Sunbay Motel is in a great location, right next to a beautiful bayou, surrounded by beautiful homes, and one block from the clean, architecturally interesting downtown. There is some pretty interesting sponge-diving culture in the area, and excellent food. It was listed in a reputable guidebook as a budget motel. When we arrived in the late afternoon, we found a one-story building with maybe 8 units, and people sitting on the benches on the porch who appeared to be one step above homeless. They appeared to be drunk or drugged and were drinking openly. They offered my teenage daughter a drink. (She declined) Our room was not made up. The manager came right away and cleaned it. The furniture was very old and worn. I checked for bugs, but did not find any. In the morning. I found a heavily intoxicated person sleeping on the bench outside my door. It appears that this motel is really operating as a crash pad for the down and out. The people staying in the B&B across the street were equally concerned about the people hanging around, and said that their B&B was very over priced. Their "breakfast" consisted of cheap packaged muffins.

For the price, we should have known! Booked 4 nights and foolishly paid upfront. When we left after 2, no refund, just like others. No screen on bathroom window, traffic all hours of the night, cockroaches, mold...this place has it all!

We booked a two night stay at this hotel on line. What a mistake! We should have run the other way when we saw the trash and discarded furniture on the premises, but we were tired and stupidly decided not to look elsewhere. When we checked in the manager (owner?) required us to pay for two nights, even though we told him we might only want to stay one. He agreed (verbally) to refund the second night if we left.
We had requested a NON SMOKING room since the Mrs has a bad allergy to cigarette smoke. When we checked in the room, although, small and dingy, did not appear to have cigarette smoke, however, when we returned after dinner, the smell was obvious and unbearable. We had to open the bathroom window (where we found cigarette ashes) even though it was about 30 degrees outside. The next morning, when we requested a refund for the second night, the manager (owner?) refused, stating that he had a NO REFUNDS policy which he highlighted on his form. We left without our refund. The Mrs called the hotel a short while later to try to reason with this person, but he became beligerant and unreasonable. This review is the result of the shoddy business practices of this place. We were not expecting the Hilton at $50 per night, but we were expecting a decent, non smoking room and an owner who honored his word. This place gives the Greeks a bad name!

My fiance Rob & I were on "vacation" and decided to take his motorcycle to Tarpon Springs, where we broke down...long story, don't ask!? Anyway, we'd planned to stay at a B&B or something along those lines when we realized we were going to have to pay R&B (?) Motorsports $300 to clean out the carbs... We stopped first at the one across the street which was Tarpon Inn and they basically had their kids running the place and for a tiny room they wanted double what this place wanted. I was expecting from the outside, that it would be unclean and not with a/c, but I was completely incorrect. The owner was a very sweet man whom allowed us to take our time the second night there to see what was going to happen with our bike. The rooms are clean (older, but this is a beach area) and were nice. Equiped with a microwave, mini fridge and two beds, shower and very, very comfortable and cold airconditioning. The TV worked well and the others staying in the hotel were very nice. It has a long porch area with chairs, so you can sit outdoors and relax. The office is in the front, everything was perfect. Except for our own terrible situation with the bike breaking down, (and I'm VERY snooty & picky) I can't see why there are such negative reviews of this hotel.
The king bed we slept on was amazingly soft and comfortable. The twin was equally comfortable, but we didn't use it. I think if you are traveling with young children, that a husband & wife with a family would be perfectly relaxed and comfortable there. The thing is, I know the hotel is older, but it's all part of the "charm" of the place...it was probably built in the 50's and updated sometime in the 90's with decor and paint, etc. The owner is always there so we didn't have to worry about our safety or things being stolen. It's right downtown, within walking distance to everything, so we were able to enjoy some of our time that we weren't having the repair done. I couldn't believe the price, it was only $45 per night for the two of us and that's alot less than everywhere else. Id only stay someplace else if you're booking a hotel for the "name," only. If you want to pay for the ability to look at a sign that says Days Inn, or something...
I truly enjoyed my vacation there and remember that its older, ut certainly isn't unclean or dangerous or anything. And, you can't ask for a nicer staff--the owner was so kind to be so helpful. If you're on a budget but still want a relaxing and very comfortable place, this is it.
It even had a full kitchenette with appliances, toaster, coffee maker, and as I said before, microwave & mini fridge. Margaret & Rob Mays will surely stay there again (when our bike is fixed, of course! LOL! ) I would recommend this place to anyone, it was worth it and don't believe the bad reviews. :)