Americas Best Value Inn St Joseph, St Joseph

My best friend and I travel on occasion and decided to go on a shopping trip. We have had some experiences (good and bad) but Motel 8 was quite an experience. After checking in and getting a key I was told to go outside and use the outdoor entrance on the side of the building. We got our luggage, slid the key down the opening about 15 times, the key would not open door. Went back to office and was told..well, it should work. Went back and it didn't. Someone leaving let us in, that's security for ya. Went to our room and the door wouldn't open. Both of us carried luggage to front desk and was told...There's no reason it shouldn't work. Walked back (carrying luggage) and door still didn't work. After participating in this exhaustive Richard Simmon's workout we again walked all the way back, down the hallway, down the stairs, to the desk and after trying to get the door open and being exhausted from hauling luggage back and I asked for a refund. Then the night manager decided to come up and get the door open. I showed him several times how the card wouldn't work for me. Supposedly there is a specified, calibrated speed on using the card (along with clicking your heels 3 times, while chanting, "there's no way place like home!"). Oh, almost forgot, at the top of the stairs from the side entrance there were rolls and rolls of new or used carpet padding stacked in the corner(lovely, we sure could have used new carpet in our room). Our room smelled and the carpet was pretty stained. I hated to take off my shoes. Also the box springs and mattresses were old and I asked my friend if maybe that was 1X1 foot stain around the base of her box springs was blood or some other foreign stain. Surprisingly she declined to guess the origin of the stain. The two pillows on the bed were pretty thin but I guess they had worn down over the decades. I laughed as my friend showed the hole in her bed sheets. The bathroom was pretty clean but the toilet ran continuously (their water bill must be outrageous preventing updating of rooms). It was evident the toilet paper dispenser had been knocked out and poorly repaired at some time or another. The caulking along the baseboards in the bathroom were dirty brown. I had always though Motel 8's didn't offer a lot of extras but I thought they would be clean. I forgot, although we didn't make it to the continental breakfast, there was a cheerio left on the floor of our room at the entrance in case we needed a snack. Luckily we only stayed one night and left early the next morning. I would suggest this Motel 8 to construction worker crews but I believe that would be degrading to them.

Perfect location right off the exit, nice and clean rooms, good price, friendly and helpful staffs, five star service and wonderful motel. Thumbs up =)