Royala Inn

The room was old and outdated, and the faucet was broken, so I had to hold it to wash my hands. At reception, the guy was rude and unprofessional, with a real attitude. He raised the price by $20 when we arrived, then threw the receipt back at us after charging us. Awful place. I’d give zero stars if I could. Don’t bother going.

The rooms were clean and the restroom was nice, and the staff was great. But at $140, having no cable or TV signal wasn’t good. They need to fix the satellite cable. Parking is really tight, and someone hit my car. Even when the police showed up, the hotel couldn’t access the video cameras.

I was uneasy most of the time because I knew my stay would amount to sleeping and leaving. I’d pictured using the jungle room for a creative photo shoot with my niece, who models for me. I design knitwear and had never known themed rooms existed, so I was excited by the idea. Raul kindly showed me the room the day before. He explained they didn’t do long-term stays, and I guess I misunderstood that, since I only meant to book two or three days. I thought I could check in, create something, and head out. Instead, I returned the next day and booked two nights. Once inside, I called the front window to ask about checking in and out. Raul had said my niece could come, despite the no-visitors rule and two-person limit. The woman at the window explained checkout was at 11 a.m. and I couldn’t check back in until 3 p.m. I’d expected to leave my things in the room and have my niece arrive at 11 so we could work, so that gap ruined the plan. I paid for one night in the jungle room and mostly just set an alarm and went to sleep so I could be out the next day. Looking back at the reviews, maybe I should have realized this place is for one thing only. I don’t know how I missed it, lol. The room had a spacious shower with a regular spout, a rain spout, and a bench, though I didn’t use the bench. The walls were thin. At one point the TV next door came on and I heard moaning before someone turned the volume all the way down. There was no closet or desk. The fountain sounded like a tub filling with water; a trickle would’ve been more relaxing. I woke up looking at myself in the mirror above me, which I’m not sure I wanted. The bed, though, was perfectly comfortable. If I could give it 100 stars, I would. The petite Indian lady was very sweet. Raul was stern about the rules at first, making sure people followed them. When I had my car packed and returned the key, he asked if my niece was still coming. I explained the timing wouldn’t work and that she wasn’t feeling well after oral surgery. He offered to hold a room for me if I decided to come back, and smiled a little. That softened me toward him. I’d never been in this area before. At least I got to go to In IN Out at night and eat in the parking lot like everyone else. Whittier Blvd has everything, from stores and shopping to markets, and the area felt nice and historic. No microwave or vending machine on site. Nobody’s going to keep charging their card again and again, so one night is all it is. When I left, a baby was crying and another family was leaving too. I thought, “Oh nice, a family,” but still wondered what this place is for: families or couples getting away? A super mixed bag, and I didn’t feel comforted there.

Clean place, friendly staff, decent prices, and they have an adult channel. Good place overall.