Oroville Value Suites

With a name like America’s best, I expected a decent motel, but this was America’s worst, if not worse. The photos on Expedia, Priceline, and Booking.com are completely misleading. Our room smelled awful and was so dirty I didn’t want to walk barefoot. There was mildew and mold in the shower and along the bottom of the baseboards, plus a big gap under the door that you could see through. They gave us no blanket, no tissues, and just one roll of toilet paper. When I went to complain, the office was locked. I tried again in the morning and it was locked then too. I wish I could give it a double zero. Don’t trust those pictures.

I paid over $800 for a week, plus a $100 deposit. Nobody took out the garbage or brought towels, the toilet wouldn’t flush, and the shower had no water pressure.

At $100 a night, this place was a letdown. It was priced in the middle of the area, so I expected an average stay, but I wouldn’t have been as annoyed if it had been cheap. The room smelled like smoke, had lots of dings and dents, and there was hair and dirt in the tub. I also saw a small reddish-brown bug crawling around. There was a domestic dispute while I was there, which I guess wasn’t the motel’s fault. I felt tense about my car being messed with or something getting stolen, even though I don’t usually worry much about my safety. It was next to two higher-end hotels, and I can’t imagine what the Motel 6 down the street is like if this costs twice as much. This is the fourth-worst motel or hotel I’ve stayed in.

The room was decent, and the sheets were very clean. I checked for bed bugs and everything was clear, and there were no roaches either, phew. The maids were nice and really accommodating. It was quiet, though the microwave didn’t work and the blow dryer kept dying.