Days Inn by Wyndham Novato/San Francisco

We're from Alabama and are stuck here dealing with my husband's serious medical emergency after he had a massive stroke. Nurses at the hospital pooled their money to cover 11 nights in a room, and we'd had no problems until day five. While we were at the hospital, staff called to say that because my daughter had an accident in the bed, we had to pay $250 or check out the next morning, four days early. She wasn't being lazy or refusing to get up; it was an accident. I went to the office and explained, but they repeated that we'd have to pay or leave first thing in the morning. I have nowhere else to stay and can't put down that money, which is why the hospital helped us get the room. I even offered to pay the $250 over the next few days before we leave, but they wouldn't accept that. Management could have handled this better. We hadn't damaged the room; it was just one sheet. I can understand being charged for the sheet, but not $250.

We've stayed here for years for our business, and the way they've treated us as rewards members has been awful. I book rooms for employees all the time, but this is the only hotel that gives us trouble, removes my reservations and points, and sends them somewhere other than our account. It's happened at least five times, even after we've sent credit card authorization. It's sad, but we're taking our business elsewhere.

The rooms were clean and modern, and the pool and gardens are beautiful. There's no breakfast, but I didn't mind given the great price and easy spot just off the highway. Hotels on the OTHER side of Golden Gate that I've seen were the worst, and cost at least 500 bucks, up to 8,000 a night. Insane. This place is well worth the drive.

Very, very clean, with extra towels and pillows and great housekeeping. It felt like just the room you want when you're on a budget, and it didn't have that hotel smell.