Reader Adam L’s most unsavory experience at a Santa Cruz Travelodge this week included:

• Pubic hair from previous guests in the tub
• Tape covering holes around the washbasin peeling off the countertop
• Large cracks in the wall around the window

When he went to complain at checkout, he found the manager arguing with a guest who was stuck by a hypodermic needle left in her room. The manager insisted she must have planted it herself. All part of the reason why Hotels.com rates it a whopping one-star.

The Hotel might beg to differ with that ranking. When Adam booked it, the phone agent told him this hotel boasted Travelodge’s “Honor Roll” premier status.

Adam’s letter to the president ofTravelodge, asking for a refund, inside.

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“8/22/06

Ken Greene, President
Travelodge Hotels, Inc.
1910 8th Avenue, N.E.
Aberdeen, SD 57402-4090

Re: Travelodge Reservation no. XXXXXXXX

Dear Mr. Greene

I stayed August 18 and 19, 2006 at the Travelodge Santa Cruz Riviera, located at 619 Riverside Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. When I made my reservation I was told by the phone agent that this location carried Travelodge’s “Honor Roll” elite quality designation. This designation must have been made either several years ago, or by someone who has never visited this hotel. It is dingy, dirty and unsafe. It feels unclean from the moment you walk into the lobby, and gets worse as you make your way to the room. Furthermore, to charge between $130 and $200 a night for a hotel in such poor repair is unconscionable. I understand that rates are unusually high in resort towns like Santa Cruz, but cleanliness and safety should be included in that premium price. I’ve stayed in fashionable hotels in New York for less and never felt like I had to ask local friends to use their showers, which I did this time upon finding the unsanitary conditions at this hotel. I’ve listed some of the various problems with room 122 below.

In the bathroom:
Tape covering holes around the washbasin peeling off the countertop
Laminate worn and broken on the bathroom countertop, exposing deteriorating plywood underneath
Large cracks in the wall around the window
Pubic hair from previous guests in the tub
Large patch screwed into a hole in the wall with filth around the edges and screws
Paint chipped off the grimy bathroom cabinet hinges
Filth around the edges of the countertop

In the bedroom:
Badly stained carpet
Paint peeling off the walls
Large holes in the drywall around power outlets (fire hazard)

I intended to take these issues up with the manager upon checkout, as he had not been on duty when I checked in and found the room in such a state, but I could not, as he was embroiled in a protracted dispute with another guest when I tried to check out. The other guest had been stuck by a discarded hypodermic needle that had been left in his bed by a previous guest, and the manager was arguing that the guest had probably planted it, and that he wouldn’t be giving a refund, or even a discount because the guest couldn’t prove he hadn’t put it there himself. I’m sure this level of neglect and hostility is not in line with the Travelodge brand, but it will forever color my thoughts on the company if this cannot be resolved.

It is my sincere request that you refund my credit card for this stay. I tried to find another hotel and was unable to, or I would have just cancelled my second night of the stay. I can’t imagine this is the sort of property you want representing your brand.

Kindest regards,
Adam L.”

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