Travelodge by Wyndham Lincoln South

For the price, this was a good spot to get a comfortable night's sleep and save some money. Downtown and the university were about a 10-minute drive away. The beds felt great, the bathroom had strong water pressure, and the walls seemed to block most noise. There's a railroad nearby, though, so a train horn could wake you if your room faces the parking lot. Staff were friendly, and they had a small free breakfast with coffee.

It was clean, but Room 107 had a strong marijuana smell as soon as I entered. It adjoins a room called the “executive apartment suite,” whatever that means, and framed artwork was sitting in the closet instead of hanging on the walls. The ceiling light had only one of its four bulbs working. There was space for nightstands on both sides of the bed, but one side had none, and they put in a full bed where a queen would have fit. The flatscreen was so small it would've seemed dated even in 2005.

The chemical smell was so strong that after about 10 minutes it was all we could taste. The room was clean at check-in, but the cleaner they used smelled horrible. Since it was late, we put up with it, figuring another room would probably be the same. There wasn't a coffee pot in the room, and no one mentioned that at check-in. For three guests, we had just one towel. They did bring more, but by then it was too late to take a shower. I woke up with a massive headache from the chemicals and still had no coffee. This was one of the worst places I've stayed in quite a while. Spend the extra and go somewhere else.

I got in at midnight, exhausted, and Vicky was so friendly and helpful. The room was simple and had limited frills, but it was clean and a great price, exactly what I needed. The shower was hot, with excellent water pressure and a curved curtain rod. I could park right by my door, which opens to the outside. There was also Direct TV, a microwave, a fridge with a freezer, AC, and an alarm clock.