Super 8 West Springfield/route 5

The room itself was decently clean and didn't smell of smoke, unlike the lobby and hallways. A skull sticker was stuck on the mirror frame. Still, the place looked unkempt when I drove in, and the nearly empty parking lot had two characters sitting in their cars smoking. The Expedia listing photos looked good enough, but I nearly turned around. I stayed because it was economical and I was breaking a long road trip in half. This is an affordable experience, not a classy one. I think more people live here than are just passing through like me.

We left right away. Walking in, the place smelled like urine, and the sink leaked directly onto the floor. Judging by the carpet, it had been leaking for a while. The stink seemed to come from a broken AC unit. I think someone had urinated on it and damaged it. There were cigarette burns everywhere. Spend a little more and stay at the Best Western down the road.

It wasn't awful, but why were there mattresses lying all around the building?

The bed was comfortable, but I had to put a chair in front of the bathroom door to feel okay sleeping at night. The inside of that door was badly broken near the handle, as if someone had tried to force it in or out. There was dirt in the room's corners, the blankets had burn holes, and all the window screens were busted off. The coffee maker was full of mold. When I told the front desk, the employee just asked if I wanted another one. We weren't expecting anything fancy since my family and I planned to spend most days at 6flags, and the price had already set low expectations. But pulling into the lot, with broken down cars and what looked like crack heads, I knew it would be an experience.