Extended Stay America - Reviews and experiences

a grimy towel on the kitchen counter, hair in the tub, brown residue where there shouldn’t be any. I usually travel with wipes and a spray (yes, I’m that person), so I started tidying up while my kids sat at the little table watching TV. Then the door opened. A grown man was literally pushing on the handle. The metal latch was the only thing between us and whoever it was, and I slammed my weight against the door until it shut. Kids were terrified, I was shaken, and it was around 11 PM — not exactly a time you expect security problems.
I ran to the desk and there was nobody. I rang the bell until my hand hurt. The lobby filled with other guests doing the same thing. Eventually someone came, I explained, and the woman at the desk seemed unmoved — no real apology, no check to see if we were okay. Two other folks were also complaining about dirty rooms, so this wasn’t an isolated thing. At that point we didn’t feel safe at all and left straight away, driving around at midnight trying to find a place that didn’t make me wonder whether someone could walk into our room.
The odd part — and the reason I’m still writing this, rather than just stewing — is that once we checked into a different hotel, the staff there were thoughtful, apologetic, and actually helped settle the kids. I did end up barricading the door with a chair and nightstand because I wasn’t sleeping without that nervous energy calming down, but the contrast between the two hotels made the whole night feel even more surreal. So: big negative with the first place, but a clear reminder that other companies still get it right — and that being prepared can actually help.