The thread in which I rate motels I've stayed

[Dan]

A followup:

[buffalonian] I'd take any of those motels over a sterile, soulless "high-end" hotel. They're authentic, and have character and grit. [/buffalonian]

Anyhow, this is probably a good place to reiterate my rules of hotels to avoid. They include anyplace with:

• a number in its name. Super 8 as a last resort, which is okay. No oddball local chains with numbers ever, like "Value 7" or "Hotel 5".
• the words "value", "budget", "discount" or anything similar in its name.
• the words "deluxe", "luxury", "executive" or anything similar in its name.
• the words "travel" and "host" too, while we're at it.
• signs that proclaim "AMERICAN OWNED". There's still independent motels that reek of curry, but now the vast majority of "Patel motels" are professionally managed branches of chains.
• dated information on the signs ("COLOR TV", "AIR CONDITIONING", "Mastercharge, BankAmericard and Diner's Club accepted", etc.)
• galley/common balcony-style room access.
• portable signs.
• Days Inn branding. It's like playing the lottery; sometimes they're fantastic, other times you'd be better off in a hobo camp.

[btrage]

During my wife's and I many road trips, we would always try to find really cheap deals using those coupon books you find at rest areas. Well, after one too many dirty beds, dirty bathrooms, and rooms with bugs, I came to the realization that it was worth the extra $25-$50 to spend the night in a hotel not having to worry about those things.

[Cardinal]

Mind if I add to the fun in the coming few days?

The first thing Luke does when we get into a hotel room is pick out which bed we will be sleeping in - usually the one closest to the window, but I need to sleep between him and the AC unit because he does not like to have the air blowing on him.

[Super Amputee Cat]

I'm now at the point where I am reviewing hotels and motels that are I stayed in over 2 years ago and was not a contributor to Trip Advisor. I don't remember with detail, attributes such as cleanliness, room size and continental breakfast. Hence, my reviews may be a little spotty...

Note: All room rates so far posted are for one adult, 2 beds unless otherwise noted. Single bed rates are usually lower.

Super 8
Rochelle, IL



Type: Motel
Location: 601 East Highway 38, Rochelle, IL
Date Stayed: August, 2010
Rate (inc. Taxes): $66.81

Rating: (Out of 5)

Overall: 3.5
Value: 3
Amenities: 3
Sleep Quality: 3.5
Location: 2.5
Rooms: 3
Cleanliness: 4
Service: 4.5
Proximity to attactions: 3
Ambiance/Character: 2.5

I don't remember a lot about this hotel. If you've been to one Super 8, you've been to them all, I guess. Cleanliness and rooms size seemed adaquate. I do remember the desk clerk was very friendly and helpful.

This motel was located in the middle of nowhere, probably at least a mile from downtown Rochelle. It's also a .75 mile from the exit off of I-39. Trip Advisor reviews seem generally positive.

Trip Advisor Review
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Illinois.html

[chocolatechip]

First off, I'm no travel expert. But I have stayed at motels all over the country, in about 30 different states, at all major chains, lesser chains, no-name motels, etc., and one thing I've learned is that there is no consistency among motel chains. Once you think you've found your favorite go-to motel, you're rudely surprised. I've been to Motel 6s and Super 8s that were nicer than Sheratons and Hyatts. The cleanest motel, or hotel for that matter, that I've ever been to was a Super 8 in Kentucky. The place was immaculate and very comfortable. And as far as some of ya'lls rules about avoiding places that go by certain names and such, it's kind of silly. The only way to ensure that where you're staying isn't a dump is to ask to see a room (which only takes a minute, btw).

LANGUAGE WARNING FOR NRSCHMID

Now, if I can share my favorite motel experience, it would be at the Coalinga Motel in Coalinga, CA, in the summer of 2007. Coalinga is a shithole valley town, for those who don't know (I don't enjoy using the term shithole, but there's really no other way to describe such places as succinctly). It's not the shittiest shithole; it's probably among the top-twenty shitholes, if you're into splitting hairs.

Anyway, me and some friends stayed at the motel, but no one got any sleep except for those who chose to sleep in the car. I was initially going to share a room with a couple guys, but once I saw that the only place for me to sleep was practically a moldy cupboard (that's as close as I can define it), I asked another friend if I could share his room.

First, there was a hole in the middle of the floor: you could see straight down to the ground beneath the building. The hole was big enough to get your foot stuck in it. The floor itself was nothing by torn linoleum with large patches of open plywood. There was a heater, but no heat. There was no hot water. The bathroom faucet was a loose pipe coming out of the wall. The water was red with iron. The beds were not beds, but consisted of large cutouts of foam upon which old thin sheets had been spread. When held up to the light, the pillow case looked like the Shroud of Turin. The TV had no color and no remote, but it did pick up a signal, distracting us with two Spanish-dubbed religious program stations. There was a suspicious-looking head-sized hole in the wall. The place reeked of mold and cigarette smoke, each vying for dominance.

