Value Place Sanford

I left at 5:00 a.m. and couldn't wait to go. As a woman traveling alone, I didn't feel safe: there was fighting in the parking lot at night, yelling in the halls, loud music, and cigarette smoke throughout the building. The room felt like a cold, old dorm room, with dirty blinds, no curtains, and only an overhead light. The person at the front desk was nice at check-in, but there was nobody there overnight, so I wasn't sure where to leave the keys.

The room was fine for what I needed, which was just a bed, but don't expect luxury. The parking lot gave me the impression of driving into a housing project, and the lobby smelled like marijuana. You get what you pay for.

My disabled husband had to spend a whole week here because we couldn't afford the loss from the hotel's three-day cancellation fee. During his seven-night stay, he dealt with unsafe, unfriendly, and gross conditions. On arrival, drug dealers offered him crack, there were prostitutes and a homeless encampment in the parking lot, and children screamed in the hallways late into the night. The rooms were nasty and smelled bad, and neither the lobby nor the rooms were accessible. Everything about the experience was bad. I've never had a stay like this at an extended stay hotel. Do not stay here.

Yofiel deserves a shoutout. He handled reservations, laundry, calls, guest service, key cards, and constant guest traffic at the front desk without losing his cool. Professional guy, and one of the reasons this place still runs. The room itself was clean, quiet enough to sleep in, and had no major problems. Outside the room, though, the parking lot had people hanging around cars for hours and sitting on the curb, there was homeless foot traffic, and weed smoke got into the halls when people propped doors open. The stairwells were filthy, with floors so black and sticky they didn't look gray anymore. I've lived around Seminole County for a long time and saw the place go from Springfield Suites to Value Hotel, Microtel, and now Extended Stay. It has good bones, but seems to be losing the fight. I worked security for 10 years before trucking OTR, and this place needs a staff presence. Travelers just want a safe, quiet stop before getting back on the road or heading to a flight. It wasn't the worst stay I've had, by far, but management needs to get things under control before the property slides further downhill. Respect to Yofiel, he deserves recognition. 05/08-05/11/26