Was it a pristine wonderland that made me feel like a pampered princess? No, though it seemed like a place where Cons would go, it had a lot of Pros.
1) Clean. No evidence of bed bugs. No ants, roaches, fleas, etc. The towels smelled like bleach. The stairwell didn't smell like pee as stairwells are inclined to do.
2) Comfort. A/C worked. Though the shower head was even with my nose, the water was hot, clean, with good pressure. Though the bed was harder than Epstein at a Build-a-Bear, I slept fine, especially with the thin pillows, which I fold around so much at night I end up with a beautiful origami swan in the morning. The room was not cramped. Best of all it had a "wood" floor, so I could walk around barefoot.
3) Customer Service. The dude was friendly. They accommodated my late check-in (9pm) without giving my room away.
4) Wifi. It worked.
5) Other things I liked: coffeemaker, refrigerator, iron/ironing board, free parking. I may have had a microwave, I don't recall. I liked the rolling desk chair, though I doubt the people below me did.
A few notes.
Noise. I had the last room on a Monday night, and never heard my neighbors, though that might be different on a weekend. Outside, you might hear the cars on the nearby freeway or pneumatic tools from the mechanic next door.
Parking. It's free! (yay) But there were only five tight spots in the back that require a 16 point turn to get out. The tenants on the bottom floor parked their cars in front of their room so the lane to the lot is very tight.
View. I looked out my window and saw it was going to be a Goodyear. And a Michelin. And a Firestone. Yes, it is a mountain view: a mountain of tires next door. And the intersection traffic. And the freeway a block away. It's probably too expensive for them to plant tall cyprus trees on the border of their property, so maybe they could just paint trees on the window.
Location. Well, it's freeway close, that's for sure. It's across the street from a liquor store, which is handy. There's a taco place open past midnight within 400 feet. And a lot of chain fast food restaurants and coffee places are a block down Foothill.
Other things to see in beautiful Sylmar, nicknamed the "top of Los Angeles", which got its ironic name for the latin words of forest (silva) and sea (mar): Nethercutt Museum (classic autos and musical instruments), the famous Casades spillway that ends the 340 mile journey of LA Aqueduct water, and the piece of fallen highway from the 1971 earthquake that the Doobie Brothers posed with for their album The Captain and Me. You can watch the Sylmar Hang Gliding Association on Gridley Street near Shimshaw. They have equestian centers and recreation parks. And just a mile from Value Inn is the San Fernando Swap Meet (Th-Sun). Considering this in the adult film capital of the world I have to wonder what they swap there. read more