Stay Express Inn & Suites - Mobile AL

The rooms weren’t soundproof. I could easily hear hallway conversations and noise from neighboring rooms, which disrupted my sleep a couple of times. The front desk staff could have been warmer, though check-in itself was fairly smooth. Stay Express is conveniently located near major attractions and public transport, so getting around didn’t require long commutes. The room was clean and a decent size, with a comfortable bed, but the decor and amenities felt dated. I also had a leaky faucet and occasional noise from nearby rooms. There’s free Wi-Fi and breakfast. The breakfast was decent, with pastries, cereal, and drinks, though it didn’t have much variety and could use more hot food. For budget travelers, it’s a practical choice for a convenient short stay, and it met my basic needs. I wouldn’t call it exceptional. Better service, updated rooms, and more attention to detail could improve it, but keep your expectations in check if you’re considering it.

I’ve never written a review before, but this was the worst hotel experience I’ve had. We couldn’t stay overnight because the rooms felt unsanitary and uncomfortable. The first room was filthy: visible stains on the bed that appeared to be semen, makeup on the bedding, urine in the toilet, and urine all over the bathroom floor. It clearly hadn’t been cleaned properly. The front desk gave us another room, but it was somehow worse. It smelled strongly of urine with a rancid odor, and there were paw prints all over the sheets, making it seem they hadn’t been changed either. We felt uncomfortable and unsafe, so we didn’t spend the night. The hotel refused to refund us despite the condition of both rooms. It was disgusting and unprofessional, and a complete waste of money. Cleanliness and customer service were both severely lacking. I’d urge anyone considering a stay to look elsewhere.

We tried to make the two rooms work after checking in early for Mardi Gras, since most hotels were booked. The stale smell was unpleasant, so we used Lysol and Clorox wipes. Then we found one room had an air conditioner blowing hot air, a patched ceiling, visible mold in the bathroom, and a clogged tub. We asked Angela to switch just that room, but she said there were no alternatives. The parking lot was nearly empty at that point, and we thought maintenance might be able to handle the problems before more guests arrived. Angela said she’d send someone to inspect it, and Mr. Cliff came by. He found the air filter was filthy and started cleaning it. He was also shocked by the mold and took a photo to show Angela. Angela said housekeeping would need to come clean the mold and that we’d have to leave the room while they did it. We were told the hotel had been under new management for about six months. As we were getting ready to step out, I noticed a housekeeping cart in the hall with a list that mentioned cleaning our tub. The cart was unattended, and I was looking for bleach among the bottles when Angela came off the elevator. She said sharply that they were trying to resolve things. I said I knew that and was only looking for bleach. Then she said, in a nasty tone, that if we didn’t like it, we could get a refund and leave. We thought we were stuck, but found a nice, clean, mold-free hotel nearby. When we returned, Angela said she’d refund us after we removed our things, so we did. By then, Mr. Cliff had fixed the air filter, cleaned the mold, brought us a full-length mirror after we joked that our room didn’t have one like the other room, and was still working on the clogged tub. He was lovely and really tried to help. Thank you, Mr. Cliff!

The location felt safe, and breakfast was good. We only needed a place to stop overnight before continuing our drive, and it served that purpose. But the cleanliness was a major letdown. There was a persistent stuffy smell in both the hallway and room, and the sheets and towels had stains, which is completely unacceptable. Those are basic things to take care of, regardless of whether a place is cheap or expensive.