Econo Lodge University

The staff were friendly and helpful, and the location worked well for the event I was attending. Still, I wouldn’t stay here again. The shower ceiling had what looked like mold, the floor was worn, and the shower was already dripping when I entered the room. In the morning, I found water covering much of the floor, from either the air conditioner or whatever was behind the locked door. Water damage or mold in the bathroom and a flooded room aren’t things I want to encounter in a hotel.

I stayed one night in November 2022 for a concert, booking through the website after reading reviews about renovations and a management change. It was okay for a budget place to sleep briefly. I got a king bed, a fridge, microwave, table and chairs, and a small TV. The room could have been cleaner, since there was dust in the closet, but for the price I can live with that. There were thin towels and a couple of pillows. The shower head only dribbled, though it did the job, and I liked that the water got quite warm. The bulky wall AC kept the room comfortable overnight. Parking is limited. Don’t expect eggs and pancakes for breakfast, just a snack bar. I didn’t use the pool, so can’t comment on it. I’m new to Tucson, so relied on other people’s reviews when I booked. I had an average stay and little trouble with anyone there. A solid three stars.

The room had some nice points: it was spacious, the bed was decent, and from the quiet room at the back I could watch the sunrise and moonrise. It was hot at first, but the manager came up and turned on the AC after I asked, and the temperature stayed good during my four days there. The blue-white fluorescent lights made the room feel almost like a hospital. The woman at the desk was pleasant enough. Breakfast was free and included donuts, bagels, cereal, coffee, butter, and cream cheese. I’d rate the place no higher than 2.5, though. This takes budget lodging to a new level. There were two dead roaches in the room when I settled in. A maintenance person brought a couple of trap strips and cleaned them up, but didn’t really apologize, just said warm weather brings bugs. The manager said someone comes to treat for bugs weekly. I didn’t see any more, and stayed in the room because I figured the others probably had the same issue. The pool was too dirty to use, with leaves, dust, and dead bugs floating in it. When I went over to sit in the sun, I also found a lizard struggling to get out. I lowered my towel, it grabbed on, and I lifted it out and shook it off the towel over the fence. Even without that, I wasn’t getting in. I called the desk about the pool. The manager said the cleaner comes Fridays and Mondays, but I saw it filthy on Sunday, so I don’t know if anyone had cleaned it Friday. She blamed the wind blowing things in. I think pools should have a system that cleans them automatically in real time. I needed to save money, but spending another $10 a night would probably have been worth avoiding these problems at Econo Lodge University in Tucson.

I booked this place for one cheap night, and its proximity to downtown and the university was a plus. But the bathroom was so filthy, with body hair everywhere, that I refused to shower. The beds squeaked and sprang back whenever I sat down, like the mattress springs shot me right back up. I even left my bag with my clothes outside because I wasn’t comfortable with how clean the room was.