Regal Inn Motel

Honestly, I don't know how this hotel stays in business, given that a sewer drain populated by rabid badgers would make for a more hospitable and professional environment.Let's start with the first red flag: when I called to make a reservation, the only information they collected was my name and the type of room I wanted. No credit card to guarantee my room, no contact information in case something went wrong, nothing. Is there even another hotel in the country that does business this way? When I finally arrived at the hotel, after nine hours on the road, it was about as shoddy-looking as the $40/night price tag suggested. There is only one entrance to the small parking lot, and it's both narrow and features a large brick column in the middle of the driveway. The "office" was about half the size of my college dorm room, and was decorated by several handmade signs warning against the possibility of refunds. The signs should have also warned against the effectively soundproof glass on the after-hours window, and against the hundreds of mosquitoes: inexplicably, a large bug-attracting light had been installed directly above the window, ensuring that would-be guests don't linger too long without bathing in bug spray.Check-in was reasonably straightfoward, though they had a bizarre method for generating and signing receipts, and apparently had never heard of computers or point-of-sale software. I had reserved a room with two double beds, since I was splitting the hotel costs with an acquaintance. Once I finally convinced the card reader on my room door to recognize my key, I discovered that I'd been assigned a king bed instead. Immediately, I went back to the office and informed them of the mistake, only to be told that they didn't have any double rooms available. Tell me again, what exactly was the point of my reservation?! I would have just left at that point, except the local Strawberry Festival had filled up every single hotel room for a 15-mile radius, so there was really no recourse.Aside from the mattress (which was decent), the room furnishings were decidedly sub-par: the TV and microwave were at least 20 years old, the mini-fridge wasn't much newer, the single tiny table was falling apart, and even the upholstered chair was ripped. And here's the kicker: the bathroom door had neither latch nor doorknob! I mean, I can understand cutting corners on things like towel quality (low), alarm clocks (absent), phones (Flinstonian), and coffee makers (yeah, in your dreams). It's a budget motel, after all. But in what world are doorknobs optional?Needless to say, I will not be returning, and I'm recommending that event organizers leave the Regal Inn Motel off their accommodations list if they value their guests' comfort and sanity. After two nights of noise, a thoroughly flooded parking lot, wildly varying temperatures, and stale air, I was ecstatic to get out of the city and back to my tiny apartment. At least it has doorknobs.