewood/Birmingham

The hallways smelled strongly of drugs, and it was hard to breathe. The room itself was dirty when we arrived, but when we asked to see it first, they wouldn't let us and assured us it was clean. After that, we were told there'd be no refund. I asked for housekeeping to vacuum on my second day and was told rooms are cleaned only once a week. They wouldn't let me borrow a vacuum either. We asked for extra towels to cover the furniture so we could sit on it, and were refused. Later, when I went down for an iron, they wanted a $10.00 deposit. Getting help was a struggle. For anything we needed, we had to go to the front desk, and sometimes still didn't get it. The staff came across as unprofessional and made me feel stupid for asking. Some employees also stay at the hotel. When I said it was the worst hotel in Birmingham, the man at the desk replied as if I couldn't afford to stay somewhere else. I went back upstairs for the iron deposit, and my fiancee went down to pay. They put us out after he said the staff had a nasty attitude and weren't helpful, and they didn't refund our money. We called Homewood police to try to get help getting it back. On my way down the hall, the man also said we hadn't paid for our children, ages 8 months and 4 years, even though the website says children under 13 stay free. This place was a headache the whole time and made it impossible to feel comfortable. Why is it part of Choice Hotels? If you've had a problem here, call the corporate office. UPDATE: I read the general manager's response, and it doesn't make sense to say I left my room door unlocked when I still had belongings inside. Housekeeping checking for items left behind doesn't mean someone should take a MacBook out of a purse. Checkout is 11 AM, not whenever housekeeping wants to enter. I have no reason to lie about this. When I told the black lady at the front desk, she called someone and said the man had gone into my room, then said this had to stop and more. She asked me to write down my name and number and said she'd tell her boss and call me herself. The response to my experience is stupid. The manager is clearly taking his employee's side, and that says a lot about him and the company. Don't stay here.

We came for a football game and, despite the negative reviews, found the hotel better than average. The place looks renovated and our room was exceptionally clean. We always check the sheets and pillowcases, and these looked like they’d been ironed, no kidding. The people working there were friendly, and the rate was a good cheap price. There aren't many amenities, so don't expect much in the way of extras. Still, we weren't expecting anything special and were pleasantly surprised.

I was unhappy with the room situation. I booked a room for the week, but the next day the manager said a plumbing problem meant I had to leave immediately. I was rushed out, then saw other guests in that same room a couple of hours later. The manager had told me repairs would take weeks. I later heard they have rooms they treat as show rooms and prefer extended-stay guests to stay in the back. It felt like a bait and switch. I usually inspect a room for cleanliness, comfort, and accessibility before settling in. The rooms were more clean than dirty, but there were roaches, and the internet didn't work in either the lobby or the room. The bigger concern was a woman next door with a large attack dog. Whenever you left your room and the dog was in the hallway, it growled at you. You just hoped she was strong enough to hold it back. This felt like an accident waiting to happen, especially if a little kid ran through the hall and got mauled.

The rooms are nice and clean, the people are friendly, and the price is affordable. For the rate, I think this place offers better quality and friendliness than hotels that cost twice as much. Some negative reviews seem to come from people expecting too much for so little. If you need a clean room and nice folks to deal with, stay here. Otherwise, stop complaining about every little thing and go somewhere else. Be grateful, or pick another place. A couple of things for the hotel: please fix the ice machines on the other floors. In summer, having to go to the third floor for ice once and the first floor the next time is a pain. I understand there's no breakfast at this low rate, but the website shows a breakfast logo and breakfast room, which is misleading. Thank you!