El Camino Motel

The room was unbearably hot, and the window AC wasn’t even on. There was no mini shampoo, barely any toilet paper, and no coffee pot. They started calling before 11 a.m. to get us out, and the people were very rude. Way overpriced. I wouldn’t board my dog here.

I was in town for a quick road trip to see my friend in a play, and this place was only minutes from Theatre Tallahassee. The room looked almost entirely new, and after checking the mattress, I found everything immaculate. The bed was tall and comfortable, the shower got nice and hot, and the big TV had plenty of channels. The AC was cold, and there was an outlet right by the bed for charging. Bring your own coffee maker, iron, or hair dryer. I thought everything was sanitary, though the bathroom grout could use more attention, maybe some bleach. It wasn’t terrible, just not as clean as the rest of the room.

We skipped sleeping in the room and drove more than four hours home after the football game. We were worried bugs would be crawling around all night and didn’t want to risk bringing something home, like bedbugs. This was supposed to be the cheapest last minute option for game day, and the mixed reviews made us think we could chance it. Huge mistake. The place was far worse than our already low expectations, and I hope this keeps someone else from making the same one. I stepped on a dead cockroach as soon as I put my things by the bed. More bugs were running around the bathroom floor, and there were little dead ones on the towel by the toilet. The sheets and comforter were stained. The shower curtain was hung from a PVC pipe, not even a proper rod. The stove was filthy, had no knobs, and had old foil over the burners. The fridge looked dirty too. The staff member was friendly enough when we arrived, though her English was somewhat difficult to understand. It was strange that the woman at the desk repeatedly asked us to leave a good review online. When we asked the manager for a refund, things got hostile quickly and we were flatly refused. This motel was a thousand times worse than a Motel 8 or anywhere else I’ve stayed. It’s rated 3 out of 5, but I’d give it zero. Don’t waste your money. Do not stay at this disgusting motel.

The room was very comfortable for my one night, and the whole unit was clean. It had an updated, colorful bedspread, and all the appliances worked well, including the microwave, fridge, new TV, and AC. I’d definitely recommend this motel.