Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Knoxville East

The place was quiet, and both the other guests and staff were friendly. It’s handy to the interstate and didn’t seem crowded. Cleanliness, though, was a problem. I’d bring cleaning supplies and either sleep on top of the bedding or bring your own.

We were ready to leave at 3 a.m. because the beds were so hard, like plywood with a little cotton on top. I wish we’d kept driving instead of stopping here. The floor in our room was still dirty, and the towel supply didn’t match what we’d told them at check-in: two adults and two children. There were only two washcloths and three towels. When I asked the front desk for two more washcloths and another towel, the man argued that the room was for two people and wouldn’t give us any more. My family has stayed in plenty of motels, and this was the worst one.

The room was dirty from the walls and headboards to just about everything else, and the TV was outdated. We checked in around midnight and found roaches all over the bathroom. When we told the woman in the office, she brushed us off and offered neither another room nor a refund. Save your money. There are plenty of places with much better service and rooms.

We woke around 4 a.m. coughing and congested, turned on some lights, and then noticed mold throughout the room. My husband was congested too. We left as quickly as we could. He told the receptionist, and I called the health department on Tuesday. We were in room 116. The owners should spend a night in that room themselves. I can’t believe anyone would take money while guests could get seriously sick. Econo Lodge needs to do better; I was shocked it wasn’t registered with the Better Business Bureau. If there were a rating below one star, I’d give it that. They need professionals to remove the mold or the place should be condemned. We’d booked at the last minute through Booking.com while on vacation, deciding to stay one more night. It was late in the day on a holiday weekend, and we were exhausted when we arrived around 8 or 9 p.m. We barely turned on any lights, just a bedside lamp, and went right to sleep. Thank goodness I had brought my own blanket and pillow. If I’d read the reviews first, or had more energy when we arrived, I never would have stayed.