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What's the dirtiest hotel in the U.S.? It has company
TripAdvisor has just released its annual list of the dirtiest hotels in the U.S. I suppose this is akin to Mr. Blackwell's Annual Worst-Dressed list aimed at celebrities. Who would aspire to land a spot on such a list?
The Hotel Carter, a 700 room architectural beauty in Manhattan is right at the top of the worst of the dirtiest. The photo on its Web site looks rather 40ish funky--perhaps it hasn't been cleaned since then. At one time, the hotel was probably magnificent and the place to be. Perhaps, it's in need of a real update. Whatever the reason, if you look at the travel ratings review chart, this place isn't even recommended for budget travelers. Young singles might like it a tad better. Young singles without dates, or nowhere to go perhaps?
If all the complaints are accurate, it sounds like this could be named Hell Hotel with accuracy. Mice, lice, cigarette butts, prostitutes, police, blood, hair of various types everywhere, slow to fill tubs, paint peeling--you name it, this place has it. So, this is what the dirtiest hotel looks like? On the plus side, for the Times Square area, it's price is a deal if you don't have health or safety concerns. Patricking, who posted this shot on Flickr wrote that this is how he found his room when he arrived. The bag is the only additon. This was in April 2007. For other dirty of the dirtiest.
Check out these weird hotels:
Also on the dirtiest list:
It's too bad that those connected to Days Inn and Red Carpet Inn have such bad ratings. Since these are brand name hotels, it goes to show that reading about a hotel before you show up is a good idea instead of relying on the fact you have stayed in a perfectly fine Days Inn. I'd also double check to see if anything has changed since the last comments were made. Hotels and motels can go through transformations, however, in the case of the ones listed, there needs to be major, major improvements.
For those of you traveling to the UK, TripAdvisor also lists the dirtiest hotels there. If a hotel has the word Eden in it, don't be fooled in thinking it might be paradise. Regency, Manor and Resort also may not mean anything. Whoever thought up the name of some of these hotels had a way with words, even though they didn't have a clue about how to run them.
Filed under: Blogs, Europe, North America, United Kingdom, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Budget Travel, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 14)
Summer Jan 24th 2008 1:48AM
A red flag should have gone up for me somewhere in my mind when I called to book for a group of 12 people and the woman who answered the phone told me, with VERY broken English, that reservations are only accepted online. And I should have been wary when the website had no actual outside photos of the hotel or contact information listed. But travel website reviews had all said roughly the same thing: the place was safe and though it wasn't a four-star hotel or anything, it was a good place to go if you're on a budget. And I don't know if you've ever tried to book a room in New York for mid-October under the Virginia state-mandated per diem rate, but it's very difficult. So finding four rooms together for under $200 per room per night seemed too good to pass up, especially when reviews made the place out to be average, if nothing else. So imagine my surprise when I stayed in the Carter Hotel for three nights in October of 2007, travelling with a collegiate Model United Nations team.
Let me preface this by saying that our advisor is an expert on failed states and Nigerian politics who has spent a GREAT deal of time traveling the African continent. On our first night there, he claimed that he has stayed in Nigerian youth hostels with fewer health and safety hazards.
Our group had four rooms, total - one had a television set from biblical times and a broken mirror in the bathroom. The room that I stayed in was cramped with a window that would not stay shut (in 30-degree weather with a non-functioning heater), a peeling bathtub, bullet hole in the wall spackled over, blood or dried gooey coke (we had a hard time deciding which but agreed to at least pretend to believe it was coke because of the fright-factor involved), cigarette-burned curtains, we found old price tags on the floor from Saks, trash in the cans, creepy looking handprints on the walls (positioned very odd and unnaturally, too), and television cords that had been chewed through. In the hallway, we found blood stains on the carpet. Our advisors room had cockroaches.
Throughout the hotel, there are large pieces of what looks like left-over carpet from past renovation jobs stapled to the walls, clashing with the carpet on the floors. The lobby is decorated with mirrored panels along the ceiling, carpet stapled to every inch of the walls and support columns. It's tacky carpet too. Navy blue with red and white, winged tennis shoes. There's also this very retro, Nixon era-esque neon lighting and a jumbo television screen that can be found playing some variety of foreign music video or talk show.
On our final day in the hotel, we discovered a 300-pound man, nude, being administered a sponge bath in an abanonded elevator shaft or coat room off of the main lobby. They also fail to mention that this hotel is adjoined to (or at least on the same block as) a "Gentleman's Club," and a friend and I were propositioned by the flashing lights of a sketchy-looking black Mercedes while she smoked a cigarette on the front stoop.
