Motel 6 Van Nuys

The room smelled moldy, the bathtub leaked and flooded it, and the towels were all dirty. The blankets had huge burn holes, and the rooms were very dirty overall. My key didn't work, and the front desk spoke disrespectfully to me. It felt like no one was doing their job. For $122 a night, I expected service and a room that wasn't in this condition. Then at 3 a.m. I got a call asking if I had a red truck, even though I'd already told them at check-in I had no transportation. This place was a joke.

I'm in the room now. It's clean and a good price for two beds. I checked carefully and didn't find cockroaches, bedbugs, or anything like that. The sign says nonsmoking, but the elevator to the second floor smells like cigars. Could be fine for a night or two, though I'm unsure about staying longer. The street is busy and some people are really noisy.

I was charged $20 more than the booked rate, and the front desk attendant was rude. First he said there was no reservation in my name. When I showed my confirmation, he claimed it was for the next day, but that wasn't true. The price also felt too high for the location, which seemed like a very bad neighborhood. I saw drug deals in the parking lot, and car alarms went off in the middle of the night. Guests have to access rooms from inside the hotel. The stained carpets throughout smelled awful, the bedding and towels were badly wrinkled, and the comforter had a burn hole. I killed three cockroaches in the bathroom. Nothing about the stay was pleasant or comfortable. I felt robbed and was very disappointed. After this experience, I'll never stay at a Motel 6 again.

At 4 p.m., housekeeping had only just started cleaning the room I'd reserved, so my family and I had to wait in the hallway. I tried to find another room, but there wasn't time on such short notice. Once inside, we found bedding full of holes that hadn't been changed. I asked the housekeeper for fresh linens and towels. She changed the sheets but left the hole-ridden blankets. There were roaches in room 331, and the indoor pool was filthy with a moldy smell around it. I couldn't sleep and stayed up all night watching my babies sleep fully clothed on their sleeping bags. We left as soon as it got light. The place was awful from arrival. The hallway to the only elevator smelled of urine and had graffiti. There was no security in this one-way-in-and-out property, and the hall carpets were badly stained. After reading reviews from other guests who shared my experience, I think this privately owned hotel should be removed from the Motel 6 chain. I want a refund of the $105 I paid. I'd never stay here again, and without my two small children, I would have slept in my car.