A friend and I stayed at America's Best Value Inn in Petersburg, VA in early July, 2010. This inn was formally The Red Roof Inn according to the front desk manager. The first thing I noticed was that the hotel is not in the best area of town. Unfortunately, I do not know anything about the Petersburg area of Virginia. I was only trying to find a half way point between SC and PA. When I check in, the wrong rate was showing in the computer, so the manager spent about 15 minutes on the telephone speaking with someone in an unknown (to me) language. He was friendly and apologetic for my wait. We were given a room on the second floor just above the office. I noticed there were cracks in the stairs leading to the second level and the railing at the top had dents in it. The parking area was satisfactory. I am, however, thankful that we did not have a room at the rear of the inn since these rooms overlooked a dumpster overflowing with trash with bits of trash throughout the parking lot. The area looked generally unkempt. The garbage cans in this area were badly dented.
Our room had 2 double beds as requested, a television, microwave, and refrigerator - all clean and working. However, the bathroom knob actually detached when we tried to close the door. There were cracks in the bathroom floor and wall tiles, the bath tub had not been properly cleaned, and the faucet knobs were not properly attached. I could see the hole in the wall leading to the pipes. The paint everywhere in the room was less than professional. There were paint splatters on the light fixtures and bathroom counters. The door to the hotel room needed cleaning or a repainting. There were smudge marks around the door knob and latches. The dresser drawers were badly scratched both on the outside and inside and one handle was missing. The air freshener for the room, which was attached to a lamp post, was actually a freshener normally used in automobiles.
The Continental breakfast, mentioned as one of the amenities, consisted of an instant coffee pack (freeze-dried coffee, cream and sugar), and hot water. I saw a large plastic container with about 1/4 remaining of what looked like Frosted Flakes cereal. I asked the manager why he didn't serve fresh brewed coffee. He responded that his guests preferred instant coffee.
Overall, this inn is best for serving local patrons who need a night away from home, but travelers should skip this inn if they are particular about where they stay.