We did not book ahead, but we arrived around 6pm, after checking two or three budget hotels, priced over $125, we tried Sun Star, and we were very pleased. The front desk is closed, but the service person came right out, and showed us the room. We were pleased that it didn't have the medicinal cleaning smell, or any other smells, the sheets were crisp, the bathroom clean. Refr and microwave, but no coffee maker (no big thing for us); ice machine asked for 25 cents, kind of strange... We were worried it would be noisy, right off the main street, but it was just the opposite; very quiet, Bonus: a nice walk way in the back along an irrigation canal, and the Tesla supercharger less than 5 minutes away. Because it is right on the strip, without anyone at the front desk, we weren't intially sure if it would be safe, but all was good and I would definitely stay again. While you are here, just up the street is Hot City, a truly great smokehouse! . read more

EXTREMELY RUDE ! The young boy working in the night time should really watch his mouth. I asked him how much did there rooms cost and then I showed him what there price was online and he laughed and said good luck you can't get that price. So after I booked the room he then refused to honor the online line price . He told me that he has the right to refuse service to anyone and to ask for a refund online read more

I stay in a lot of Motels/Hotels, so I consider my expertise in this category to be very informative. On the night of March 12 I walked into the front office expecting to rent a room for myself but ended up with quite a negative outlook, especially for your staff working the night shift. I witnessed another customer as I walked into the office to be a bit upset with the way your staff was helping him. Your employee was being very rude and would not give the gentleman his deposit back from an online reservation he made earlier. I stood there as the customer was being laughed at and humiliated by your staff. Quite honestly, I needed to hear nothing more, as I turned around and walked out, taking my business elsewhere. Please re-evaluate your employees for a bit better social skills, because you lost out on a 30 day/night customer after I took my business to a different hotel. read more

Very clean and reasonably priced. Would definitely come back. There is a beautiful canal in the back with lots of friendly ducks. Super nice and could be romantic with a partner. The staff is very friendly and very accommodating if you need anything. Would 10/10 recommend read more

I recently stayed at Sun Star Inn and was equally pleased like my last visit. The service was superb and the owners are friendly! They also recently updated the TVs and the cable service so there are a lot more channels now. While breakfast is not provided, you're saving a great deal from booking here so head to the nearby Black Bear Diner (easily within walking distance) and get yourself a filling meal there. The rooms were clean especially their floors so no more walking around with dirty socks. I also appreciate their amenities such as the minifridge, microwave, and coffee maker...helpful for my late-night snack cravings. :) If you're going to be heading to Yosemite or a nearby park, consider staying here for the night...hotels near those tourist attractions easily charge 3x more. Just call Sun Star directly and they'll give you a competitive rate! Happy travels! read more

In these times that are financially challenging for many.....and hotels have pumped their costs up dramatically and included every known fee, (resort, food, parking, pool) as unchallengeable - it is so nice to find a back to the basics motel that gives you clean and inexpensive. Fancy, no. Clean, yes. Easy in, easy out. The owner was sweet and accommodating. Our room had a fridge/microwave. We'd been on the road up to Salem and back for a full week of hotel/motels and this without a doubt was the most comfy bed. The rooms have obviously been redone, fresh paint, granite counters. Just a perfect spot to stop and lessen the next days travels. I'm sorry not more reviews of recent, but trust me..... stay here. read more

So i'm spending turkey day 2012 in the fine location of los banos, ca. Why you may wonder well my wheels broke down and i needed a tow to a garage in los banos, ca. So this place was right across from the garage and would you believe it the first words out of the innkeepers mouth is, "car problems?". The room itself is setup like anything that motel-6 would offer. Typical things like small fridge, conventional tv, free in room wifi. The rates were fair i did a search on hotels.com and then made a call to see if i could get a cheaper rate. There room rates were one of the cheaper listings. read more

