I travel cheaply a lot... but this one takes the cake.
I arrived, taking a wrong turn, and accidentally wound up in the Tenderloin. As a solo female traveler with an early AM work time, I knew it wouldn't work for me. I tried to explain to the front desk my concerns and requested to cancel my stay. At this point, the hotel did not have my credit card, but immediately refused to cancel my reservation and said I would have to pay for the full time regardless. The staff also made dismissive comments about my safety concerns. I repeated that I was not getting what had been advertised, and was made to wait for over half an hour on the couch while the staff talked to a manager. The team then blamed Hotels.com, saying it was their fault I couldn't modify my reservation and that it was out of the hostel's hands. Three calls to Hotels.com later, the hostel agreed to release my reservation after three nights. I agreed and decided to wait it out.
Things got worse in the room. Something red was smeared all over the bathroom floor. I hope it was paint? The shower had mold, and there was no ventilation in the room whatsoever. It was so noisy I slept with ear plugs AND headphones. Someone dropped a food on the stairs my first night there, and it was still there when I checked out, which is all that needs to be said about housekeeping.
If you're looking for cheap, try Travelodge. This place must be paying for good reviews.