Pala Motel

The room had a decent shower with hot and cold controls, plenty of cable channels, and a comfortable bed. The toilet was cramped, though, and the outlets were a problem. I had to unplug the microwave just to charge my phone.

Our room turned out better than I expected, with a refrigerator but no microwave. The neighborhood was rough, and the 10 a.m. checkout was a pain. The reason for my two stars, though, is that someone took our suitcase from the back of our truck overnight. If you spot a homeless person pulling a floral bag and wearing a light pink robe with bunny ears, it’s mine.

The kitchenette was basically a long table, with a small fridge and microwave beside it. The motel itself felt run down. My room smelled, the floor was dusty and sticky, and I found cockroaches. I wouldn’t bring children here. The towels were old, and I could only hope they’d been washed with detergent and bleach; they should be thrown out. The owners or managers live on site, but customer service was awful. If the woman thought you’d broken one of their rules, she’d yell at you from across the place and call you names. She called me a liar when I disagreed with her. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

The TV remote didn’t work, and the place had very few amenities for what they charged. They gave me two towels, but one was wet. I went to the office to swap it and the manager gave me a hard time, then refused to provide a clean one. I don’t think a stay here should cost more than $10.