A Texas student booked a hotel online, only to arrive at the steps of a dilapidated and scary looking Red Roof Inn, a place that was crawling with “interesting characters” and worn-out, unclean furnishings. Then, she realized the hotel chain also had a terrifying history.
Alexis Francesca Muniz, (@alexis.francesca), a digital content creator with 25,000 followers on TikTok, realized that she accidentally booked a stay at Red Roof Inn. In a video with over 659,000 views, she explained why that’s a cause for alarm and unsafe.
How did she book a stay at a Red Roof Inn?
Muniz was in charge of booking a hotel for herself and some friends during a trip to San Marcos. The group was going to a concert in the area, but they didn’t want to spend a ridiculous amount of money for a hotel.
Muniz made the decision to book a hotel on a third party website. There, she saw some positive reviews for the “Red Roof Inn.” Unfamiliar with the company, she made the decision to book based on its positive reception on that specific website.
When she got there, she quickly realized that the Red Roof Inn had an age requirement. Desperate, she begged an employee at the front desk to let her and her friends stay the night despite being 18. The employee complied, but eerily, he said that she couldn’t have her friends stay with her. Muniz would later learn what he meant when telling her that.
Muniz clarified that as she was walking off the property, she saw some “interesting characters,” who scared her. Despite this, she went to the concert with her friends with plans to come back afterward.
What did the Uber driver say?
After the concert, Muniz and her friends scheduled an Uber. But their ride canceled on them before they even got there. Confused, the group started looking for other drivers on Uber and Lyft. No one was available at that time to pick them up.
Finally, an Uber popped up. The driver was 30 minutes away and in an entirely different city, but he accepted their request. Relieved, all of the women stayed outside by the concert venue and waited.
When he arrived and picked them up, he had a few questions.
“ We’re getting close to the hotel and he’s like, ‘Are y’all staying at the Red Roof Inn?’” Muniz recounted, “He’s like, ‘oh, like, OK. like, be careful. And we’re like, wait, sir, what? … What do you mean? And we’re like trying to pry this information out of him. He’s not wanting to scare us. And he’s like, ‘yeah, this is like. This is not where you stay, especially as … girls by yourself.’”
Eventually, the Uber driver explained what he meant. The girls were terrified. When they got to their hotel room, they decided to look around at the walls, the floors, and the overall layout. That’s when they noticed dirty, stained mattresses with unknown substances. Everything started to make sense.
They could barely sleep through the night out of fear. So, the next morning at the “crack” of dawn, they drove away.
What are Red Roof Inns actually for?
According to Muniz, Red Roof Inns aren’t for regular overnight stays. Instead, they’re apparently spots for “illegal” activities. There isn’t any public policy that indicates this, but based on online reports and a legal dispute that the hotel franchise settled, this is factual information.
In 2024, Red Roof Inn settled a case with victims of human sex trafficking. Plaintiffs alleged that the company had “direct knowledge” of sex trafficking occurring at Red Roof Inn locations across the United States. The lawsuit noted specific properties, such as the Red Roof Inn in Syrma and Buckhead, as known hotspots for frequent sex trafficking incidents.
Other reports named 118 separate locations where victims of sex trafficking claimed they were abused. The sex trafficking incidents were so obvious that many victims claimed it would have been impossible for the company to miss. While a Red Roof Inn in San Marcos was not identified by the map as a spot for sex trafficking, there were two Red Roof Inns identified close by. One was in San Antonio, and the other was in Austin. There were also a number of Texas Red Roof Inns that had alleged incidents, including some in Houston and Dallas.
An update from Muniz
In a later video posted by Muniz, she described the relief she felt when she realized other women had similar experiences with Red Roof Inn.
Muniz said that nothing was “too insane” during her stay there. It was mostly disgusting stains and terrifying guests. Later on, she went to look at reviews of the Red Roof Inn she stayed at, describing them as “insane.”
In one, a guest described the bathroom being “riddled with mold,” with scratch marks on the door. The markings made it look like someone was locked inside the room and could not get out.
Another guest got a bacterial infection in their eyes from the pillows.
A commenter stated, “They’re full of drug addicts, drug dealers prostitution a lot of prostitution. And of course plenty plenty plenty of drugs.”
Other TikTokers have shared similar experiences, albeit at different hotel chains, raising concerns about hotel safety overall. In one instance, a complete stranger was able to enter a flight attendant’s hotel room. Many different viewers shared similar experiences of feeling unsafe while staying in hotels, regardless of location.
So, if Muniz’s experience isn’t warning enough, there are also plenty of other people who would say to stay away from Red Roof Inn.
@alexis.francesca That uber driver was SCARED for us
♬ original sound – Alexis Francesca
The Mary Sue reached out to Muniz. We also contacted Red Roof’s media hotline for comment, but the company was unable to respond.
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