Flamingo Resort Santa Rosa (California)

The old adage is true - you get what you pay for. I booked a night at the Flamingo for $57.00. I was hoping it would have a quirky appeal, but the hotel is just nasty! The official hotel's website has very misleading photographs - even the rooms have different lamps / furnishings pictured than what are actually in the guest rooms! Calling this place a resort is laughable.

The hotel is right off a busy highway and next to some rough looking apartment complexes. The hotel's property line is divided from the apartments with razor wire atop a wire fence! There is plenty of free outdoor parking for guests, but the mature landscaping is overgrown (as a female, I would never stay here alone - I would feel unsafe).

The common grounds are well kept with a very large pool area that has a decidedly vintage Vegas feel (think late 1960s / early 1970s). There are several tennis courts that are well kept too. The front desk staff was so friendly that I wish I had liked my stay more!

I was "upgraded" to a special "executive building." That means our room was supposed to be "nicer" than the standard buildings. The good thing is that in the executive wing, there is free (albeit spotty) wireless internet access.

I could tell that the rooms had been renovated, but it seems they stopped short of the furnishings and the bathroom! The shower was fine, with new tile, but the counter / sink was just gross. The floor appeared filthy, too - just dark tiles.

The towels here are a joke - PAPER THIN and very, very rough. I guess they are afraid their usual clientele is the type who likes to steal towels from the room! We kept on our socks the entire night just to avoid having to walk barefoot on the dirty carpet or disgusting bathroom tile floor!

The rooms aren't that bad, but they are comparable to a roadside motel like a Best Western. I will say that there is NO WAY this hotel is a 3 star property. It is a 2 star at best.