Motel 6 San Francisco, CA – Great Highway

The setting is fantastic, with the beach and Golden Gate park each a block away, parking on or off the street, and easy access to cafes and restaurants. With a thorough clean and renovation, this place could be amazing. Instead, it seems they put in new flooring for the photos and left everything else run down. Motel 6 could have a lot going for it here, but the lack of effort shows.

We were exhausted, so we ended up staying, but the place felt gross. The shower was hot, the sheets were clean, and when I woke up there was a gorgeous ocean view. For a San Francisco hotel under $200, though, be prepared for what you're paying for. We heard little critters running on the roof, but thankfully never saw signs of anything living in our room. Our first room, 310, had a roach on the floor, a broken fire alarm, and a toilet that didn't work. They moved us to the smaller room 307, where the TV was propped against the wall and there were no TV controllers. The dresser drawers were broken, the beds were very uncomfortable and squeaky, and I thought I saw something scurry under the bed. The mattress bottom was falling off, so I couldn't check. Thin walls were fine, I know old hotels can be like that, but the rest was just gross.

We came to SF for medical appointments with our two dogs. When you're from behind the redwood curtain and used to looking out at Humboldt Bay and the ocean all day, being near the beach is a blessing for our family of four. The rooms are a good size and clean, there's plenty of parking before sunset, and the price isn't bad if the beach is your main goal and you want to avoid SF's criminal charges. The onsite guy seems really nice, too. The gate just outside our room was broken and crashed shut like the grates of hell. We needed rest and uninterrupted sleep before my husband's procedure. My husband and I felt like MasterBlaster hunting Mad Max. I asked the only onsite desk person I've seen in my two trips whether he could put up a warning sign or find a way to quiet the banging. Management acknowledged the noise in a comment. I heard them behind me as I returned to my room, then they drifted off saying something about tools. There wasn't another guest next to us, and I think they may have forgotten the staircase behind that gate. Despite the kind words, it banged again the next night. Bring your own ice. There hasn't been a machine for at least six months. I also hope the onsite manager is available, or be persistent if you need to use the only microwave, in the locked office area. If you park after dark, walk with confidence. I carried scissors in my pocket. And I have to return to the Thunderdome before Blaster gets lost. Love from, Lost Coast behind the Redwood curtain.

The location was the only redeeming part, and we felt unsafe in the room. At check-in around 5 pm, it wasn't ready and hadn't been cleaned. The only light was a broken plug-in floor lamp. The TV console door was off its hinges, the TV sat crooked, and dried brown splatters marked the wall behind it. There were more visible brown splatters behind the bathroom sink, and the toilet paper holder had broken off the wall. Rusty window frames wouldn't close all the way. We didn't like staying in room 214, wouldn't return, and wouldn't recommend it.