I thought our experience was absolutely bizarre and horrible, but if you look for other comments on Google or travel sites they describe exactly the same scenario, going back years! I found more than 40.
My wife checked in, sent an adult and two children up to the room, and then went to get a pizza. When she came back, the manager confronted her at the entrance and said "Get out, you can't stay here!" Apparently her crime was sending someone else in with the key and intending to put 2 adults and 4 small children in a room. Surrounded by belligerent hotel employees she never made it past the lobby. They put a family and 4 small children out on the street at 10PM,
At the Travelodge La Mesa, the staff all piles out of the back and en mass they dress you down in front of your family or other guests, with insults specific to what you were "caught" doing. If it sounds crazy, it is. This was our exact experience, and multiple other travelers report variations of this!