Sun Hill Motel

At least the mini fridge, microwave, and kitchen sink all worked. The rest of the room was a letdown: sticky, dirty floors, towels in the bathroom that hadn’t been properly washed, a hard bed, and blinds that wouldn’t close. It took about five minutes for the shower to produce hot or even warm water. It served as a place to stay when I needed one, but I definitely wouldn’t return.

For a low price, this was a decent, roomy place for one night, with enough comfort to feel homey, plus A/C and a TV. The thin door and windows let in a lot of noise, though. We were kept awake late by an older guest arguing with the night shift guy about the no visitors policy because he wanted to spend time with a prostitute. Overall, it was decent for one night. Bring earplugs and you’ll be golden.

My hotel fell through during a big expo in Seattle, and everything else was booked, so this place worked in a pinch. It cost $336 for 4 days. I shared a room with my buddy, with two queen beds, and there was ample parking. It was easy to find from the street and close to a bus line with direct access to downtown. Starbucks, breakfast, and a bar were all within walking distance. The neighborhood isn’t the best. On check-in day, there was a crack head coming down off a high across the street at the Arco, and a hooker looking for John's asked if I was lonely. I wasn’t. I’m a big muscular guy who carries himself with confidence, so I never felt in immediate danger walking around at night, though the area could scare some people. Check-in was easy. The room had a strong bleach-like cleaner smell that faded after about an hour. The AC worked fine and kept it cool. The sheets were clean, but had a few visible cigarette burns. I don’t like sleeping under someone else’s covers, so I used my own blanket and slept on the top sheet. The pillows smelled clean but were lumpy as a bag full of rocks. We heard a couple arguing around 2 a.m., though it only lasted about 10 minutes. We left our belongings out in the open and nothing was stolen. All in all, not a terrible place.

At first, I was impressed. Staff went out of their way to meet our special requests, the room was pretty clean, and the atmosphere felt peaceful. I’d just checked in and thought I’d stay again once summer rates were gone. Then we saw bedbugs. I’d never seen one before and thought they might be flea-sized, but these were at least the size of a Tic Tac. I was terrified. When I told the staff, the employee acted as though he didn’t see anything. Eventually another person came and confirmed it, so he couldn’t deny it. We checked out and have no plans to return. After we left early, a payroll check was due to be delivered there. I called and asked them to hold it, but manager Julia said she’d send it back with UPS because we had damaged the room. That wasn’t true. There was already a hole in the ceiling and one behind the door when we checked in. She said she’d checked the room before our arrival and there were no holes, though she wasn’t even there when we checked in. On my way out, I’d asked the office for the owner’s contact details. They wouldn’t give me his number, but said they’d pass my number along so he could call about the bugs. I still haven’t heard from him. The staff had been helpful with our requests, but this became the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in.