I am a 53-y.o. world traveler who’s experienced everything from the cheapest Lonely Planet guest houses to 5 star hotels. This is my first ever TripAdvisor hotel review. Like many, I chose Los Banos as an intermediate driving rest point in this rather desolate part of California. The Los Banos Days Inn disappointed on eight counts. First, the manager hiked the rate $4 over that quoted on the Wyndham website where I made my reservation. While this is “legal” according to the fine print, it is irritating in today’s world of online travel quotes that attempt to capture true costs. Second, my room was 54 degrees when I walked into it – it was a cold Dec evening, the heater/AC was completely off, and the room was basically uninhabitable for the first hour. Third, the TV and an entire bank of outlets and switches in the room kept turning off every hour or so, in spite of my moving around the room, due to some sort of energy savings sensor the manager had warned me about (he blamed it on PG&E). Fourth, the TV was ancient and the remote did not work, so I had to keep getting up to reset both the wall switch and the TV. Fifth, I agree with other reviewers that the room just felt uncomfortably decrepit. I like old hotels and can deal with worn furnishings and older fixtures, but the paint, grime, overall cleanliness, and state of ill-repair here was pretty bad. Sixth, the integrated bathroom light/fan made it sound like I was standing next to 747 turbine when I had to use the bathroom. Seventh, the hair dryer appeared to be a vintage 1981, only the lowest setting worked weakly, and the appliance was hard wired to the electrical box in violation of code. Eighth, the toilet had a blockage that nearly caused it to flood when I flushed. Also, the flapper looked over a decade old, and the tank leaked water all night - this, in a part of California starved for water.

One might ask, why didn't I ask for another room? My answer - I seriously doubt the next offering would have been any better. I just wanted to rest, sleep, and hit the road again in the morning.

To his credit, the manager did not end up billing my credit card the extra surcharges as he could tell I was pretty irritated. He explained that they were for usage of the room safe and unlimited local phone calls – neither of which I used. The place was a ghost town that night, so again, I agree with another reviewer that it was quiet.

Here's what I can say about Day's Inn, Los Banos. My car broke down and I was towed into the town of Los Banos, CA. The tow truck driver, who worked for AAA mind you decided to take me into the town off interstate 5. I knew something was up as he and the shoddy garage he took me to kept me stranded in the town for 4 days, milking the repair work for everything it was worth.

As for Day's Inn, David the manager and his wife were some of the kindest, most respectable people I ever met. They did not take advantage of my situation by raising rates or recommending crooked businesses. They always gave great help and fantastic customer service. I even found myself engaging in philosophical conversations. Not what you'd expect . So if you ever find yourself in the town of Los Banos, CA, try the Day's Inn. Very kind people will make sure you have a comfortable stay.

I've been a frequent traveler through Los Banos for some while, and I always pick this motel to stay at. I travel for business, so I admit that I do not have the need for fancy room service with golden platters. Yet, I do have to admit that the service was very friendly, and all my needs were met. I had a solid wireless connection (unlike other places that boast high speed internet) and the breakfast was fulfilling. The room was very quiet and my sleep was comfortable. I don't know why there are some bad reviews for this place, but I guess some people just don't understand the meaning of a good stay.
I overheard one guest complaining about the wireless internet during my stay, and it is just amazing how a personal problem can be portrayed as an issue with the service at this inn. I personally have stayed at opposite ends of this place and have not noticed a significant difference in quality. If you are here for a stop during business, I highly recommend it. Checking in is a breeze, and you can sleep with no worries.

Saturday night. My travel partner and I were unexpectedly in Los Banos, needed a hotel, had no reservations and were totally unfamiliar with the town we were in. One hotel we called only had a $160 room available, the other one told us to call back when the manager returned. The Days Inn quoted us a price on the spot, about $75 and we took it. My AAA card took a few bucks off the price. The room smelled when we came in, but we aired it out for a few minutes and it was fine. A little stained and shopworn - the Days Inn is definitely dated - but the room was big, there was air conditioning and the free wireless worked great, even though there was a dearth of outlets to plug in our various electronics. There are a couple of definite pluses: a refrigerator, microwave and coffee pot in the room, and a continental breakfast in the morning. Manager David made us Belgium waffles which were an unexpected surprise. It was very quiet. There is also an adjacent pool, which we didn't use - because it was "closed for the winter" (even though it was about 90 degrees in Los Banos) The biggest surprise of all - the Days Inn faces east and I was able to photograph an absolutely beautiful sunrise, which certainly set a great tone for the rest of the day. Not the fanciest, but we appreciated the fact that Days Inn was there for us when we needed a place to stay, at a "do-able" price