***The next time you consider staying at the Quality Inn, Sparks, Nevada, you may want to seriously consider another hotel. ***During a recent stay there, I experienced lax security, repeatedly malfunctioning room keys, unreliable airport shuttle service and a hotel management that was decidedly amateur. In a phrase: never again. Here are the details:***LAX SECURITY: Not only was the lock on the hotel's back door was broken the night I stayed there. When I walked in at 3 a.m., someone had propped open the hotel's back door with a garbage can. Essentially, anyone or anything that happened to wander off nearby Interstate 80 at that time of night had easy access to the hotel.***PLASTIC ROOM KEYS THAT DON'T WORK: The plastic key for my room failed four times during my stay ~~ twice when I was attempting to get into my room, and twice when I was attempting to access the pool area. Each time, I had to be issued a new plastic room key ~~ a colossal waste of time.***DREARY POOL AREA: I managed to find a decent lounge chair among the mismatched selection surrounding the pool. Other guests had to settle for chairs with straps missing. Another disappointment: the pool area is surrounded by a number of trucks for Allied, Inc. and other companies. While pool-side, I heard many of these big rigs farting to life before heading out for their daily runs.***UNINSPIRING VISTAS: The hotel is surrounded on three sides by factory-like rooftops as far as the eye can see. Out front isn't much better: Interstate 80, with cars and trucks zooming by 24/7.***UNRELIABLE SHUTTLE SERVICE: While the hotel advertises free airport shuttle service, their tune changes once you actually land. Turns out, they'll send a shuttle out for you ~~ they just won't tell you how long it will take get there. When I pressed the hotel clerk on this issue, asking if it would take 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour or more, his response was "I can't tell you."***AMATEUR MANAGEMENT: My complaints to the hotel management about my repeatedly failing room key and the unreliable shuttle service fell on deaf ears. In the end, all I received was a "we could care less" attitude.***NO HELP FROM THE QUALITY INN 800 NUMBER: Often, a substandard franchise hotel can be brought into line with a call to the franchise's national customer relations number. Not so with Quality Inn. The franchise's policy regarding complaints: we'll send the hotel a letter by U.S. Mail about your complaint, and get back to you. Translation: forget about getting a problem addressed while you're actually staying at a Quality Inn hotel.