Motel 6 Lindale, TX

For a little over $60 a night and no pet fee, the price was right. The room was mostly clean, the bed was comfortable enough, and the door locks. There's plenty of hot water in the tub, about six outlets, and the microwave and mini fridge both worked. My quibbles: the king bed had only three thin pillows, one towel was stained enough to gross me out a bit, and there may have been tiny mold spots in the tub corners. The bathroom ceiling also looked like a repair had been left unfinished before repainting. Nothing awful, but there's room to improve. They did swap the towel when I asked.

Be careful with your card. When I woke up and checked my phone, I saw Motel 6 had tried to charge me for another night without asking. I went to speak with the employee to find out whether he'd actually taken the payment, and he said he hadn't. Thankfully, it hadn't gone through on another card I had with me, rather than my regular one. I don't know why the charge was attempted, but watch your account.

The motel was clean and quiet, but crickets were crawling all over the property. One got into the room and chirped all night. The on-site manager didn't seem concerned about them.

Everything in the room worked well: clean floors, drains that cleared properly, working showers and sinks, clean refrigerators, and TVs that worked. The beds were very comfortable too. I booked a reservation, arrived an hour and a half later, and the man who handled it was patient and informative. He explained that I could pay with cash or a card, and when I called to make sure the room was still held, he confirmed it was. I'd give this place five stars, even though it's listed online at only two and a half to three.