Americas Best Value Inn & Suites Lancaster

The room looked nothing like the advertised photos, which seemed years out of date. The furniture was worn, the refrigerator didn't work, the TV barely worked, and the coffee maker was broken. The carpet was filthy, full of holes and cigarette burns, and the curtains were dusty, dirty, and badly worn. Though the place was labeled smoke free, the room stank of cigarettes. There were faded wall patches where pictures may once have hung, and the shower leaked so badly I could hear water running all night. We were told this was the only room available, and there was no breakfast despite it being advertised. Train noise came through at night from the tracks across the road, and later there was a parking lot disturbance involving people I took to be homeless. Many guests also seemed to be homeless, so I wondered if this was being used as housing. The motel is very large, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The only nearby food I found was a Carl's Junior a couple blocks away and a tiny, awful Mexican fast food place next door. I ate there once, and it was the worst food imaginable. Most of the customers seemed to be laborers who came in the afternoon to talk and drink beer, rather than eat. Filthy, rundown dump. I wouldn't stay again even if it were free.

I booked two rooms for family visiting from out of town, remembering how much I liked the place under its previous owners. I was embarrassed to have brought my guests there. Since it changed hands, it's gotten dirtier, management is less responsive, there were ants in the bathroom, and the pool was closed. Bringing a can of Raid to deal with the ants was a joke, and towels were skimpy. It's sad the kind former owners are gone. I'd give it two stars now. On my earlier visit, I stayed two weeks while moving and thought it was a safe, comfortable bargain. The rooms were lovely and clean, the staff was friendly, and the facilities were well kept. I especially liked the pool and jacuzzi, plus having a washer and dryer. It felt like a little jewel in the Antelope Valley, tucked away so you wouldn't know it was off Sierra Hwy. I wanted to return for a relaxing weekend.

The room was so bad that I went straight back to the desk after checking in and asked to cancel my two-night booking. The policy only let me cancel the second night, but the full two-night charge appeared the next day. Ten days later, the cancelled night still hadn't been credited. When I called to dispute it, they kept hanging up, so I filed a complaint with my credit card company. The TV didn't work, and the wall AC was missing its cover, leaving dirt, dust, spider webs, mold, and other buildup exposed inside. The walls were grimy and patchy where holes had been filled and painted, and the plaster looked like it dated from the 1960s. The sink had an eight-inch crack and peeling finish across the bowl. Two of the vanity's three doors had been pulled off and wedged inside, with the wall behind it visible. It looked like something from a demolition dumpster. The website photos looked decades old and nothing like my room. The address is 44131 Sierra Hwy, Lancaster, CA 93534. Read the bad reviews and heed them. The positive ones are misleading. This place is a dump. Don't stay here.

After a long walk with my backpack and suitcase, hot, sweaty, and dehydrated, I reached "America's Best Value Inn" around midnight or later. I had been homeless and had only $80 to my name. The office was dark, with no lights on, and I could barely see the woman at the counter. I told her all I had was $80 and chose a nonsmoking room for one. She took the money without saying what the room would cost. I hoped to get a few dollars back to buy a drink at the 711 a block away, but got no change and a plastic key that didn't work. After hauling my bags outside the room, I had to return to the office window and ask her for another key. The room needed repairs, and the shower flooded the bathroom floor. I cleaned it up, but felt especially bad that I couldn't leave the housekeeper a proper tip when she came the next day. For me, this was very poor value. I wish I'd slept outside on the bus bench down the road instead of spending cash I desperately needed on a comfortable, but probably nasty and dirty, bed in a lackluster room. The service left me feeling like they didn't care about me and only wanted my money.