Motel 6 Laurel, MS

The staff were very nice, and the location was convenient. That’s about all I can say in its favor. The outside had litter around it, and the pet area I noticed was just a short, narrow strip of grass beside a busy road. The website photos must be old because I can’t imagine the rooms looking like that now. Our room smelled bad, and there were spots on the walls that hadn’t been wiped down. The floor turned our feet, socks, or shoe bottoms black. I cleaned it three times before it felt clean enough to walk on, and picked up pubic hairs and bug shells along the way. The drawers had dirt or possibly roach droppings inside, and at least two wouldn’t stay shut. There was roach bait behind a side table. I didn’t see a live roach, but there was clear evidence of them. The sheets had a stain and hairs, and the bed cover had burn holes. The mattress was uncomfortable for me, especially since I prefer a softer bed. The pillows and towels were about what you’d expect. We got bar soap but no shampoo or conditioner. The bathroom ceiling had black mold around the light. Water damage on the door made it hard to open and close. I cleaned the AC filter hoping it would help the smell, but it didn’t. The microwave was unusable, with exposed metal inside. There was no fridge, and the ironing board was dirty even though there wasn’t an iron. The room looked like it had been painted fairly recently, perhaps to make it seem better. After driving across several states, we expected to unpack, wash up, and go to bed. Instead, we spent at least another hour cleaning the room. We cleaned the showerhead, tub, and toilet before using them. You shouldn’t have to do that just to tolerate a room. I used to clean rooms in a nursing home, so I know it takes work, and I know odor control and the little details matter. I’d like to know what housekeeping does here beyond replacing towels and toilet paper. We packed what we could back into the car and kept the rest sealed up, hoping we hadn’t brought any bugs with us. If the trip hadn’t been company-paid, we would have walked out. If our budget had allowed it, we would have paid to stay somewhere else. I have photos, though I don’t see a way to add them here. I wish the owners well and hope they deal with the bugs, litter, and room cleanliness. A steam mop would help the floors; Odoban or Pinesol might help with cleaning and odor if diluted properly so they don’t leave a sticky residue. I like seeing people succeed, but based on this stay I can’t give a higher rating. I’m being honest.

The staff were very friendly, but the room was filthy enough that you’d think you had to bring your own cleaning supplies to stay there. There were shoe prints on the wall, handprints on the doors, dirty curtains, and a dirty tub. No phone in the room. It did have a microwave and small fridge, though the fridge was iced over and barely worked.

It’s pet friendly and the room was spacious, with new floors and paint, which were the bright spots. But it was so noisy I couldn’t sleep. Other guests ran around and made noise into the early morning, and the highway added to it. Housekeeping may not come for days, so I had to go to the office repeatedly for towels and toiletries. If you’re staying with your spouse and have a card problem, they won’t help resolve it if your spouse isn’t on the reservation. Parking was also a mess: people staying elsewhere took the spaces by the rooms, and locals left cars there for hours while they went off property. The washing machines didn’t work, so you’ll need to find a laundromat. You get what you pay for.

The location is handy for visiting Laurel, and I hope the new management can get the place sorted out. I was told they were making repairs, and they should be. Housekeeping was seriously lacking. I told the front desk employee about the dirty floor and was told management would hear about it. Our first room had something splattered on the walls and inside the microwave, plus rotten wood exposed in the shower stall. The strong smell in there, meant to cover up who knows what, took my breath away and gave me a headache. We asked for another room or a refund. They said the owner would be upset, but they’d do it. The second room was at the back, with barely enough room to park and a long walk to the door. The floor was filthy. After walking across it once, the bottoms of my feet were black. It was somewhat quiet, though someone next door knocked late into the night, and it sounded like they were at our door. Being close to the interstate also means plenty of traffic noise.