Motel 8

The beds aren’t great. Bring your own pillow.

I stay in 150+ hotels a year, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen one this disgusting. The rooms were gross, everything inside was filthy, there were stains all over the carpet, and the water pressure was poor. The beds were hard as rocks, and the desk worker was rather rude. There are also “resident” people living here who make a ton of noise. The price wasn’t nearly justified. Those five-star reviews must be fake. Utter, complete dump.

The rooms were very clean, and the new composite flooring meant there weren’t any crusty carpets. The mattresses need replacing.

The night manager, who is also the owner, was in great spirits when I finally got through to the front desk at Motel 8 around 11:15 PM. We’d been due to check in at 3 PM, but unexpected mechanical trouble with the vehicle meant we’d arrive after midnight, closer to 2 AM at best, over eight hours late and at least two hours into the following day. The motel was nearly full because of a big event, and I’d been bracing for them not to hold our room. I hadn’t been able to call earlier to explain our situation and 2 AM ETA. He was completely understanding and reassuring, told me not to rush, urged me to travel safely, and said not to worry about the reservation or stay. When we arrived, he was waiting and glad we’d made it without more trouble. He got us checked in quickly so we could sleep. The room was cozy, quiet, comfortable, and clean. We had free WiFi, a nice flat-screen TV with free cable, and a very comfortable king-size bed and pillows. It was cool outside, but the quiet heater warmed the room fast. There were plenty of towels, and after a great, refreshing sleep we had long, hot, revitalizing showers. There are vending machines for snacks and drinks on site, and a terrific Shell Gas Station/Mini Mart with a short-order grill inside just 50 feet from the motel. A+. I’ll stay here every time I’m in the area.