Motel 6 San Francisco, CA – Civic Center

The property had cancelled my reservation, which I only learned when I arrived after booking through a very reputable website. The front desk person wasn’t rude, but clearly didn’t care. They found another property for me, but it was too far from Union Square, where I needed to be for work. I’m not a demanding traveler, and I knew the SF area wasn’t the best when I booked, but the property had looked nice inside. It wasn’t. The lobby was dirty, and another guest told me his room had dog hair everywhere and paw prints on the bed. His heating didn’t work, and the window wouldn’t close or open properly. This was one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve had.

The room was clean, nice, and updated. I’m picky about where I stay, but I couldn’t rest at night because of all the noise. Pets in nearby rooms barked at all hours, day and night, and I could hear the neighbors snoring through the thin walls. Doors slamming and the elevators added to it. A trailer parked on the street had a loud generator running most of the night. I took a video of the barking, though apparently videos can’t be uploaded. There’s no AC in the room either. There are homeless people in the area, but if you mind your business when passing, they don’t bother you. The bus stop right out front was a plus, and we used it or Uber to get around. Hope this helps.

Woof. You get what you pay for here. The rooms were modestly quiet, cleaned and disinfected, with disinfectant still pooling around. Towels and soap felt like military issue. Walk outside and you’re straight into the post-apocalyptic world of San Francisco’s tenderloin.

The little details here really stood out. I usually keep my expectations low for Motel 6, but this stay pleasantly surprised me. Whoever runs this location deserves credit. They clearly care about doing things right 😉