All said and done, we had a great time in Manhattan and I never felt physically unsafe staying at the Carter. Meaning, I was never afraid that someone was going to bust in the door and turn me into a human lampshade in my sleep or anything. (Plus, now we can say that we've survived the country's dirtiest hotel! And have a ton of stories to laugh about, now.) The location of this hotel is SPECTACULAR (half a block from the intersection of 42nd and Broadway, almost diagonal from Hardrock Cafe and minutes from a dozen or more tourist sites) and they do try to ensure the safety of the guests by manning guards to check that all people entering the building after dark have a room key and are allowed to be there.
Would I stay there again? Most definitely not. And if this article had been published in September of last year, we most likely wouldn't have had this experience in October. Will I ever recommend the Carter to anyone else? Only if they're okay with waiting three weeks to find out if they've escaped without catching some kind of communicable disease after checking out.
Side note: There is a large, framed letter from the mayor of New York City, thanking the Carter Hotel for its donation of $2,000,000 following the September 11 tragedy. It's great that they wanted to give, but someone should have let them know that they shouldn't give beyond their means. They should have donated $1,000,000 and used the other on rennovations. The place doesn't look like it's been redecorated since its namesake, Jimmy Carter, was in office.
BTWIN Jan 25th 2008 8:17PM
by far the worst hotel i have ever stayed at is the hotel pennsylvania in nyc. it was disgusting. mold on the ceiling, hand prints on the wall above the bed, blood on the wall in the bathroom, hair in the sheets, blood in the hallways.. the list could go on and on. it was aweful! not to mention the hallways looked like they were straight out of the shining.
janet marson Jan 25th 2008 8:20PM
I posted a comment about a dirty hotel in Venice Italy on a site for sharing travel information. I got a NASTY reply from some Euro trash saying I was wrong blah blah blah. Just goes to show one's man' trash IS another man's treasure. There's no accounting for taste.
Donnie Jan 29th 2008 7:35PM
The Cleanist Hotel i have ever stayed at is The Heritage Grand Hotel in Fort Mill South Carolina.
SANDY Jan 25th 2008 8:29PM
Don't forget the Stamford Motor Inn, located in Stamford, Connecicut, disgusting!!!!!!!
dbloom2595 Jan 25th 2008 8:37PM
I have stayed at several Days Inns and I will never, ever stay in one again. There was one north on Mpls. that had water on the floor from the air conditioning unit with the accompanying mold. The window was so dirty you could not see out of it. Nasty!
nadia Jan 25th 2008 8:41PM
We stayed at this horrible motel in San Antonio by one of the military bases. I found porn magazines in one of the drawers. My brother was telling me he stayed at a motel in Irving, TX and found a bra under one of the pillows. My husband has worked in hotels for about ten years now and the chain he works for have very nice hotels thoughout the world. I've been to ones in Manhattan, Key West, Miami, San Antonio, Chicago as well as Paris, London, Rome, and Sardinia. All have been exceptional.
James Jan 25th 2008 8:41PM
THE IMPERIAL PALACE IN LAS VEGAS IS THE BIGGEST PIECE OF CRAP ON THE STRIP. AND ITS NO BARGAIN EITHER. WE HAD OUR NAVY REUNION THERE AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY A WEEK. I MOVED OUT THE NEXT DAY ACROSS THE STREET TO CAESARS PALACE FOR ABOUT THE SAME PRICE.
Beth Jan 25th 2008 9:00PM
Please add the Ramada Inn, Rochelle Park Hotel located off the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. After driving for 10 hours I pulled off the road hoping to get a good nights sleep only to find a disgusting room. I should have went with my instinct after entering the lobby which had a horrible smell, and a man who barely spoke English at the desk. My need for sleep over ruled my instinct. As we walked towards the room we found the hall way to have peeling paint and black marked walls. When we arrived at the room we found it dirty as well as the bathrooms and it's tub. I pulled back the bedspread to find dirty sheets that had once been white but now looked gray and were pilled from there overused or from having been washed with towels. Needless to say, I checked out and drove for another ninty minutes to Connecticutt.
pppcamper Jan 25th 2008 9:09PM
I STAYED AT RED DOORS IN IN LINCOLN N.H. DIRTY POOL DIRTY BATHROOOM .ONE LIGHT OUT OF FOUR WORKED .WAY OUT DATED JUST BAD .OWENED BY INDIANS .ECONOLODGE WAS MUCH BETTER.FOR ABOUT THE SAME PRICE.JUST DOWN RT.3.
