Motel 6 Porterville, CA

Everything was clean, the front desk service was good, and the second floor was quiet with what seemed like few people around. For the price, I can’t complain. There’s no minibar, which is usual for places like this. The main issue was the air conditioner, which sat right by the bed and couldn’t be adjusted, so we had to switch it off at night. Luckily, it wasn’t too hot.

I couldn’t stay because they don’t accept pets. The parking lot was full of stuff from some other business, too. The whole place had an odd vibe.

That was the worst night of my solo road trip. I was given a smoking room because they said they were short on rooms. A small cockroach crawled behind the bed pillow as I entered. The room and bed smelled like ash and urine, and the shower curtain was held up with zip ties. The parking lot smelled like weed, and sketchy people were still wandering around well past midnight. I was worried someone would break into my car. The place felt unclean and unsafe.

It was my first time at this hotel, and I expected it to be nice like the other ones I’d stayed in. But my room had a strong smell like a dead animal. I messaged the manager to let them know, but they did nothing. By the last night, I couldn’t stay there anymore, so I left. Sorry, but that’s how it was.