If you want to stay here, you should expect: to hear doors slam in the rooms above and below you; odors and dust traveling through the bathroom vent (I woke up coughing); people smoking pot; roaches; the reek of mildew from the bathroom facet water; a nauseating chlorine smell from the shower; the stench of urine in the stairwell; loud music; the stink of rotting trash in the hallways; people leaving their trash in the hallway; cheap washing machines that rip small holes in your clothing; creepy men hitting on you; people barbequing in the back; and people “vacationing” for weeks by hanging out and being a disturbance.

I also encountered a man standing by the elevator and looking at me with an erection, staff refusing to contact the manager after hours (even at the request of another manager at a different location), a charge on my credit card that was suppose to be a credit, yellow stains on the shower curtains, a plate that looked clean on the top but slathered with grease on the bottom, dog hair on the floor, chairs and lamp shades. I also overheard a guest complain about housekeeping ‘cleaning’ his room by ‘discarding’ 30 days worth of groceries he just bought and stored in bins.

I also discovered that this hotel chain will not give you the best rate. After months of relocation research on 4 local Homestead Studio properties and speaking with a corporate representative in response to their ad on Apaprtments.com, I thought I would “lock in [their] great rates” by signing a ‘long-term lodging agreement’ at $699 a month (60 day min.). Near my third month, a single mother told me she paid $599/mo. for the last seven months. A staff member said the rate is based on the reservation date, thus the guests living there for the last 1-5 years were “locked in” at their reservation rate despite any lower rate change. The manager, Troy, said the guest did not pay $599 and called her a “liar.” I called corporate and Brooke said it was “none of [my] business” what other guest paid, and that the rate was variable (even though no one offered me the lower rate for my 2nd 30-day contract). After a failed attempt to stay at another location, I returned to this location (as an emergency decision) and tried to make a reservation at the then current $599 rate. Troy did not want to make the reservation on Monday (so I paid $320 for the weekly rate): he wanted to wait until Friday because the rates would be higher and they were ($699). When I realized that Troy expected to make money off of my reservation at the higher rate, I notified corporate that I would post their shady scheme on the Internet.

If you like: people that are unaccommodating, greedy, aloof, and shady; any of the above mentioned; indolent housekeepers; and interactions with a manager that behaves like a diva, is contentious, and will ignore you and not return your phone calls, then this is the place for you.