Mariachi Plaza Hotel

For the price and location, the hotel is great, and the staff were really nice. It was my first time in California, and I loved the vintage character. My room was clean and had lots of natural light. Just note that parking is secure and costs $10, and the bathrooms are shared.

The location is the one real advantage here. Mariachi Plaza is just across the street, where Mariachi practice in the evenings. There’s a cheap restaurant nearby with excellent Mexican food, and a bar with a pool table at reasonable prices. The rooms have working fridges and microwaves, and there’s hot water in the bathroom. But there are cockroaches in there, so avoid the bathroom on the bottom floor. There are ants too, though those are easier to put up with. The shower door doesn’t lock properly, so bring someone to keep watch or use the bathroom upstairs. That one is less destroyed, a bit cleaner, and more convenient, though you should stay away from the sink there too. Don’t go barefoot. Our room had a broken windowpane. The bedding was clean but had cigarette burns, and the cleaning staff never reached the top of the “wardrobe,” which doesn’t have shelves or drawers anyway. The floor was in such bad shape that I kept my shoes on, and we put luggage that couldn’t hang from the pole on the leather-covered table or sofa so it would stay clean. If you’re on the ground floor, you can’t ventilate the room by sliding the roller blinds because the window is broken. There was a strong smell of smoke. We had no trouble with the staff, and the cleaning maid was very nice. I don’t envy her working in a place like this. Yes, you get what you pay for, but that bathroom... please.

After they lost my first reservation, I arrived and saw barred windows and homeless people inside the property. I made a second reservation, then asked for a refund. They hung up on me three times and ignored my refund emails. Booking.com is only giving me $200. On the 3rd and 4th, they also tried charging my card twice for the same amount, so I had to cancel it and get a new one.

I booked two days ahead, but when I arrived, the office was closed and I hadn't even received an email. Management apologized, but I had nowhere to stay. When I asked what I was supposed to do, the manager threatened to call the police if I didn't leave. Terrible management. Apparently, your dollar matters more to them than this kind of treatment.