Econo Lodge West Springfield Hwy 5

The room smelled awful, had black mold on the bathroom ceiling, and came with sheets but no blankets. We stayed two nights and nearly left after the first. The locked main office door at check-in should’ve warned us. Nothing felt comfortable, and there seemed to be a police officer with a dog checking the place out. It felt more like somewhere for people down on their luck to live than a place for travelers. Don’t stay here, and don’t leave belongings in your car. Those 4+ ratings seem bogus.

I paid $130 for the most disgusting, unsafe motel I’ve ever encountered, and I would never stay at the econolodge again. People were shouting through the night, and in the morning a man stomped past our room cursing. I felt incredibly unsafe. The room was revolting too: trash on the floor, a concave bed with plastic pillows, stained blanket and lampshades, and lamps nearly falling off the wall. The toilet seat wasn’t attached; walls were cracked and stained, with peeling wallpaper. We’d asked for a nonsmoking room, but it reeked of cigarettes, and the fire detector had been ripped off the ceiling.

The staff were very nice, and told me the hotel was going to be torn down, which was why it hadn’t been maintained. The rest of the place looks decrepit. In my room, the AC ran even when switched off, the microwave didn’t work, one light had no shade, the pillows were vinyl beneath the cases, and there were water stains on the second-floor ceiling. Bathroom tiles were cracked, the window wouldn’t stay open, and there was no closet rod or anywhere else to hang clothes. Cold water came out hot for two minutes before turning cold. When shower water apparently leaked into the first floor, they made me change rooms. There was police activity one night. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

We stayed just one night. The price was fair, and the bed was clean and comfortable, though the king bed and table made the room feel crowded. The bathroom was the worst part: dirty floor and old wallpaper peeling away to show black mold. I’d suggest this hotel for a short stay.