Viking Motel — Hotel in Ventura

One of my sons and I decided to drive down the PCH and end up in LA, but the first night we wanted to just stop when we got tired. My only stipulation was that our hotel would not be our usual Hilton-branded property, and we'd try a local "mom and pop" place. After a ridiculous traffic delay through San Bernardino we decided to stop in Ventura. I found "The Viking Motel" doing a web search. It was $89 for a room with two queen beds (it actually had three). Heads up: if you want fancy this isn't it. The property is old and a little run down. But our room was big, clean, and had comfortable beds. The manager could not have been nicer or more helpful. I was a little taken aback that our room's door was open but was told that was to maintain the fresh smell. The room even had a full kitchen (we didn't need it). Soap and shampoo were provided which was a pleasant surprise. The negative: the lamp beside the bed didn't work because the power cord has frayed and the electrical tape patch didn't work. Also the phone cord was broken but we didn't need a land line. The door was a bit dirty but that didn't bother us. The room had a large flat-screen TV that worked well. Parking was right by the stairs leading to our room. Finally, my son left his earbuds behind and the housekeeper found them and had them waiting for us at the office. There are grocery and pharmacy stores nearby, and we ate at an outstanding Mexican restaurant that was less than two-blocks away. This hotel is not in an upscale area, but I think this would be an excellent hotel for a long-term stay and for families. If we are in the area again we'd stay here again with...

One of my sons and I decided to drive down the PCH and end up in LA, but the first night we wanted to just stop when we got tired. My only stipulation was that our hotel would not be our usual Hilton-branded property, and we'd try a local "mom and pop" place. After a ridiculous traffic delay through San Bernardino we decided to stop in Ventura. I found "The Viking Motel" doing a web search. It was $89 for a room with two queen beds (it actually had three). Heads up: if you want fancy this isn't it. The property is old and a little run down. But our room was big, clean, and had comfortable beds. The manager could not have been nicer or more helpful. I was a little taken aback that our room's door was open but was told that was to maintain the fresh smell. The room even had a full kitchen (we didn't need it). Soap and shampoo were provided which was a pleasant surprise. The negative: the lamp beside the bed didn't work because the power cord has frayed and the electrical tape patch didn't work. Also the phone cord was broken but we didn't need a land line. The door was a bit dirty but that didn't bother us. The room had a large flat-screen TV that worked well. Parking was right by the stairs leading to our room. Finally, my son left his earbuds behind and the housekeeper found them and had them waiting for us at the office. There are grocery and pharmacy stores nearby, and we ate at an outstanding Mexican restaurant that was less than two-blocks away. This hotel is not in an upscale area, but I think this would be an excellent hotel for a long-term stay and for families. If we are in the area again we'd stay here again with...

The motel is old but had an old time charm to it. When we got there, the smoke alarm went off and was taken out of the room. The room smelled like cigarette smoke and the filter on the air conditioner was filthy and dusty which also contributed to the cigarette smell. We couldn’t use the closet to hang up my dress or jackets. The water pressure in the shower was horrible. It took forever to rinse yourself off and the bathroom door didn’t close properly. The internet service was slow. I didn’t feel secure because even the door handle to our room seemed like someone tried to break in previously. The only thing that I can say was that it had a large room, a refrigerator, large television and the king size bed was really comfy. The room had a microwave, but you had to decide on keeping the refrigerator or light on or unplug one item to use the microwave. They need more electrical wall sockets or at least some power strips to accommodate for other electrical items such as phone chargers and laptops. When we drove out of the motel, there’s an alley. In the alley by the motel, they have a chair there stating “good stuff” which had bottles of drinks, food and alcohol. Is this for the homeless? We did see a few sketchy people around the area, but if the motel is leaving these items for them, it doesn’t make a...