Howard Johnson Warrenton

I was really hesitant to stay here based on all the bad reviews… But what can I say? You get what you pay for. It’s a budget motel. In all honesty, I thought it was good for what it was. Yes, the place is outdated. But you get a clean bed (which I thought was pretty comfy), a hot shower, and an AC room. The first floor does smell like smoke… But ask for non-​smoking and you should get the second floor which is free of that stench. If you’re looking for a cheap place to just crash for the night, this is your spot.
Some comments on previous reviews:
–Didn’t spot any bugs in the room, bed or shower.
–Bed was pretty standard. I thought it was nice.
–Mini toiletries included.
–Not as sketch as people made it seem. The hallway probably looked weird to others because of the insanely tacky carpet. Nothing creepy though.

One word: Sketchy as Heck. OK, that was three words but I digress. This place is so sketchy but it was the only one available in the entire area for the night at $ 80+. It was too much money. In fact, I think they should pay people to stay here. Might improve the conditions.
I believe this hotel needs to be torn down and be completely redone. Here are the things I noted on my stay there:
* Smoking is allowed. In fact, when I was there the smoke alarms not only went off once, not twice, but three times in a span of 30 minutes because of the voluminous clouds of tobacco smoke wafting through the hallways.
* Was awakened at 2 am by the drag racing of some drunken redneck that ran down the side of the hotel driveway and at the end of it crashed into the wall of the hotel. Called the management, nothing was done. In fact, «he got away!»
* TVs are EASILY from the 1850s; oh wait; that’s too old, OK, 1950s. But when you’re TV is bigger and heavier than the luggage your carrying into your room, there’s a problem.
* Wife and I fell into the middle of the bed as the sides of the bed rose like a venus flytrap. It was the single most uncomfortable bed I’ve ever been consumed by.
* Not in a bad neighborhood though
Can I give this hotel a quarter star? Because if I could, I would. I’d rather have someone insert needles with jalapeño juice into my eyes than to ever stay at this hotel again. Just sheer agony.

Cockroaches in the room and bathroom. Housekeeping came at 9:30 in the morning on a Saturday. And front desk staff was not comforting in any of these concerns. Room was mediocre but expectations were low since its a budget motel.
Can’t say anything about breakfast since it is 6am-​9am 7 days a week. And we missed it both morning, we stayed over a weekend and decided to sleep in.
Will not be staying there again.

We only stayed here b/​c the other hotels were all booked (Gold Cup Weekend) & one hotel had 1 room left with 2 double beds, but it was over $ 130 & we were only needing the room for enough time to sleep. We figured the Howard Johnson was fine enough at about $ 90 after tax for a place to lay our heads. BOY were we mistaken. The place is dingy, for one. It felt sketchy just walking to our room down those dark halls. The place smelled musty & the bed was probably the most uncomfortable bed I have ever slept on… or should I say attempted to sleep on. If you’re in the area, keep driving — or pay the extra $ 40-​$ 50 to stay at the Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn in Warrenton — b/​c this place will only leave you disgusted.

Warrenton needs a better selection of motels (see my review of the Quality Inn in Front Royal). I suspect because an Interstate doesn’t run through Warrenton, the big economy chains have stayed away. Compare that to Winchester, where nearly every chain is represented off 81, which keeps the rates down. Howard Johnson is the only chain with rooms less than $ 100, and sure beats the Motel Hell dopplegangers in town (Rin Van Winkle, Cheswick, Jefferson Lodge). But don’t expect much. Not even a small soap and shampoo. The rooms are dated and the beds sag. One time, the TV emitted a burning smell and smoke. I alerted the front desk, and they said «don’t worry – that’s normal.» Really? A smoking TV? Needless to say, no TV was watched that night. If you can muster up the energy, drive another 35 minutes or so to either Culpeper or Front Royal, both which have a better selection of motels. What Warrenton needs is a bit of competition to drive down the prices of the only three decent motels here down (the Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn).
Regarding Howard Johnson, this is not the first sub par location I’ve stayed in recently. This chain, as well as Days Inn, Travelodge, and Super 8, has been absorbed by the Wyndham Worldwide corporation, and I guess Wyndham doesn’t care about keeping the reputation of their budget brands in check. Days Inn and Travelodges have degraded to the point of my avoiding them completely. Too bad. As a frequent road tripper, I always look for chains that offer clean, $ 100 or less, (relatively) quiet, basic rooms with exterior corridors. And that is becoming harder to find.

We asked for a late checkout; the hotel was perhaps one third full. They woman at the front desk said she’d have to check with housekeeping. So they gave us an extra half hour. How nice.
The place is really awkwardly laid out. It’s hard to get into the parking lot and it’s hard to get out. The office is separated from the main part of the hotel by a long distance. The rooms smelled fairly dank, and the beds were uncomfortable. Yet somehow, they felt justified charging 85 dollars a night, in Warrenton. Real estate can’t be that expensive.