Hotell nära Santa Elena Canyon

"I have been traveling the world for 30 years and have stayed in hundreds of budget hotels across four continents, including in developing countries. With that experience, I can honestly say that this is the most “budget” accommodation I have ever encountered — and not in a good way. The room consisted of two beds (one broken), a TV, a sink, and a barely functioning toilet. That was basically it. The windows were held shut with a wooden stick, and the front door was so poorly fitted that it kept blowing open, even when locked. The real issue, however, was cleanliness. The entire place was permeated by a strong, musty, and irritating smell of a damp basement mixed with chemicals. The odor is still in our clothes, even after several weeks and two washes. The level of dirt was also very noticeable. It felt like the rooms had not been properly cleaned for a very long time. We found several dead bugs. Unfortunately, the staff added to the negative experience. We genuinely did not feel welcome, and there was no sense of hospitality. Rather, we felt like an inconvenience. Interactions were stiff, uninterested, and at times downright uncomfortable. There was no willingness to help or make our stay more pleasant, which is a shame, because good service can often make up for a lot. We had booked and paid around $450 for three nights, but after the first night we decided to leave and checked out the following morning. That probably says it all."