Motel 6-North Platte, NE

I drove across the US from New York to Caliornia, staying at budget hotels along the way, and this was easily the nicest one. I stayed in late October and thought the Motel 6 looked brand new, then learned it had been there a while. Rose kept the room so clean, and I want to give her a shout out. Both front desk women were helpful, one when I checked in at night and the other in the morning. The morning clerk was especially friendly and kind. Keep up the good work, and happy holidays. Sorry it took me so long to write this!

I used to give this Motel 6 five stars after a previous visit, but this stay changed my mind. The room was only okay. Some floor spots were sticky and others slippery, the door took a hard push to latch, there was no ice bucket, and a two-bed room had just one washcloth and no hand towels. They provide no shampoo or plastic cups in the room or at the desk, so I had to get cups from the coffee bar. Each time you sit on a bed, the mattress slides on its pedestal. I travel through North Platte several times a year with my dogs, and though the hotel says it's dog friendly, goat heads covered the grass so my dogs wouldn't walk there. I had to drive them somewhere safe. There's also a required $75 deposit per room. Given the service, I don't understand what it's meant to protect. The corporate site still sends people to the old Motel 6 address, about three miles away, now a medical center. I pointed this out to staff during my last stay and it remains unfixed, which makes it seem like they don't care that customers are directed to the wrong place. I stayed again because the previous visit had been so nice, but I won't return. Other Motel 6 options along I80 aren't far away, are better, and don't charge that deposit.

The room itself was fantastic: high ceilings, clean floors, immaculate bedding, a cold fridge, plenty of surfaces, and a nice desk. It was quiet on the third floor, the TV started without a fight through confusing menus, and a wall button raised the electronic shade. The bathtub was ample, everything seemed new, and I slept comfortably without hip pain. We could get the luggage cart whenever we needed it, though they could probably use two. I was glad it fit in the elevator without a struggle. This North Platte, Nebraska, Motel 6 Studio has a sleek, welcoming look and feels newly renovated or built. Getting such a nice room for a low, substandard-motel price was a pleasant surprise. Motel 6 used to mean substandard, but that doesn't seem true here. I'd like them to keep up the design standard. I was fine with no breakfast, but if they offer coffee, the creamer needs to work. The pump was broken on a deformed bottle, and the collapsed bottle's cap couldn't be removed to pour creamer into coffee or tea. The front desk pro said they "won't let them put a new one out." She squeezed air out, then struggled to pump about an ounce into an empty cup and handed it to me. They should just let staff replace it. After handling that beleaguered bottle, I didn't want a hot drink anymore and just wanted to wash up and leave. The furniture already had upholstery buttons coming off. The vending machines were empty, one was out of service, and there's no drinking fountain. I could imagine management changing the designers' warm, soft-white light to daylight LEDs, the kind of mix that makes budget hotels feel like a Maximum Security Prison.

The check-in left a bad impression. The front desk woman accused my wife of being someone barred from the hotel for causing trouble before. We'd never stayed there or used that brand. She went into the back room, apparently to speak with a manager, came out to ask for my wife's driver's license, then went back in. When she returned it, she didn't apologize. She told my wife she should feel some way about sharing a name with a person who isn't allowed there. This has happened to other people too. She handed us a key without saying where the elevator was or what floor we needed. From her expression, it seemed clear she wanted the people behind us to take our place, so we moved aside and went back out for our things. As we came and went later, there were no greetings, just cold looks. The way we were treated made me think management had made a desperate hiring decision. I'm grateful the experience reminded me to make better choices and be more patient with others. With so many federal employees being laid off, maybe people beyond management will help close these gaps for customers spending money there. The room was a separate problem. Several hallway doors were propped open, almost inviting "business," and someone repeatedly checked the laundry room door, enough to make you wonder what they were doing there. Our room smelled of Axe body spray and felt like 75 degrees. There was only a bar of soap for both showers and handwashing, with no encouragement to ask for anything else. It's cheap, down to an alarm clock showing the wrong time, so you don't feel financially taken advantage of, but the way they judge people comes through.