Motel 6 Huntsville, AL – University Dr. — Hotel in Huntsville

FOR THE WEEKLY STUDIO:

I was dreading having to stay in a hotel but finishing up with an estate kept me in town awhile. I don't even like expensive hotels....

General: Motel 6 just remodeled and I got a studio room and paid weekly and ended up staying there about 6 weeks and it was great. PET FRIENDLY. Not one single bug. Granted it's winter but I honestly don't see where they could get in.

The Room: The room was amazing. No odor detected and super clean. Hard floors and every material including the walls is non-porous and washable, except the bedding of course but even that was non-absorbent and the beds are foam and very comfortable. There was no corner or crevice that wasn't sealed. The bed frame goes all the way to the floor and it's metal.

Modern and minimalist decor with a kitchenette with large refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker and counter with a sink, some pantry cupboards/drawers, and plenty of outlets. An ironing board and iron were provided and tucked in the closet. The bathtub and shower are modern and everything was clean and sealed and plenty of towels provided. There was an alarm clock too.

There are usb and usb-c connectors + outlets between the beds. Even the lighting is nice and more like what would be in an apartment.

I was there when it was super cold outside and the heater worked great and never failed me.

OWNERS: A nice family and good, fair people. They run the place respectfully and you get what you give. Just pay and don't cause trouble.

NOISE and TENANTS: On the side I was on it looked like mostly guys in town doing work and everyone on that row just using it as a place to sleep and it was quiet. I was usually the only one there during the day. On the weekends of course more people are there and of course there is noise but just outside with people coming and going.

WIFI: This was the only thing that I had some issues with. It seemed fairly slow-going. EDIT: This issue seems to have been fixed. The place is full yet I haven't had any issues at all with the wifi.

PETS: There are smaller mulched areas with shrubs all around to let your dog use and in the back there is a larger mulched area with a place to throw poop bags away. Not for a second do I expect the people who clean the rooms to clean up after people's dogs and as far as I'm concerned any issues with clean-up are among the dog-owner community. I'm just glad they allow dogs.

LOCATION: It's like a hotel-row and there are restaurants and everything else all up and down that road. Any store you want is on University Drive. An Olive Garden is right across the street and then a few miles down the road is mid-city and Top Golf, Stars and Strikes, REI, Trader Joe's, coffee, bowling, hatchet throwing, Walmart, Target, Hobby Lobby, bars, etc. etc. I mean Door Dash will bring you anything, even makeup from Sephora or Ulta lol. When it's warm there is a massive open air farmer's market.

LAUNDRY: There is a laundry room on the far right side of the hotel that I used quite a bit. $2.50 for a wash and the same for drying. 2 machines each and they took only quarters. There was a machine to get detergent and softener but no change machine. There isn't a place to sit and it's a small room so I had to have some trust, not saying you should, but out of the 5 times I used it there were no issues.s

CLEANING: They saw that I was keeping the room clean and they were pretty generous working with me on when it got cleaned by staff. They do a great job too.

PRICE: They have a $350/week price but it's mostly the ridiculous Huntsville boarding tax that jacks that up to around $430. For the room I had they could definitely charge more based on what I saw while I was looking for a hotel but of course I haven't been in a hotel in over 10 years so maybe they are all just better now and not gross. I mean I was really dreading having to go to a "cheap hotel" but that wasn't my...

Not in the safest area first of all but we looked past that because we needed a place to stay. I am deeply disappointed with my recent stay at Motel 6. I was unfairly asked to leave due to my service dogs, who assist me with medical and mental health needs, including anxiety and PTSD. My dogs were kept quietly in their kennels and did not cause any disturbance. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals are not considered pets and have the right to accompany their handlers in public accommodations like hotels. It is incredibly upsetting to be treated this way, especially when my dogs are crucial to my well-being. I hope this issue is addressed to prevent others from experiencing the same level of discrimination. This hotel will not honor laws regarding service dogs so please beware.

My dogs are trained to calm me when I panic and have severe anxiety attacks. They're very calm dogs and this appalling, unprofessional manager screamed in our faces, took pictures of my dogs, etc. Due to the chaotic atmosphere he created, my dogs were totally riled up, which in turn, caused me to be under severe distress, which then had my dogs reacting. After this ordeal, I ended up in the hospital.

I called corporate to file a complaint and I also called the Americans with Disabilities Act toll free number to see what to do about this, and they have put me in contact with an attorney.

If you want a clean, friendlier place to stay, Mr Bob Patel who was my former boss at the Holiday Inn Express in Madison, treats guests better. I recommend staying there.

This place gave me the worst experience of my life. I also think the manager is racist. They called the police to make us leave even though we were packing and leaving. Unnecessary stress!

ETA: not pet friendly. That's a lie; and they charge - even for service dogs. If you have animals, they make you get your room cleaned - it's mandatory. During the cleaning, your pet has to wait outside. Yeah, even in 20 degre weather. Housekeeping is optional everywhere else. Cameras are pointed in every direction and the overbearing front desk lady named Pat, literally sits there and watches. No privacy and you always get a feeling of being watched. I was harassed on 3 different occasions. BAD BUSINESS PRACTICES!

I work remote and due to this stupid mandatory cleaning, I lost my job that day because I had to sit outside with my dog for this so-called half a$$ cleaning.

Other hotels are...

"Lipstick on a pig" I stayed there kind of last minute for a next day doctor appointment. With the 4.2 review score I figured it was a safe bet since I have stayed at other places with a 3 that were just fine. A quick look at some recent reviews backed this up. Plus, even though it was 20 years ago, I previously stayed at Motel 6 in Huntsville when it was near Redstone Arsenal and it was nice. I was wrong about this one. The guy at the front desk was nice though. When I checked in he told me it had previously been part of another chain and was under renovation, said my room was a "new" one. I only needed one bed but the only available was a double double. It had new flooring and fixtures and what looked like new furniture. First thing I noticed was that a room with sleeping capacity for 4 had only one chair and no table, just a place at the combination dresser/entertainment center, desk, for the one chair. Fine for me, wouldn't be fine for multiple people. I thought that odd especially since there was plenty of room for a table. The air conditioner was on fan only that afternoon so I turned it on cool, 70-71, and left to go visit. When I got back about 5 hours later the room still wasn't very cool. Cold air coming out of it but not much flow so I pulled the filters. Both nasty and clogged so I cleaned them in the shower and that did the trick. No big deal by itself. However, not much later there was a roach crawling from the direction of the A/C unit. I killed it and considered my options. It was very late and I was only staying one night so I got ready for bed. Just before crawling in I spotted another roach, killed it, and thoroughly checked under the covers and sheets. Worried I still wouldn't be able to sleep I decided to have another strong drink. Between that and being exhausted I was able to sleep but I would not stay there again. I usually don't rely on the reviews of one site but, as stated above, it was kind of last minute. I have checked since and other sites didn't come close to the 4.2. I don't stay in many motels now like I did when I worked out of town. That's another perk I can add to retirement since, sadly, rates have skyrocketed and quality...