A real deal. The room was fairly bare-bones, but had everything I needed for a multi-night stay. Microwave, mini fridge, wifi, hot shower, fresh towels, Comedy Central. Nice little extras: hair dryer, coffee maker, fresh soap and shampoo daily (hey, not everyone does that anymore). The room was not particularly attractive, but was certainly adequate: roomy enough, felt and smelled clean. Some cracks in the plaster, and the shower wasn't the nicest bit of plumbing ever, but everything worked and was clean. Can't find too much to complain about. The mattress was a little bit hard, I guess. The wi-fi wasn't working the first night, but a call to the front desk ("I'll unplug the router and plug it back in, try again in 5 minutes") did the trick. The area smelled pretty bad during the day (cow town) but the smell did not pervade the room at all. The heater/AC was noisy but effective. The proprietors (mom and pop, perhaps) were quite friendly and seemed genuinely interested in my stay. Bottom line: nothing fancy, but a good solid deal for a road-weary traveler. read more

I'd give this "zero" stars but it I am not able too. My stay at this hotel was the worst of my life. I can say this with confidence because I was a traveling businessman for five years. The room appeared dirty and unsafe. Needless to say I did not have a good night's sleep. Even my little Chihuahua was restless throughout the night. Next time I am passing through Los Baños, I will do just that... pass on through! read more

Let me begin by saying that Los Banos does not have the best of accommodations. I stayed at several motels in the area on a weekly basis. I stayed at the Vagabond,Red Roof Inn, Americas Best Value, and finally the Sun Star. Sun Star would be the best value for the price. The Good: Non Smoking Room that actually does not smell like smoke (ha! What a concept). All the other motels I mentioned smelled like smoke even though they claimed they were non-smoking rooms. Owner/manager is friendly and professional. Room came with WiFi, fridge, microwave, Iron, and blow drier. T.V. Channels work and you get HBO also. Linens felt and looked new. Street noise was not as bad as other motels. The Bad: I had to use a towel to cover the drafty front door. The stand up shower was fairly small for me 5'10,200lbs. Overall: if you want a clean place to sleep with a friendly hassle free owner, stay here. read more

What a sweet spot off of I-5. The proprietoress, (can i say that without offense?), was warm, welcoming and efficient. Their hotel shows pride of ownership. Clean, clean, clean, granite tabletop!, two comfy chairs to read in, freshly painted walls, and nice-grade pergo floors (which is much nicer than carpet in older places), quiet, and a bit comforting. And a coffee maker, frig, and microwave. Those 3 items are a nice bonus, since they're becoming more and more rarer. Much nicer than the truck stop hotels, and the urban small hotels/motels hanging aongside the freeway. We normally stay at Marriott, but had no Marriott hotels within stopping range. Alot along 99, but none along this stretch of I-5. A new place on our go-to places as we travel up and down, constantly, I-5 from Portland to Bay area, LA, Central valley. And back. And we read and trusted what seemed like real reviews,not just plugs for flea-bitten, bed-bug infested druggie places. And went to the "wool growers" restaurant. what a fun place. you will not, repeat not, leave hungry. Having filled up on Basque comfort food... read more

Great overnight stop. Not lavish, in fact old, but as clean as possible for an older motel. It suited our needs and the staff was warm and friendly. We read the reviews and needed a decent bed with clean sheets and that's what we got. We chose Los Banos because there is also a Basque Restaurant, Wool Growers in town. We WILL be back on future journey's. read more

We have red the good reviews that were posted and were expecting something better that we got. The room supposed to be nonsmoking but instead the furniture was smelling sigarettes. The towels in the bathroom were pretty old and seemed dirty so were didn't use them. The bed was clean. WiFi was not properly working, I would say it didn't work at all. So we would have chosen another place to stay if we knew better what will be here. read more

Wound up spending 3 night's here & was happy with the stay. Originally booked room for 1 night & the staff was great & Had no problems when I needed to add nights. The only thing is the shower was not made for someone my size-was VERY small. read more

