Days Inn by Wyndham Tupelo

The room was clean and nice, the bed was comfy, and it was quiet. There was plenty of hot water and strong water pressure. The pillows and continental breakfast could have been better, but this still beat some pricier hotels we've stayed in.

The tub and toilet were clean, which is about the only positive I can think of. The linens had stains, the furniture was dusty and didn't match, and the beds were extremely hard. There was no coffee pot in the room, despite it being advertised. Breakfast wasn't worth the time unless you like stale cereal and old apples. Starbucks is less than two miles up the road, and its coffee is always superb. I hadn't stayed at a Days Inn in about 20 years. I needed somewhere to rest during a quick overnight trip and wasn't expecting a Hilton or Renaissance, but you should have zero expectations here. It was just terrible.

The location is the one plus, with a good range of restaurants nearby. We booked while driving there after a long trip and apparently didn't check things closely enough. The breakfast area closed at 8:30 on a Saturday, the first time I've seen such an early hotel breakfast schedule. There was no coffee maker in the room, no ironing board, and the microwave was rusty. You can hear everything from the next room, including their TV, and trains passed several times overnight. If you can sleep through the noise, maybe it's manageable, but for peace and quiet I'd pick another hotel. There are plenty around, and I'm sure you'd be happier with a different choice.

For a basic motel, this one has been a pleasant surprise. I've stayed here three times while driving through Tupelo. The beds are fine and the showers work with hot water, though the bedding is thin, so be ready to ask for extra blankets. Breakfast isn't impressive, but it'll put something in your stomach for the next stretch of the drive. Ask for a room away from the main street. Mine faced it, and something like drag racing woke me at 3 a.m. Otherwise, it was just regular hotel noise. Keep expectations modest, it's a motel, not the Ritz or even the La Quinta next door.