Motel 6 Tuscaloosa, AL – University

Our rooms were nice and exactly what we'd reserved, though the service could improve. The hot water took a few minutes, but otherwise it wasn't bad. The location is convenient, in a relatively quiet area and near some shops where you can get food.

The room was clean all around and in good working order, with a comfortably large space, a walk-in shower, microwave, and fridge. There was no tub. The mattress was in good shape and had a cover that resists bed bugs and dust mites. The parking lot was well lit and had lots of security cameras. Plenty of nearby restaurants were within walking distance. The recently redone rooms look pleasantly slick and modern. Their stripped-down style felt a little cold, but I appreciated the minimal furnishings and how easy they are to clean, along with having fewer places for bed bugs to hide. The front desk staff were great. The TV was hard for me to operate, but I'm old.

We returned the keys to the front desk within minutes of arriving and chose not to stay. The clerk acknowledged the problems and told us to contact corporate for a refund because they couldn't process it onsite. Since then I've filed a formal complaint and left several messages without getting any response. The stay was booked for a football game weekend, at a significantly inflated nightly rate, and we're now out $600 for a room we couldn't use because of safety and cleanliness issues. There were roaches in the room and visible stains on the bedding, and the sliding bathroom door wouldn't open or close properly. People were openly using drugs right outside the room, which felt extremely unsafe. The property was poorly maintained, too: chicken wing bones were scattered in the grass in the designated pet area. I'm extremely disappointed by the condition of the place and Motel 6 corporate's lack of customer service. This has eroded my trust in the brand. Based on how this was handled, I can't recommend this location or Motel 6 at all.

When I arrived before check-in, Tonya said I couldn't get in before 3:00 pm unless I paid an early check-in fee. I declined and came back after 3:00 pm. Then Tonya asked for another $25.00 for a deposit, which I had no issue paying along with the room. The issue was that she assigned me a room at the back of the building, with no parking lot, no view of my car, and no easy way to unload and carry things to and from the room. I immediately asked for a different room. Tonya said there were no rooms available at the front, and the cleaning lady had started in the back and didn't know when a front room would be ready. If a guest has a problem with their room, I think an accessible alternative should be provided right away, rather than excuses or delays. Making customers wait far beyond check-in time after they've paid is unacceptable. I don't know why she didn't have the cleaner start with the front rooms, given the unloading and access problems at the back. This hotel doesn't seem to have accessible rooms ready when guests check in. She did offer to refund me, which was good, but I didn't want to take that chance either. If they can't offer a clean, accessible room at check-in, who knows what getting a refund from them would involve.