Super 8 by Wyndham Smithville/Kansas City

The hall carpet was so dirty even my 10-year-old son complained, and the glass door was filthy. The side entrance usually wouldn’t shut all the way and never locked, despite having a card reader. Breakfast was disappointing: a few granola bars and instant oatmeal, with maybe two yogurts and three small cartons of milk in the fridge on the first day. The next morning I saw one yogurt and no milk. Our first room had two beds as reserved, but the hotel initially gave us a one-bed room and quickly switched it. The replacement had its window wide open and smelled so strongly of pot that my daughter got a headache right away. The floor was sticky and gross, and one outlet had no cover. I asked to switch again. The staff member looked visibly unhappy, was rude, and never apologized. The next room was better, though still not great. There wasn’t another hotel in town, so we had nowhere else to go. Our socks turned black from the floors, the towels were stained, and the refrigerator was dirty.

Breakfast at 0730 was only dry cereal. There was no milk, fruit, pastries, or hot food, though the parking lot had just a few cars, so I’m not sure who had eaten it all. When we checked out, the desk attendant had her head on the counter with her eyes closed. I guess I interrupted her nap. The building already looked rough as we arrived: a board covered a second-floor window, and a mattress was over another window. In our room, drywall edges by the window were bare, the blind was stained and dirty, and the TV had three white spots that wouldn’t go away. Housekeeping did empty the trash and make the beds, but the trash cans were lined with Wal-Mart bags. This Super 8 was a hole. If you’re going to run a hotel, it should look better than a shack.

I had to postpone my business trip and go to urgent care after getting conjunctivitis about an hour after lying on the bed. The pink eye was badly bacterial and caused an ache behind my eyes for two days. The morning desk guy was very polite and apologized, which is the only reason I’m not giving one star. Now I’ve got a new fear of Super 8 motels. I’d stay away.

The staff were friendly and met expectations, but the hotel itself was in disappointing shape. It looks outdated and badly in need of renovation. My room had a strong unpleasant odor, and even the bed fabrics smelled musty. The porous bathroom ceiling tiles were moldy and musty, and the toilet looked stained. The tub drained poorly, the water pressure was very low, and it took an unusually long time for the water to heat up. There were visible stains and spots from spilled food or liquids on the floors and walls. Dust and hair along the bathroom floor and tub edges made the housekeeping seem careless. The beds were as expected, but the cleanliness overall was well below acceptable standards. I won’t return or recommend this location unless its cleanliness and upkeep improve significantly.