Rodeway Inn Vallejo

I ended up staying three nights instead of one so I could be near the Bay Area and visit Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf. The area is less well off, but I had no problems. You’ll generally need a car to get around nearby, though FedEx and the US Post Office were both about a mile away. I wouldn’t leave a wallet or passport in the car. The room was large and clean, with a full shower, bath, sink area, fridge, and microwave. The armchair was useful for computer work, and I could see my parked car from the room. Staff were nice, and I chatted with the owner a few times. It’s easy to knock a low-cost motel based on negative reviews, but I thought it was great value for the money and would recommend it.

We left after just a few minutes because the room felt so disgusting. It had a terrible smell as soon as we walked in, and my kid said how gross it was. Everything, including the furniture, looked old and heavily worn. The front desk woman was incredibly rude. She kept saying I needed glasses because I couldn’t read her illegible handwriting. When she offered smoking or non-smoking, I asked for non-smoking, and she glared at me, muttered something, acted like I was going to smoke, then reluctantly handed over the key. Don’t stay here.

A cute cat showed up outside our door at night. It seemed used to getting food from guests, so we gave it some dinner leftovers but didn’t let it inside. Our first room was meant to be non-smoking, but smelled like an ashtray. They had another room available and moved us to one without that smell. The rooms and beds were nothing special. The AC was loud enough to make sleeping a little difficult, though at least it kept us from being too hot.

We were passing through Vallejo in June 2016 and gave this place a try because some of the reviews were moderately favorable. I suspect those reviews came from the motel owner’s friends or relatives. It’s disgusting, noisy, broken, and feels unsavory. I can’t believe it’s still franchise-able in its current state. This dump has permanently put me off Choice Hotels. If I could give zero stars and shut it down, I would. It needs new owners and a new vision.