Crenshaw Inn Motel

I felt like my life was in danger. Someone died at the hotel just as I was checking in, and about half an hour later somebody tried to sell me drugs. I’ve never been through anything like that before. Nobody told me America was like this.

We arrived at 10 pm after booking eight months earlier, only to be told our room was gone and that we should find another hotel. We were left standing outside in the cold. The host was unfriendly and showed no understanding of how difficult this was for tourists in a country we didn't know. After a phone call, a room suddenly became available, but we had to pay extra. The room wasn't worth the money. It smelled of cigarettes, with stains in the bathroom, on the bed and walls, and hair everywhere. It didn't feel safe either. People were watching us when we entered, and neighbors would approach and ask if we'd brought food. They drank and made a disturbance, and in the middle of the night people who seemed to be junkies knocked on our door. We couldn't get a night's sleep.

I didn't feel comfortable unpacking, so I slept in my clothes inside the sleeping bag I had in my car. The room was meant to be non-smoking but reeked of smoke, and there were cigarette burns on the blankets, curtains and even the shower curtain. Cockroaches came out in droves unless I left the lights on. The heat didn't work, and management said all they could offer was extra blankets. I also think mold may have made me sick for a couple of days. The towel looked like it had been used to clean the floor, and there was trash behind the window curtain, so the cleaning wasn't thorough. Late at night people screamed and fought. I got no sleep. This was the kind of stay I'd expect from an Airbnb, not a motel.

We got a good deal, and the room was small but really cute. The bed was comfortable, and the bathroom was cleaner than the one at the last Motel 6we stayed at. I just wish the outlets were placed somewhere we could actually use our devices while they charge. I'd definitely stay again.