Stay Alfred on West 6th

Finding the place was hard, especially with a late check-in. Unit 206 in Tower one was uncomfortable, with fruit flies in the bathroom, bedroom, and family room, plus an alarm that beeped every 5 minutes. I reported it that day, but the battery wasn’t changed, so I had two noisy nights with the flies. On my third day I was moved to unit 2038 in Tower 2. It was better, quiet and without fruit flies, and I enjoyed eating my food for the remaining 7 days. One chair had a broken leg too. I almost fell on my butt, but caught myself against the wall.

The room itself and the view were great, but that’s where the good part ended. I’d booked through StayAlfred as an alternative to a hotel for a business trip to Tempe, and won’t stay there again. StayAlfred blocked my review on Airbnb even though they knew from my message that the experience was barely okay. This is the first time I’ve written a review advising people against a place. The building seemed mainly used by college students, and wasn’t cared for. There was dog poop smashed into the lobby floor. The front door was supposed to close and lock, but didn’t, so security failed. The game room was supposedly available, but was missing pool balls and cues. Residents said they hadn’t seen them in ages and didn’t know if they’d been stolen or removed after drunken fights there a few months earlier. Quiet hours weren’t observed. Every night there was yelling in the hallway outside our door or loud music from upstairs or downstairs well past midnight. The elevator made such loud noises that my wife and I were afraid to use it. Stay Alfred should also make it clear before booking that parking costs extra. This was my first Airbnb where parking wasn’t included. If you’re a college student who doesn’t care about sleep or building quality, maybe it’ll suit you.

We loved the location at West 6th and would stay there again, but this particular unit was a wreck. It felt like a five-star location paired with a two-star unit. When we arrived, the patio door was open because its handle was broken. The water was so hot, even when we turned on only the cold tap, that it seemed there was no cold running water, whether showering, bathing, or washing laundry. There was also a hole in the drywall by the front door that seemed oddly never repaired. Hopefully the other units aren’t all this bad.

The location, amenities, and value were all great. I stayed on the 13th floor of building 1 and would come back, but the internet needs fixing. It was sluggish and kept cutting out. I ran a speed test and got 7mbps, ridiculously slow for current standards. As a business traveler, that’s a huge problem. Other reviews have mentioned it too, and StayAlfred should address it.