Hotel Hampton Inn & Suites South Lake Tahoe (South Lake Tahoe, USA)

Situated within less than a ten-minute walk from sparkling Lake Tahoe, this is a simple, quiet, no frills spot - perfect for the budget traveler. Free Wi-Fi (ask for the details at check-in), daily continental breakfast included, acceptable furnishings and no fuss lodging.

Pleasant, dedicated staff provide excellent customer service from arrival to departure. From front desk to wait staff and housekeeping, they'll go above and beyond to make your stay comfortable. If there is room, they'll likely space guests with empty rooms between to cut down on noise level. Smart and considerate service!

Clean, functional rooms offer the basic expectations of amenities - televisions, plenty of heat, adequate A/C in warm weather, cozy beds with decent sheets, sufficient towels, hair dryers, coffee makers, good showers with nice water pressure. Ask for a king size if you need more space; the queens are said to be quite small.

Dead bugs scattered around, missing smoke detectors, ancient heating fixtures, mold in bathrooms, tiny pillows and miniscule showers. The outdoor hot tub and pool may or may not be in working order - don't count on it!

All is not well with the decor here. Everything looks like it came from at least three decades ago. Broken furnishings and tired outdated amenities, unusable thermostat units still mounted as if in use, and huge, bulky televisions.

Most felt the restaurant was not up to bar, with wait staff (however lovely) often microwaving dishes in front of the guests. Breakfast is meager on selection, sometimes only offering packaged pastries, instant oatmeal and toast. Fruit looks rotten and bread is dry - and asking for more milk can get you scolded by the breakfast attendant.