Since this is the Europe forum I can't tell the story of a motel we stayed at in northern California, but it took the prize for pure Cold Comfort Farm--roaches and all.

I resisted posting earlier, but I'm with Underhill above! My TWO prize motels of nasty were on USA west coast road trips. Scary. Never experienced anything even close in Europe.

I agree, that surface cleanliness should be a given, even in a hostel, even in a room with a shared bathroom in a B&B.
I too have found that shabbiness, curling wall paper and stained carpet (such as I once found in a Four Seasons hotel in Toronto)can be just as depressing as seeing hair in the bathtub. If I want to look at a DIY special, I can just stay home.

I recently stayed in a B&B in London.
It was as basic a place as I've ever stayed in, including the tiniest bathroom outside of an airplane.
But not only was it clean, the room, bathroom, and public areas were in great condition. Not new, just well-cared for, and obviously replaced on a schedule as needed.