Rock bottom price, quality and condition just several minutes from I-5. Free upgrade from the front desk...I think I spent about $45 for two queens, a TV, a bathroom, free WiFi (have the lady write down the password for you...just trust me), and a parking space. Sure there's a pool, but I was not about to push my luck. I was just here to avert death from snoozing behind the wheel...without denting my wallet. This place was perfect for that. read more

our band crashed here at 4AM after 2 bad experiences with other hotels in the area. the guy at the window was nice and efficient, there were 2 beds in the room and a 32 in flat screen tv. we were surprised at how nice the showers were. granite tiles on the wall was a nice touch. this is the perfect place to stay if you have a late night drive to LA and want to get away from bay area prices. read more

Pleasantly surprised! Rooms are very clean, front desk clerk was very friendly. I don't know the area at all so not sure of the surroundings around the hotel , but the hotel was very quaint. Enjoyed having a fridge & microwave. Rooms are spacious, beds are comfortable! Great price! You can't get some of these amenities at Big Named Hotels read more

I have stayed at SSI 2 times and received a wonderful welcome back. The lady at the front desk is so happy to assist you. The "Couple" Managers are eager to please. They upgraded me to King Bed from Queen...accommodating People. Nice Room, all amenities included, a lot of Cable Channels and HBO. Also WiFi here is very Good! Very Clean, Comfortable Room. Food/Gas short walk away, good location too Great Rates!$$$ I'll be back, Ms. Elizabeth Helton 7/28/13 read more

Cute little motel. Nothing special, just your average motel to stop for the night if you need a place to sleep like we did on our drive from Ensenada, Mexico to San Francisco. We walked right in and got a room. They don't give you the run around. The staff was very sweet and came straight to the night window. Wifi in the room, TV, shower with good water pressure, comfy mattress and an air conditioning unit for those toasty nights. The sheets were a little scratchy but what can you expect from a motel? For $50, we were so grateful we stayed here. Just remember to request a non-smoking room. We were so tired it just slipped our minds and we ended up in a fairly tobacco-smelly room. Still slept like a baby. Highly recommend this place for a cheap motel. And Black Bear Diner is right down the street for early pancakes! read more

This hotel is decent inside. However depending on how the owner feels about you is the deciding factor in how much he charges you. if you ask him about the rate that is online he will claim that there's no more rooms available at that rate. When we walked to the window he told me the room with $60 so I walked away since that was more expensive than what he had posted online. He told people behind us/ $45 ! I was pissed. read more

We received great service from the Sun Star Inn. The price -- about $45 -- was so low I was worried about the quality, but the queen-size bed was very firm and comfortable. Nice TV, reading lamps by the bed, and good Wi-fi in the room. The room and bath were clean and the shower was excellent. There was a more than adequate supply of towels. It was also geographically desirable for me -- just across the street from Fandrey's Auto Repair where my Avalon engine was being rebuilt after a Highway 5 breakdown. When we checked out we forgot to take our HP Touchpad charger. I called them the next day to explain and asked them to hold it till we returned to pick up our car. Two weeks later we returned and the charger was waiting for us at the desk. Added bonus -- the owner Jack and his wife are very friendly and helpful people and will be happy to give you restaurant recommendations. read more

$55 room. Ample parking. Room was clean, but the only window was extremely dirty. I was tempted to write "Kilroy was here" in the window dirt. Only free plug for charging a device was next to bathroom sink. I know, you get what you pay for. Perhaps I should pay more next time. read more

Very kind understanding caring couple run this motel. They will do what they can do, to accommodate you. Overall relaxing clean stay. Nice view of river with ducks is very soothing to look out to when your upstairs. I enjoy my stay here and u would too. They aren't rude super strict like the rest of the motels in L.B. They truly are cool people. I THANK THEM ALOT FOR RENTING TO ME thru my hard times. read more

Not your most luxuriest place here a bit out dated would be an understatement but the owner is very nice very flexible if you need a late or early check in. One of the last few places that takes a cash deposit if needed. Don't expect over the top or compare it a comercial place like best western it's a mom and pop hotel clean and accessible. In los banos you don't have much choices so is the two big names are booked this is a good back up no meth heads on property has most amenities bed fridge ac cable I would suggest bring a blanket or towel like I said it's out dated but clean read more

