Red Roof Inn Lansing West - MSU

The location was the only good part. Our first room reeked of bleach, yet clearly hadn’t been cleaned: there were smears on the fridge and table under the TV, the bathroom floor was soaked, and there was hair everywhere. At the desk, the woman said it was her mistake and switched us to another room without explaining anything. The second room was a little less gross, but smelled like stale smoke and had a torn-up leather chair. The TV was small. On weekends, live bands play loudly at Horrocks next door until 10 p.m., which was really annoying. The whole stay left me feeling grossed out and unsafe.

The staff were nice, and there are lots of places to eat nearby, including a very nice farm market. The rooms are bare-bones, though, and the walls are thin enough that you hear everything from next door, including snoring and phone conversations. Bring extra pillows, blankets, and toiletries if you want to be more comfortable.

The person working when we arrived was a hoot to talk to. The morning staff were another story, though maybe they just weren’t awake yet. The room was somewhere between clean and dirty: the fridge, microwave, bathroom, sink, and beds were clean, but the floors were sticky and seemed uncleaned. I found one roach, which I understand can happen in buildings where people live. The phone wasn’t connected and was covered in something sticky that I assume was from bugs, but I’m not sure. The pillows were paper thin, which gave us a laugh. I wouldn’t trust the ice room: I went in and right back out because it was full of bugs and oven-hot, and I’m fairly sure the machine hadn’t been cleaned for a while. I usually have coffee in the morning, but the inside of the pot looked questionable.

The front desk person was very nice when we explained that we have severe cat and dog allergies. But we hadn’t realized until we arrived that, as they put it, every room was extremely pet friendly, with the first pet staying free. Yuk. The room was dirty, smelled bad, and the smell of pot was strong. There were also residents who made us uncomfortable. Possibly the nastiest hotel I’ve stayed in.