Americas Best Value Inn & Suites San Bernardino

The room and basic amenities were clean and nice, and the furniture was good. The beds and bathroom were clean too, and I didn't run into problems with the basics. But the advertised "jacuzzi" was just a shower and bath in the room. The continental breakfast was Sunny D, coffee, and Otis Spunkmeyers pastries, though there weren't any pastries left when I came. Staff were only somewhat nice at best and often rude. They wouldn't give us an extra pillow or toothbrush. The room itself could've earned five stars, but the misleading ad and mediocre service brought my rating down to three.

The room smelled nice, and our three-night stay was decent overall. Still, no one came in to clean or brought fresh towels or toilet paper the whole time. The shower head didn't work, and the water wouldn't drain properly. The room needs some maintenance.

We paid a lot more than I think we should have because we were in town for an event at the Nos center, but the place was clean, comfortable, and felt secure. There are some sketchy people a few blocks away, though. If you're going to an event at the Nos center, you can walk there easily or take an Uber for about 10 bucks. Book as far ahead as you can, because the rate can be around triple the average. If you just need a place to stay, the usual rate seems good for what you get. No complaints. The drive-thru panda express and in-n-out within half a mile were a nice bonus.

The owner was helpful when we arrived, letting us check in an hour early after I called to ask. The break-in later turned the stay into a terrible experience. Our room was entered while we were at the Insomniac Event, and we lost backpacks, wallets, car keys, and other valuables. When we first got in, it looked clean at a glance, but the towels and pillows were dingy and not clean. The owner had warned me the towels might not be ready for early check-in, but used towels would've been worse than having none. A dead spider and smashed cricket or grasshopper were in the dresser under the TV. The toilet seat was barely attached, its handle seemed close to falling off, and there was a large buildup of ice in the freezer. I went straight across the parking lot to the front office to report the theft. The room and office are plainly visible to each other. The owner asked us to check again that things were really stolen. We did, but it felt insulting that he didn't take our word for it. He said nothing like this had happened before and he didn't know what to do. When I asked about security cameras, he said his IT guy had told him the week before that they weren't recording. I pushed to check them, and with help from another employee he opened the footage. He had trouble navigating the application and finding signs of forced entry, then suggested we drop it and call police. We had already filed a report, but I kept looking for other camera angles. He said, "I would file the police report. Sometimes people don't file the report bc they are afraid to be arrested for what was stolen." We had nothing to hide, we just wanted our things and car keys back. He let me use his phone to search the footage, and I found video of the person who broke in. Even then, he kept pushing us to drop it and file a report, which we had already done. We waited as the morning wore on for spare car keys to arrive. At checkout, we asked the owner for a discount or some accommodation given the lack of security and help. He angrily told us to leave. He wouldn't provide documentation or sign anything acknowledging the break-in, and said he had no insurance that could help us. We left with a terrible taste in our mouths. I give two stars because the owner did try to help on arrival. Aside from the robbery, it might be a decent place, but if you're traveling with valuables, consider somewhere else. The lower price won't make up for the lack of help when something goes wrong.