Red Roof Inn Hayward — Hotel in Hayward

Dodgy place. Should call itself a motel with the low level of quality it offers. The room we rented had no actual “peep hole” to see who was through the door - it was just a flat out hole in the door that can be looked through both ways, no privacy in the room. While the room smelt strongly of cleaner, it in itself, did not look “clean clean” if that makes sense. I could see faint tracks of dirt on the wall from (maybe?) scrubbing. Part of the curtain was dislodged from the track on the window. We fixed it ourselves. The toilet paper was already used and nearly done in the bathroom. There was a hair that didn’t belong to either of us on the shower curtain. The water pressure is a joke. The temperature settings of the water in the shower is Very finicky. First I got nothing but hot water, even when I would turn it off and back on at what was supposed to be cold, Then it wouldn’t heat up to hot or warm, it would only stay at cold. Eventually it would partially warm up enough to take a semblance of a shower with low water pressure and bad temperature control. The things that made me want to throw in the towel, was the Actual towel. They offered a bare minimum of two “long” towels for the shower, two face towels and one hand towel. I reached to use a face towel and it already has literal Paint Stains on it. It was completely off-putting and I wanted to leave immediately. The whole floor is some sort of wood laminate. No rug/carpet. Parts of the “wood” floor were chipped and unfixed. All of the furniture looked like it was bought at auction or at some secondhand store. They were scruffed, scratched, and not entirely clean tbh. The lights were all bright. There was no softer lights to create any ambience, just the harsh strong lights. Also - there was open wires where I Think was supposed to be another ceiling light? (They’re all ceiling lights at full brightness, no lamps or shades or dimmer lights). It was extremely off-putting to see the open wires right over the bed. The bed itself was mediocre. There were three flat, skinny (pretty much useless) pillows there for a big king size mattress. It was definitely a disappointment to see and feel. None of the staff wore masks, yet they have signs for the guests to wear masks and social distance. There are no elevators, so if you’re on the second floor like we were, be smart about how you take your bags up and down. They also only allow you to come in to the inn using the front door only. The other doors are only used as exits even if they’re closer to where your room is located.

NO amenities (no pool, no gym, no microwave, no mini fridge, no vending machine, etc) Minimal towels, no iron, etc. Everything feels or looks like it’s been used for a long time before (toilet paper, towels, furniture..)

Questionable location, bad quality hotel- should be knocked down to a motel. It gives Red Roof Inn a bad name tbh because I’ve stayed in their hotels before and they were pretty average. This Red Roof Inn in Hayward, Ca. is definitely a failing grade.

Would...

It's rare that I write a negative review, but this place is one of the worst hotels I've ever been to and I've slept in hostels next to open sewers. It is because of their lies and refusal to provide a refund I offer this review.

Short version:

Avoid at all costs. Slum hotel can't manage to fix the sewage backup in the bathroom that dominates their lobby, hasn't cleaned the place since apparently the Bush administration (Herbert Walker), and leaves their property infested with at least bed bugs if not all manner of other pests. When their customers decline to accept these conditions the hotel lies to scam money away from them. I'm sorry people in the wealthiest country on earth find themselves occupying places to keep their children from sleeping on the streets and I'm appalled the owners let those residents live in these conditions.

Details:

I booked through a last-minute hotel app (HotelTonight) after a flight cancellation left my partner and I stranded at the nearby airport. Seeing a brand name hotel chain and since the app is usually pretty deeply discounted, I wasn't PARTICULARLY leery.

Oh, but I should have been. Pulling up, it's entirely obvious that most of the occupants of the hotel are long-term tenants. Open windows facing the parking lot showed bunk beds, stacks of personal belongings in multiple rooms, and even a "hat wall" in one. As a kid I had my time bouncing from room to room in similar living situations and I completely understand the necessity to do so -- especially in a place as expensive to live as the bay area.

However (a big however) it's still on the hotel franchise/corporation to maintain the basic conditions of the property. A short list of unacceptable issues:

The lobby absolutely -reeked

I stayed here for one night. This is a budget hotel, and that’s exactly what you should expect: a simple, no-frills stay.

Positives:

The room was clean and had a comfortable bed.

Amenities included a microwave, mini-fridge, and good cable TV channel selection.

For the price, it offered good overall value.

Areas for Improvement:

The bathroom had no hair dryer, which was unexpected. I normally travel with one, but others may be caught off guard.

Shower pressure was very low, making showers take longer than usual.

Complimentary toiletries were minimal: just two bar soaps and one small shampoo packet. The bar soap also left a slippery film that took a while to rinse off. Bringing your own toiletries is recommended.

The coffee in the lobby was questionable. When creamer was added, it didn’t turn the normal coffee color—it became an odd shade of brown you don’t usually see in coffee. It was served from an oversized dispenser that seemed more suited for small business or home use rather than a hotel. Most concerning, the cups had no lids, which makes the coffee unsuitable for travelers on the go and raises a real safety issue. Mine spilled on my hands before I even reached the car, and I threw it out.

Smells & Atmosphere:

The first impression upon entering the lobby was a strong smell of curry or masala, which carried through the common areas. In the daytime if your room is facing the front of the building, this smell drifts into your room if they're cooking.

The stairwell (no elevator available) smelled like flavoring used for hookah. Management keeps the stairwell doors open on each level, which not only allows cigarette and weed smoke to drift into the halls and sometimes into the rooms, but also creates a potential fire safety concern. Stairwell doors are supposed to remain closed to stop smoke and flames from spreading in an emergency — leaving them open makes the stairwell less safe as an escape route.(I'm not a expert on this topic at all)

Fortunately, the guest rooms do have windows that can open a few inches for fresh air.

Overall: This hotel offers good value for the price if you’re simply looking for a clean, budget-friendly stay. However, management could improve by addressing the smoke odor issue, fixing the coffee setup, and providing basic amenities like a hair dryer and better toiletries. More importantly, they should close stairwell doors for both guest comfort and safety.

Tips for Future Guests:

Bring your own shampoo and shower products.

Carry a hair dryer, or ask at the front desk if they have one available.

If you’re sensitive to smells, consider bringing allergy medication, as cigarette and marijuana smoke may drift into the building.

Skip the lobby coffee and grab one elsewhere before hitting the road.

Overall I'd stay here again, especially for the price. It's...