West Ashley Inn — Hotel in Charleston

I never go to a Motel 6 expecting luxury, but I was really disappointed in my stay at this location. I’ve been to great Motel 6’s in the past, and this was definitely not a great one. The main issue for that was simply the state of the room we were given. I’d had a reservation made for a month, as I was in town for a wedding, and when I arrived at about 12:30, I was told that the only room available now was a smoking room, and I’d have to wait until 3 for a regular room. The reservation never stated that check-in was 3, and as I’d stated, we had a wedding to get ready for, that started at 3:30. I was fine with the smoking room, as I’d been in ones before, and we didn’t have much of a choice, but the state of THIS one was abysmal. For one, it didn’t seem that the room had been cleaned at all, save for the towels (thankfully). I doubt the bedding was cleaned, and there were many stains on the cover. Within minutes, my feet were quite literally black from walking on the floor, which also hadn’t been at least swept, since pieces of dirt and random small bits of trash were sticking to them as well. There was damage/stains on much of the furniture, a cigarette butt lodged in the sink drain that I noticed while brushing my teeth, mold/mildew around the mirror in the bathroom, and stains on the walls. Smoking rooms will always have some issues, and I do get that, and for the most part I wouldn’t have minded the room had the bedding not been stained, the floors been clean, and the smell not as strong. It knocked us out when we walked in - a very strong cigarette and weed stench, and you could smell weed walking outside as well. The fridge/microwave, TV, and air conditioning unit all worked fine, so I’m thankful for that, and that again goes back to my point that I’d just a little more effort was put into smell reduction and general cleanliness of the room, I wouldn’t be so put off. A smoking room is a smoking room. But given that I paid $100 for something in that poor of a condition, I’m a bit peeved. It should be general practice to make sure rooms are as clean as they can be in between guests. That room was worth $50, MAX. With some changes, this wouldn’t be a bad motel - it’s in a good location, the building overall looks nice, they had a pool, free wifi, etc. Judging by other reviews, it’d seem this is a common issue. This motel could benefit from going completely non-smoking, and seriously upping their cleaning turnover time and how clean they keep the rooms. All they will do is “apologize” that things sucked, and then, it seems, do absolutely jack-all about it. Months ago people complained about the state of the floors, and clearly that issue is still happening. Highly doubt anyone there cares. But if you’re able, go ahead and pay the extra $30 or so for a different hotel. This place as it is right now is not worth...

My stay at Motel 6 was supposed to be short and sweet, yet it somehow turned into a very long stay that I didn’t see coming. When your planted in West Ashley without the use of your vehicle and not knowing really anyone at all, convenience is a big deal in that case. I will say that if this Motel 6 didn’t have the convenience factor OR the wonderful staff (I’m referring to employees, not anyone that owns this place just to be clear)…there is no way they could get away with charging the rate that they charge without putting a little work and money into the place. Let’s start with the pet policy: I assumed this was mainly about people bringing their dogs with them, and like any other great pet owner they take their dogs along with them when leaving. Apparently a lot of people with pet roaches also stay here frequently, yet they always seem to leave these pets behind! They are everywhere! I’m amazed that this place is able to continue doing business with an issue the size of the one they have. (See how important convenience is to me now?) When I had any issues, the staff always took care of me..probably because I was there for so long and I really never complained about anything unless it was absolutely necessary. Now the owner on the other hand, he doesn’t like it when a complaint reaches an outside entity such EXPEDIA. The owner: does not like it when complaints reach outside entity’s such as EXPEDIA, most likely because he has to put in an effort or spend a little money at making it right. I had one such time that i unfortunately had to go to Expedia, and when my situation was fixed I even went back and told Expedia everything was fine and to just forget it. Before I continue, it’s important to know that I always stayed in the same room, for several reasons, but guess what?? After Mr. Owner found out about me being a whistleblower to Expedia, guess who suddenly had to change rooms?? 🙋🏻‍♂️ Yep, I did. My new room didn’t seem much different at first, so I just dealt with it as I planned to have staff move me back the next day. Later that night, I realized my room came with an INCREDIBLY leaky shower (I’m talking 1 inch deep water puddles on the floor), a broken A/C unit, and new pet roaches to sleep with. I moved back to my room the following day (Once again, that dang convenience factor kept me there, hence why I didn’t switch hotels…COULDNT AFFORD IT!!) Everything about this hotel sucks besides the staff and the location. (The staff, that does not include any owner). I don’t think they should be allowed to run with the bug problem they have. I think it’s BS that your room is not cleaned on a daily basis when your booked multiple days in a row (owner makes it this way to save himself a couple more Pennie’s). All in all, if you have the money spend a few more bucks and go to any other hotel on...

I was a poor college kid traveling from home in NC to campus in CA in the late 90s. We would look for the cheapest motels to stay in on the trip, usually $30 or less, then cram 5 guys in there. I’ve stayed in some pretty awful places, including a stop in MD where the previous occupant checked out of the room at midnight, the room smelled like it had been hosed down with Drakkar Noir, and there was a mirror above the bed on the ceiling.

But West Ashley Inn takes the prize for the worst night’s stay I’ve ever had. Here’s a partial list. First, the furniture is quite literally falling apart. The stand on which the tv sat and which doubled as a desk area appeared to have been gathered from the side of the road or out of a dumpster. The wood panel atop the desk had been ripped apart exposing the particle board and leaving sawdust everywhere. The floors had clearly not been cleaned. I was leaving footprints in the dirt as I moved about the room and dead insects were piled up everywhere. The plastic baseboards on the bottom of the bathroom walls were pulled out from the wall exposing mold and soap scum, which were also on the shower curtain and the floor of the shower. Used bandaid plastered to the wall beside the bed.

Mattress sagged so much in the middle that I felt like Johnny Depp being swallowed by the bed in Nightmare on Elm Street.

But it was the dozen or so roaches I killed that took the prize.

I did get some free entertainment. When I arrived around midnight there was a big fight between two men and two women happening in the parking lot. So that was fun. Couldn’t tell if they were residents or not, but there did appear to be a number of permanent residents at the place engaging in various activities in the parking lot and outside the doors. If you catch my drift.

I’m no snob. All I expect in a cheap room is cleanliness, a hard mattress, and some towels. Motel 6 is my jam. But the West Ashley Inn is utterly repugnant in every way. I’m going to seek a refund but I know that’s virtually impossible. I will be filing a report to the Charleston County health department, however. No way this place is up to code.

Seriously, stay far, far away. Drive an extra 20 minutes up to Summerville and find a decent room for...