Upstate Inn Monticello

The room door wouldn't lock. Its lock was broken, with the batteries hanging out, and the door opened straight outside. Anyone could have walked in. We left around 11:30 pm because the place felt too unsafe to stay in, even long enough to take photos. We had nowhere else booked, but sleeping in the car felt safer. We drove 30 minutes to a neighboring town because the other hotels were full that night. Money wasted. The room smelled foul, the blankets had huge stains, and the place felt unsanitary. Rooms were like prison cells, with metal cots and stinky beds, in a run down motel with a creepy feel from the moment we entered. The price was outrageous for what they offer. Outside, the AC leaked water by the door, and the surroundings were full of garbage and broken auto parts. The parking lot looked like a dumpster alley, with broken car parts around, and handwritten signs taped to abandoned RV windows. This "hotel" is right next to a prison or detention center, check Google Maps. The whole area felt extremely unsafe. It looks nothing like the online pictures. They said the lobby was "under construction," which felt almost certainly like a lie. Positive reviews say it's renovated, but it wasn't, or was still undergoing renovations? They made us check in online and sent a code with a YouTube tutorial. We tried more than 50 times and couldn't open the door. A man came from a room in the establishment after we called, but he couldn't open it either. He tried the next room's lock, and that door opened only because it had never been locked. The good reviews online seem completely fake, probably from friends or people connected to the owners. Don't trust them. We spent plenty of time figuring out the scam and writing this review. Avoid this dangerous place.

A convenient, nice little motel, and the room was nice too. I don't have a car, so being only a couple of blocks from the nearest Shortline stop worked really well for me. I'd recommend it if you just need somewhere to sleep and leave your stuff while you explore. Check-in was unusual but worked fine. Around check-in time, an email explained how to get into the room. I entered my name and a couple of other details I can't remember, took a photo of my ID, and sent the form. About 15 minutes later, someone emailed my room number and the front door code. I'd never checked in with so few people involved before, but it worked, so no complaints.

The room was renovated and I got in without a problem. It was a bit small, and the sheets were thin to sleep under. Construction and the neighborhood made the location feel pretty sketchy. At least it was very quiet at night for sleeping there.

Bad experience and terrible customer service. The property wasn't operating properly. At 1 a.m. the fire alarm went off and kept us from sleeping. They showed no consideration about a refund or letting us stay another night. The furniture was cheap.