We were victims of the Hawk Fire in Reno. Because of the fire, we needed to stay closer to family…read moreuntil it was safe for us to return home. We ended up staying at the Days Inn, and we learned very quickly that it was a mistake.
When I came to check in, I checked in with someone through a computer screen. The process itself was easy, but it would have been much better to have someone there face-to-face.
When we checked into our room, we immediately found large dead insects, including what appeared to be water bugs/cockroaches, squished in the bathroom. The beds were clean, the shower was gross, and the floors were very questionable. You could tell they didn't put much into the cleaning. a chair that sat 3 feet by the wall next to the cooler, the whole corner was filled with spiders and spiderwebs.
The pool is only open for a few hours in the afternoon, which was disappointing. Trying to get basic toiletries like shampoo and conditioner from the front desk was like pulling teeth.
We stayed for four days with a party of four. Our room only had two sets of towels and two sets of toiletries. When we asked for more towels, we were told that they would "see if there was something they could find." When we asked for more shampoo, I was eventually handed one bottle of shampoo and asked if I needed another bar of soap.
I was extremely frustrated because, with a family of four, I shouldn't have to wash my hair with a bar of soap because the hotel can't provide enough shampoo. When they finally brought additional "towels," they brought some floor mats and one extra washcloth.
They also charge $20 per pet, per night, which can become very expensive if you have multiple pets. What makes this even more frustrating is that they don't provide a proper area for guests to take their dogs to the bathroom. Almost every other hotel around them had designated pet areas.
There was a small, approximately two-foot-wide dirt patch between the parking lot and the metal fence, but it was completely covered in goat heads. There was also a field next to the hotel, but it was so full of goat heads that I spent more time pulling them out of my dogs' feet than they spent actually going to the bathroom. By the time we were leaving, my dogs wouldn't even step into the dirt because they had learned how painful it was.
Overall, this hotel definitely felt like a truck stop. It did not feel like a place that welcomed guests who were staying for more than one night. In fact, the longer we stayed, the more unwelcoming it felt.
The breakfast was extremely limited. It consisted of cereal, danishes, oranges, and toast. They put everything out in the morning and didn't seem to refill it until the next day. So if a large group got there before you, you might be left with nothing but cereal.
We originally booked the Motel 6 , but after seeing the conditions, we decided to stay at the Days Inn instead. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the Days Inn, the conditions weren't any better. At that point, we had already committed to staying, so we decided to make the best of it.
After four days, however, we were still uncomfortable and frustrated. We had spent around $500, and we couldn't even get enough shampoo for everyone, let alone enough clean washcloths.
We requested room service on our third day. We weren't asking for anything unreasonable--we simply wanted the room vacuumed and swept and wanted fresh towels. We were told that doing so would be an inconvenience.
We still had three more days to book, so we ultimately decided to move over to the Motel 6. The condition of the room was about the same, but the difference in service was noticeable. The Motel 6 serviced our room every day. They also had a grassy area and a large field with gravel where we could take our dogs.
There weren't snacks available for my kids in the morning like there were at the Days Inn, but we were saving $60 a night, and at that point, the savings were worth it.
After staying at both hotels, I would definitely think twice before booking the Days Inn for a multi-day stay, especially if you have a family or multiple pets. For the amount of money we spent, I expected basic things like enough towels, shampoo, clean floors, reasonable housekeeping, and a safe, comfortable usable area for our dogs.