Americas Best Value Inn Shoreline Seattle N

I couldn't stick it out until the end of my non-refundable booking, so I left a day early. I chose this place because reviews were positive and I needed somewhere inexpensive. It was cheap, but I wouldn't return. The people running it seem to be trying, yet the place is in disrepair. Holes in the walls, broken toilet seats, and Sharpie marks on worn-out washcloths made it feel trashy instead of merely cheap. Noise travels between rooms, and overpowering air fresheners and scented detergent gave me a headache while masking smells. Outside, there were sex workers on the street and drug deals happening on the sidewalk in broad daylight.

The room was filthy, with no microwave and broken appliances. I complained about the bathtub and floors. The front desk staff cleaned them themselves, but everything still felt sticky. A woman offered me a discounted rate. When I went to the office to follow up, they acted as if all was well because they'd cleaned the room, and the man offered neither a discount nor an apology. They were quick to address the mess, which nearly made this a good experience, but communication fell apart when it came to making things right.

The front desk guy was so helpful and kind, and the room was spotless and nicely decorated. It felt more expensive than it was. I had the king bed, which was really soft and plush. If you like a firmer mattress, you may want a different one. I'd absolutely recommend it.

The area around the motel felt unsafe to me, with signs of drug activity and prostitution nearby. I wouldn't recommend staying here. Check-in was a mess too. They first assigned me a room under repair, with dust everywhere and technicians working on the AC. I went back to the desk upset and asked why they'd given me that room. Nobody apologized; they just handed me a different one. At checkout, another staff member rudely said I'd be charged $5 if I didn't return the electronic key. It was an unnecessarily confrontational, unprofessional way to handle it.