First, let me explain that I last stayed at this particular facility in May of 2010, and at that time had enjoyed a fairly positive experience. As Motel 6's go, it was quiet and clean, but of course not very comfortable (the beds at Motel 6 seem especially bad, no matter where you go). Therefore, based on this experience, I returned to the same motel on Tuesday night, Dec. 20, 2011.
Checking in fairly late (after 10 p.m.), as usual I requested a quiet room, upstairs. The guy on duty assured me that's what I would get, although he was fresh out of my first preference for a Non-Smoking rooms. That was okay with me though, and I checked into room 203. As expected, the room stunk. But it also featured black hair clippings in the sink, dirt on the rug, and filth in the shower stall. Then, when I turned down the bedheets, I found the pie'ce de re'sistance: food crumbs and body hair! So I called down to the front desk to complain.
"Yeah, somebody's not doin' their job," the guy said. An understatement if ever I heard one.
Of course he didn't appologize for the inconvenience, but he did offer to move me to another room - the one next door. Okay fine, I thought, and packed up for the move.
Upon examination, however, room 204 turned out to be very nearly as bad as 203. Not only did it have food crumbs on the carpet and hair in the sink, but while in the bathroom my eyes automatically homed in on a big fistful of red hair that had apparently been yanked from some woman's scalp, lying squarely in the middle of the floor! I nearly vomitted, but instead called down to the front desk a second time. At this point I was offered the choice of a full refund and immediate check-out, or else a move to yet ANOTHER room.
Since it was already nearly 1 a.m., I nixed the idea of checking out. But I also declined a second move, rationalizing that if TWO rooms up there were filthy, they were ALL likely to be that way. So instead of leaving I settled for complaining. Complaining to the night clerk that I'd wasted $55 on a room that I couldn't at all be sure was even safe to sleep in - healthwise - and furthermore informing him that I would be expecting a full refund in the morning. At least he agreed with me on that score. Meanwhile, gingerly I scooped up the hair on the floor and placed it in a plastic ice bag, with the intention of showing it to management in the morning.
After showering in the dirty stall, I proceeded to bed, where at least I found no food crumbs. Nonetheless, all night I tossed and turned. Not because of the standard freight box that Motel 6 supplies for a bed, but because of the heater. It was one of those cheap little wall-mounted jobs that was minimally adjustable to the point where I was either basting in my own sweat, or freezing, throughout the night. Finally, at 11 a.m. the next day, I awoke for the seventh and final time - thoroughly exhausted.
Check-out time was 12 noon, which was exactly when I managed to pull things together and shuffle out the door. At the office I handed the manager the bag of hair and my complaint, and received in return my Certificate for a Free Night's Stay. And while I appreciated the gesture of the certificate, I definitely didn't appreciate the way the man tried to deny responsibility for the heater. According to him, headquarters had laughed at him when he'd told them how much it would cost to fix the heaters (apparently I was by no means the first customer to complain about them). Typical shuck and jive. And he never did APPOLOGIZE for my miserable stay!
I don't expect to find The Four Seasons when I check into a Motel 6, but I DO expect to find a clean, well-maintained, functional room. Attention Tom Bodett: this particular facility could definitely use a personal visit from you. Better yet - spend the night there!
- Motel Six Bellingham
- Bellingham Motel Six
- Bellingham Motel 6