Jerry Jan 25th 2008 9:05PM
Have traveled world wide. Worst hotel was the Blackstone in Chicago (NEAR the Conrad Hilton). Not sure if it is still in operation
Arts Son Jan 25th 2008 9:15PM
Sandusky Ohio. I can't name the chain but when we arrived the room looked and smelled like a barn. No sheets on the beds and the bathroom was a pee and poo nightmare and a sticky floor. In the middle of checking in we decided to check out the rooms first. The counter person called the owner and we over heard them saying; yea I think they are lying too. We did get a full refund. Never pay or sign before checking out a room and make a staff member come along to see the condition of the room.
Barb Jan 25th 2008 9:33PM
Arlene... I work at a Super 8 and we are one of the cleanest hotels I've ever worked at. Sure, due to constant use, all hotels have SOME problems somewhere. But have you ever considered the problems the guests create? Musty smell? maybe that's from the previous guest letting their kid spill half a cup of milk behind the bed and we didn't find the problem until we tore the room apart (and lost two days income ). Ever think about the dirty diapers you leave unwrapped or unbagged? They leave a stink,too. Beer cans(bottles) are a source of "EEEWW" also. Oh, and please don't forget the cheap colognes,the wierd soaps/shampoos; "mega"-perfumes; and the all time classic, human GAS. We housekeepers walk into a variety of nastiness every day. From toenail clippings on the night stand to used Q-Tips everywhere, half-empty drink cups all over;unspeakable stains on the bedding,food thrown all over the floor, and heaven forbid the men should AIM in the bathroom! I've even seen the sink and tub used as substitutes for the toilet. I bust my but every day to see to it my guests don't have to deal with anyone else's leavings. Does antone appreciate this? Very few. Seriously,90% of Hotel guests don't tip. I work for little over minimum wage and if I got a simple $1 out of all my check-out rooms, I would be very happy. So please, the next time you use the bathroom in the hotel room you're in, remember the gal who has to clean it. tyvm
Bev Jan 26th 2008 12:00AM
You are correct. I am glad that you spoke out. The guest should treat their room as if it were their home.
I leave a tip if the room is kept clean. I always try to make sure that the bathroom is cleaned up after we have showered and dressed and we always throw trash in the trash cans. The cleaning people are just that, they are not servants.
jim Jan 25th 2008 9:24PM
MOtel 6 is the worst. Unless you're trying to score a prostitute or some cocaine
PPPCAMPER Jan 25th 2008 9:51PM
DAYS INN MONTPELIER/BARRE VT.WAS A BAD MOTEL OLD BEDS INDOOR POOL WAS VERY COLD TO STAY IN HAD TO GET OUT QUICKLY.THE RESTURANT WAS IN A BASEMENT.MY WIFE ,MY DAUGHTER AND ME GOT FOOD POISIONING FROM BREAKFAST COULD HAVE BEEN BAD EGGS,.PLACE WAS FULL OF MOTOR CYCLES MAKING NOISE THEY WERE LOUD AND DRUNK ON JULY 4 ALL NIGHT COULD NOT SLEEP.DRIVE TO S.BURLINGTON VT..FOR NICE HOTEL .IT,S WORTH IT.
PB Jan 25th 2008 9:29PM
About 2 years ago I stayed at a Hampton Inn just off of I-95 in Walterboro, SC. We we're moving and were exhausted from driving all day through several states. The room smelled so bad from mold, that I couldn't breath or sleep. The air conditioning was noisy and made the odor worse, not better. The rooms were old and tired. After a few hours, I woke my husband, packed him and our bags in the car and drove the rest of the way all night to our new home. I didn't want to have another bad hotel experience in teh same day (night). The desk clerk did refund our money, but it was one of the worst hotels I've ever been in. i hope they've made some improvements since our visit. They would never have to worry about Paris staying in this Hilton brand hotel.
Nnashmarjo Jan 25th 2008 9:29PM
Tequila Rose: Well, maybe everyone can't afford the luxury motels/hotels you are used to. That shouldn't mean they can't get a less fancy one for a cheaper price that is still clean.....
Tabatha Feb 3rd 2008 10:56PM
My son stayed at the trop in AC recently and when he sat on the bed he found a used condom.
When he called the Service Desk they didnt even bother to come up and check.
How disgusting is something like that????
Darcy Jelks Jan 25th 2008 9:39PM
You also forgot the Days Inn on White Bridge in Nashville. The sheets and towels were gray and stained. I think they picked the continental breakfast up at the "days old" food market. The owners actually got insulted when I asked if I could have some clean,white, unstained towels. I actually went to the local Walmart and bought sheets and towels. See, you had to pay for your room upfront (4 days for me!) when you checked in and now I know why now!