Motel 6 Wilmington, NC - Market Street

We left feeling that this stay added stress to an already difficult birthday weekend. We were in town because of a family emergency, and with someone very sick, we just toughed it out. I won’t stay at this motel again, even though the manager was nice enough to arrange clean sheets and toilet paper when we were nearly out. The first night was okay, though I found someone else’s hair in the tub and thought it might have been an oversight. The next day my husband asked for fresh sheets, but when we returned from visiting family, the bed hadn’t been changed. We got clean sheets and the trash was emptied, but the floor hadn’t been swept and the tub still wasn’t properly clean, so I cleaned it myself. There were missed spots in the paint by the doors and behind the TV, and only two small bars of soap for four people. The maid service eventually brought sheets and toilet paper. The room was behind another hotel on Market St, though the online pictures made us think it was right at the street. We were put in a back room despite plenty being available. The room had a clean fridge and microwave, with the microwave on the desk and a chair, but no dresser, coffee maker, or coffee at the front desk. Some rooms are smaller than they look in the pictures. A guest was working on a car on a trailer in the lot. My service dog needed a walk, and the woman next door let her tiny dog out without a leash. It came over to bother my dog while I was getting her back inside. There is a leash law in NC, and she was clearly ignoring it. If her dog had hurt my service dog, she would have had to pay the vet bill. Service dogs are covered by the ADA. As we were leaving that morning, several men were playing loud rap music, shouting, and setting off car alarms. We felt like we were in the hood or something. It just wasn’t worth it in the end, and we should have picked somewhere else. Lesson learned.

After a five-hour drive, we were exhausted, but the bed was so hard it took a while to get comfortable. Then the tub wobbled when I showered, and I thought I might fall through it. The bathroom and floors were filthy. To top it off, my mother-in-law killed a big roach, and they also have bed bugs. I was very disappointed. Even $100 wasn’t worth it, and I wanted a refund so we could go somewhere else.

The room felt clean when I walked in. The sheets, tub, and toilet were clean, and the bed and pillows were comfortable. The fridge was a good size, and the microwave worked. Some TV channels were fuzzy while others came in clearly. I heard kids playing outside pretty late, but this is Wilmington and a beach area. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the guests waiting to check in were nice too. Budgetel is out front, which made arrival a little confusing. I’d read reviews and booked with some hesitation because it was the only place with a vacancy. I didn’t see bugs indoors, just outside. It’s very pet friendly, and I never felt unsafe or uncomfortable. There’s no pool. It’s an easy, turn-key stay, and I’d come back.

I’ve stayed in hundreds of cheaper hotels and never had a stay this awful. The room hadn’t been cleaned at all, with dirt, dust, and what looked like glitter on the floor, blood splatter in the bathroom, and spiders in both beds. The bathroom shower barely trickled. The walls were paper thin, so a baby crying next door kept us up all night. People were openly using and selling drugs in the parking lot. When I asked the office manager for another pillow or blanket, they argued with me and barely spoke English. Spend the extra $20 and go elsewhere.