I stayed at the Value Place - Jacksonville for a month and a half from mid-September to the end of October 2006. I was waiting for my home to be ready, so I needed temporary accomodations. There are several extended stay options in Jacksonville. After evaluating all of the options, I found Value Place to be the newest, safest, and cleanest, but not the cheapest.

During my month and a half there, I had what I would say a 'not-so-great' experience. The facility itself is rather new - about a year old. Rooms (suites, as they call them) are decently sized - enough room for a kitchenette, bed, small table, dresser with TV on it, and a rack that tries to mimick a closet. The whole place is on the spartan side with industrial carpeting, and frankly the upkeep of the facility was pretty bad. There were spills everywhere, trash in corners, crumbs in the elevator, and overflowing ashtrays. Even the housekeeping staff smoked in the public areas!

This location has several "residents" - people who live there permanently. These folks have staked out their claims in parking spots, use of laundry facilities, and hanging out in front of the building at night. It makes for a rather awkward experience if you're not one of them. I'd venture to say there may be more residents here than guests.

The dryers in the laundry room do not dry effectively, so it costs about $5.00 a load to wash & dry. People leave their clothes in the dryers for hours after they're done, which makes it difficult to access a dryer. The laundry room was a total mess.

My toilet kept clogging for no apparent reason. The pipes under my sink leaked all over my supplies in the cabinet. We had three evacuations during my stay due to cooking fires or kids playing with the alarms.

On the plus side, I found the front desk staff to be generally helpful, but I felt at times like I was bothering them. They did let me into my room one night after I forgot my key card inside. I was very grateful for that service. Unfortunately I cannot think of any more positives.

As for price, I found the Value Place to be reasonable, but by no means a "value". They charge extra to change your linens and for wireless internet ($10/wk.). You can rent a studio apartment or find a roommate for a lot less than staying here.

In closing, I would not recommend staying at Value Place, unless it's a quick one-night stopover. If you're looking for accomodations for more than a month, by all means search classifieds for a roommate or sublet. You'll pay less, and have a much more pleasant experience.