Motel 6-Mattoon, IL

I finally got an awesome night’s sleep on our drive across the country. The room and bathroom were spotless, the beds had just the right amount of blankets, and it was quiet. The front desk guy was pleasant and accommodating too. The one thing that kept this from being perfect was the powerful cleaner or disinfectant smell in the room. It gave both of us sore throats, and I could still taste it the next morning. Otherwise, it was a great place to stay.

The front desk woman was racist toward the woman of color who was checking in ahead of us. Our shower didn’t work, the sink water was yellow, and the pillows and blankets were uncomfortable. There’s a reason this place is cheap.

After a 14-hour drive, we were too tired to leave and find somewhere else, even though this was the worst hotel I’ve stayed in. The front desk staff were fine, but the place is run down and badly needs renovations. Our bedspreads were stained and dirty, the floor was coming apart, and there was mold on the bathroom ceiling. The shower curtain had mildew along its bottom foot, and parts of the bathroom floor were missing. Worst of all, my wife cut her leg on a bar sticking out from the side of the bed frame. I took pictures.

The first room was filthy: hair on the sheets, dirty bedding, dead bugs, rat poop and dirt on the floor, and disgusting beds. We also saw a roach, so we complained and were moved to another room. The beds and floors there were clean, but then we spotted a big roach and decided to leave. The service was very good, though. Missy was super sweet and probably the best part of the motel.