La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham USF (Near Busch Gardens)

Busch Gardens is right across the street, and I was surprised to get a map of the property, something no motel has given me before. The lobby has been renovated and looks very new. There’s a large breakfast area with lots of seats and hot food, plus an elevator that runs quietly and smoothly. The room was a normal motel size. The roach spray smell was the one downside, though I can see how someone might consider it a good thing. This is easily one of the best motels I’ve stayed at.

Busch Gardens is about 10 minutes away, which was the best part for us. Outside, the hotel looks okay, but inside it needs a major remodel. Our second-floor room felt run down, with stains on both the couch and rug. After we showered, the water wouldn’t drain. We reported it to the front desk, and maintenance took about an hour and a half to come fix it.

For $315 for two nights, I expected more. The complimentary breakfast was very basic, and we weren’t allowed to check in a couple of hours early. There were a damaged shower curtain, dirty mirrors, and random hair in the bathroom. The second-floor hallways were completely dark and stained. Some of it may be cosmetic, but this is a hotel, and I’ve stayed in motels ten times better. This La Quinta needs serious work. I’d spend the money somewhere else.

We chose this La Quinta because it was conveniently close to the USF music department, where my son was competing in the state music competition. That was the only good part of the stay. We arrived at 9 PM to find our room wasn’t ready, then waited in the lobby for half an hour. After we settled in and turned out the lights, my son began complaining about bites within minutes. We switched the lights back on and found bed bugs crawling on the sheets and pillows. We were horrified and disgusted, killed a few, and took photos and videos to document what we saw, though the files were too large to upload. After his competition, we tried several times to reach the hotel manager, Justin Craven, by phone and email. He didn’t take any of our calls or reply to our messages. The infestation was appalling, and the lack of basic hygiene and management’s failure to respond to such a serious complaint felt unprofessional and insulting. Don’t stay here.