Needed a hotel for one night while traveling to San Francisco from Sequoia National Park. What an awesome hotel. Wonderful price, kind/helpful staff, and CLEAN rooms and bathrooms. The bathtub was granite and sparkling! The room had wood floor instead of carpet which was nice since hotel carpets can be unpleasant sometimes. Outside area was a little bit sketchy but the room quality was what is was all about. I would definitely stay here again if in the area. read more

First.... it is the price! Less than 75.00 for two people? Come on man! But then to have a clean room and a comfortable bed? We only stayed in this hotel because a wedding had booked out the usual types of hotels we stay in. However as a medical traveler going form one assignment to another, this is one of the better hotels of late. If you are staying in Los Banos, seriously consider staying here because the Country Waffle breakfast next door was awesome too! read more

For this price level, the Sun Star Inn was great. It was much cleaner and nicer than I expected. It has nice wood flooring and seemed recently painted. There were no bugs. The AC worked well. I had called a number of weeks prior to check about checking in late, because I was using it as a stayover between a concert and visiting family further south. The man I woke up to check in at nearly 1 a.m. was courteous and kind, though he at first perhaps didn't remember my call. It's an older building so there is a little cracking in the shower stall and around the cracks in the bathroom, but that didn't bother me, because it was so clean. Book with confidence. read more

Our room was gross and had a cockroach crawling on the floor, some rooms are better than others.

I read the reviews before I checked in to this hotel. I was kinda surprised that the price for this hotel was low for it being this clean and nice.I called around 3pm to make a reservation and to let them know that I'll be checking in late due to a party. The lady said ok. I asked her what size bed I will be getting since I'm with my hubby and dog with me (in most hotels they provide two queen for pet friendly rooms). She told me it will be a king bed. I was happy to hear that. When we arrived around 10:30pm the office ws closed and there was a note to use the side window. I had a bad feeling. The place looked ghetto. I rang a bell and I was greeted by an older man with a not so happy face. I told the man I had a room reserved. I paid and got my key. When we entered the room we were shocked. The decor of the room was from the 50s and no one has cleaned it since before the last occupants.the mini fridge was open and not plugged in and then I saw a roach crawling around it. We bolted out of that room. I went back to the window and woke up the man again. I didn't mention the roach,instead I just brought up the bed size. I told him I reserved a king bed. He asked me if I was sure if I wanted a king bed(no. In fact I wanted my money back.but it was just for tonite). I was loosing my patience but was still polite and answered yes. He gave me a new key. The only difference from the last room to this one that i was happy about was that we didn't see any roaches.oh and the bed was a king. The carpet was nasty, grimy, moldy, and burnt marks. Everything was unplugged. The room was a smokers room.the glass table had weed stuck in the gaps.the ashtray wasnt cleaned out. The towels had black smuges on them. I was afraid to have my dog on the floor so I put her on the bed, which wasn't any better. We all slept on top of the blankets ,and used our sweaters as blankets. We barely got any sleep because of the fear of getting STDs. I don't understand why these other reviews gave this hotel good reviews. My guess was they either got the hotel's mixed up, pet friendly rooms were different, or the owners save those rooms for certain kinds of people. Or maybe if you check in late and got them out of bed you get the worst rooms. All I know is that that place is way over due for an inspection. read more

I have been in worse, I have been in better for the same price. The walls are super thin and it is not quiet at all... you hear every pipe rattle and shake with use and it sounded like maybe there was some sort of vermon in/on the roof...I kept hearing scratching but in the morning it sounded like a very loud pigeon. The place is very dated and not well kept. It works for a night for a shower and a bed. Coffee even in the lobby would be nice since its noisy and I didn't sleep well. But hey, its only 1 night! read more

if you are looking to stay on your way between socal and norcal, just drive a bit more and find a better hotel even if you have to drive extra few miles and pay a few more bucks read more