Booked this property based on experience at other Home2's, but IMO, it fell short of the standards for the brand. The front desk staff were all friendly and helpful, coffee and tea kept stocked, and location great for those going to Legoland. However, the king suite with curtain didn't offer the privacy for one person to sleep and the other to read or do anything besides sit in the dark, as the curtain is translucent and doesn't filter light (see photos). To make it worse, lamplight reflects off the TV screen, doubling the effect. Room doors will either slam loudly or, if one tries to not slam it, will not quite close completely to lock without an extra tug, a safety issue. Biggest disappointment was with the breakfast area, which appears to have staffing and resource management issues (see photos). The hot dishes are not labeled. I thought the pan of white mystery clumps contained fresh cheese curds at first, an unusual offering, but whatever... Then I took a bite...disgusting...imagine what unseasoned boiled earlobes might taste like. I had to ask what it was when I could finally locate someone working in the kitchen. It was supposedly scrambled egg whites, which made a daily appearance the week I was there, along with pork sausages (had to ask about that, too, since I don't eat pork). Gluten-free options are limited to proteins and fruit, with Cheerios in a large dispenser, subject to cross-contamination. Fresh fruit was not wrapped. I saw one guest handle each and every apple before he selected one. Ewww. Each day, there was a shortage of plates (see photo with no plates under or on counter). I was delighted to finally be able to eat on my last day there, when the pre-packaged hot bites included a delicious gluten-free frittata instead of the Jimmy Dean pork breakfast sandwiches which had been the only choice for days before. Will probably stay somewhere else next time.
Budget Motel, obviously run 'on a budget'. Our ground floor room (123) was clean and basic, no frills, just in need of some upgrading and a fridge/coffee maker, etc, etc. This however would then increase the daily rate for the room. We felt safe, the bed was fine, aircon wasn't noisy, shower worked and the towels were adequate. Sure we've stayed in better places, but this was a great price and where we wanted to be (walking distance of 'down town' Carlsbad). No bugs, no problems, front of house staff pleasant enough, decent care free stay of two nights.