After spending nearly five hours searching for a hotel room to rest our tired traveling bodies in, the thrill of finding an available room at the Days Inn was overwhelming. Having accepted the fact that we might have had to sleep in the car on the second night of our late summer vacation in Montreal, finding this room was very welcome. The hotel was located in downtown Montreal on Sherbrooke Street. Recognizing the reputable name and realizing that the price of $79 per night,Canadian, was much better than the $300/night rooms that were left in the city, at 1a.m. we rushed to the hotel, not believing our good luck. The exterior looked decent enough and upon entrance, the lobby was also decent... quite nice, actually. The receptionist was friendly and helpful and made things speedy, noticing our tired faces and desperate need to go to sleep.
That's where the good luck ended, however. Turning down our hallway was like entering another world. Ugly carpets, dark and dirty walls. All this was still fine, however, as long as there was a bed at the end of the hallway. Coming into the room was relatively shocking. It was cold and dark and very, very dingy. The smell was rather putrid, though we could not place the exact scent. The old brown curtains were drawn and for good reason. At a closer look, the window behind the curtains had been cracked and broken and sealed with plywood and electrical tape. Never mind the terrible view of a courtyard under renovation. We quickly realized why this room was still available. We drew the curtains shut again and plunged into bed for some rest.
Now, this may not seem like the most awful experience and the truth is, we should have booked ahead, but a hotel experience should be somewhat enjoyable, not hardly bearable. We slept through the night only due to our extreme fatigue and after a quick swim to wake up in the morning (admittedly the pool was quite large and well-maintained) we ran for the hills (of Quebec).
The name Days Inn was a comfort once, having stayed at other locations before, because it was always an option. That has certainly changed. I wouldn't recommend that specific location to anyone though I do believe they underwent renovations and now maybe it is worth a try. It is a big chain with so many different locations but for me, I'd think twice before spending another night at any of them ... and still probably decide against it.

Recommended: No