This motel has its quirks, but for the value it's a great find and we'd definitely return again. We had no issue with loud residents or traffic. The owner was very friendly. Amenities are limited, but sufficient for a good, comfortable night's sleep. We stayed in room 15 (second floor) and found the best deal on booking.com. Here's a few positive observations:

* WiFi was good enough to stream Netflix on our computer. You'll need to call the lobby to get the WiFi password.
* The bed was comfortable. We had a single-queen room, and the room didn't feel cramped at all. Our daughter (toddler) slept on the floor in her sleeping bag.
* Free parking (you have to give info about your car when you check in)
* Friendly staff
* The room (including sheets, pillows, towels) are well maintained. My wife is very sensitive to smoke because it easily triggers an asthma attack - even when I don't smell the smoke myself. Our non-smoking room was truly smoke-free.
* Swimming pool (it's located in front across from the lobby and is about as long as some pools are wide - it's kinda small)
* Easy access to the freeway
* Bath area is tiled with granite

Some of the quirks we observed:
* The room is heated with a gas wall furnace controlled by a separate thermostat. The thermostat seemed to need adjustment because we had to raise it pretty high to get it to switch on.
* The water pressure is kinda weak (maybe this was just because we were on the second floor?)
* There's no elevator
* The bathroom has a shower/bath combo, but there was no way to block the drain for filling the bath. We ended up covering the drain with a folded wash cloth and securing it down with the suctioned no-slip shower mat, which did the trick
* No hairdryer
* No microwave or fridge
* The door locks are low-tech. No electronic entry - you're given an old-fashioned key :)
* They supply a bar of soap for the sink and one for the shower, but no shampoo
* The sink and counter are noticeably low (about midpoint between your knee and hip)
* No alarm clock (no clock in the room at all)
* No breakfast - just coffee in the lobby
* Not within walking distance of the beach, so you'll want to drive closer to the boardwalk (beach parking is $1.50/hr for meters and $6/day for parking lots)
* No in-room movies

There were NO bed bugs, NO rude owners, and NO questionable vagabonds lingering around the place. We were very happy with what we got because we went with reasonable expectations. As long as you know this is a budget motel that aims primarily to give you a comfortable place to spend the night without all the other frills, I believe you'll be pleased with your stay.

NOTE: This motel is NOT pet friendly (several signs in the lobby window emphasize this). There's another National 9 Motel a few blocks down Ocean Street (1015 Ocean St) that *is* pet friendly.