Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Morris/I-80

The bed felt worn out, and there was no coffeemaker in the room. The dining room machine makes instant coffee, and the breakfast hours were inconvenient. The refrigerator had no freezer, didn’t cool well, and gurgled all night. The sink drained slowly, the fixtures were rusty, and paint was peeling at the edges of the shower surround. The bathroom fan was extremely noisy. The entry light was burned out when the clerk showed us the room and was never fixed.

Price is the main reason I keep coming back to Days Inn Morris. Of the four hotels on the north side of I-80, it’s often the cheapest, and for the money it’s an acceptable place to sleep, as long as you keep your expectations in check. I’ve stayed here five to seven times over the past decade, including three different rooms across two recent weekends, so I’ve got a decent feel for it. For a better room, I’d try for the 2nd or 3rd floor. They tend to be brighter, quieter, and nicer. First-floor rooms feel darker and a little more worn, and rooms at the back are often connecting rooms with poor sound insulation. You can hear conversations through those doors. In 2015, my neighbors were having very loud “adult activities,” and on a recent stay dogs were barking and growling from around 5 a.m. There’s also traffic noise from nearby roads and I-80, so earplugs may help. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and my last one had a sofa, though I barely used it since I only needed a few hours of sleep. The bed was comfortable, the room could be made completely dark, and it was decent for sleeping overall. The air conditioning unit was somewhat noisy. Temperature control was uneven on this visit, with a cold bathroom and a room that was too warm until I turned it down. There’s a swimming pool, but I’ve never used it. Breakfast is very basic, so I skipped it on my recent stays. Three out of five, good value but far from perfect.

I always stay here when I come to Morris because the rates are very reasonable. The place has been completely renovated, and it’s very clean. The employees are friendly, especially Melissa at the front desk, who always goes above and beyond for customers. Ten out of ten!

We got downgraded at the last minute when we arrived, apparently because the staff were incompetent. The place stank so badly, and people around us were loud all night, so I didn’t sleep. There were bugs and stains in the bed, and the towels had visible dirt on them, like they hadn’t been washed. Breakfast was just cereal and coffee, with no eggs or bacon. This was the dirtiest, loudest place I’ve stayed.