I laid on the bed and tried not to imagine the crimes likely committed in the room. Across the court, there was a drug dealer/prostitute with a constant stream of callers through the night. When we left to go get something to eat, we were asked if we had any weed by a kid who kept being ignored by the dealer.

I got maybe 40 minutes of restless sleep that night, but youth being what it is, you go along with such things because you know you're making memories. And you know what? The amount of laughs I've had over the experience were well worth it. I won't ever willingly stay at a place like that again, but I have learned that in order to make the best memories, you have to be willing to take risks while travelling and leave yourself open to the unexpected. In that way, some of the best memories I've had travelling in this country were due to the shitty places I've stayed, but mostly due to the habitual avoidance of interstates.

[Super Amputee Cat]

(Johnson's) Pere Marquette River Lodge
Baldwin, MI



Type: Lodge/Cabins
Location: South M-37, Rte. 1, Box 1290, Baldwin, MI
Date Stayed: August, 2010
Rate (inc. Taxes): $75.37 - $83.74 (off-peak)

2012 Rate: $79.99-$99.00 for Cabins. $49.00-$109.00 for lodge rooms (excluding tax)


Rating: (Out of 5)

Overall: 4.5
Value: 3
Amenities: 4
Sleep Quality: 4.5
Location: 5
Rooms: 4.5
Cleanliness: 4.5
Service: 4
Proximity to attractions: 4.5
Ambiance/Character: 4.5

This is one of the best places I have ever stayed. It is a combination motel/lodge and cabins. There is also a house available for rent right on the Pere Marquette River. It's officially a Fly Fishing lodge with tour guides on site for the PM River. Packages are available from the lodge to fly to areas as far away as Alaska. Though we were a little bit out of our element not being into fishing, the site nevertheless was a refreshing change after several days of rustic camping on nearby Bray Creek.

The cabins are old logging cabins that were moved here years ago and updated with all modern amenities, while retaining much of their original character. They are spaced pretty far apart with nice wooded lots. The cabins were located right next to the Pere Marquette River. The site is located about one mile south of downtown Baldwin. Bray Creek and the historically black Idlewild Resort are close by.

The only drawback was that the price was a little high (although I did get a 10% discount on the 3rd night.) The prices vary between cabins and lodge rooms and time of year.

Pluses: Character, ambiance, location

Minuses: Value, No Continental Breakfast.

Trip Advisor Review
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Michigan.html

Property site:
http://www.pmlodge.com/


Cabin 4 - Our Cabin

Cabin 4 - Our Cabin

Drive

Cabin 3


Cabin 4 - Interior

Cabin 5 - Interior

[Maister]

That cabin is rustic charm incarnate! I would gladly forego continental breakfasts for a year if I stayed there. Wow. I gotta go look this place up and plan a trip. I wonder what's to do around Baldwin?

[ofos]

That cabin is rustic charm incarnate! I would gladly forego continental breakfasts for a year if I stayed there. Wow. I gotta go look this place up and plan a trip. I wonder what's to do around Baldwin?

I think you're pretty much looking at it. You missed Troutarama http://troutarama.com/#all

[reimaginethis]

I just want to say that this is the best thread ever.

Carry on.

[DetroitPlanner]

That cabin is rustic charm incarnate! I would gladly forego continental breakfasts for a year if I stayed there. Wow. I gotta go look this place up and plan a trip. I wonder what's to do around Baldwin?

Just E of Baldwin is Idlewild, a sort of Chautauqua for African-Americans prior to the civil rights act. Definitely a unique community.

[Super Amputee Cat]

That cabin is rustic charm incarnate! I would gladly forego continental breakfasts for a year if I stayed there. Wow. I gotta go look this place up and plan a trip. I wonder what's to do around Baldwin?

Yeah, I just realized after I posted the pix that they have a refrigerator and stove, so that more than makes up for the continental breakfast. I am glad I took those pictures. It's amazing the details that you forget after two years.

I wish I could revise that post. I would give a slightly higher rating for Value.

Plenty to do in Baldwin: There is canoeing, fishing and camping all nearby. Bray Creek is a nearby camping spot we stayed at before "decompressing" at the cabin" It's rustic but one of the most beautiful spots I ever stayed.

Hmm..maybe I should do a thread where I rate camping sites too.

Plus Shrine of The Pines

http://www.michiganbackroads.com/Att..._the_pines.htm

[Super Amputee Cat]

Belaire Motel
Norton Shores/Muskegon, MI



Type: Motel
Location: 4240 Airline Road Muskegon, MI
Date Stayed: August, 2010
Rate (inc. Taxes): $95.46


Rating: (Out of 5)

Overall: 3.0
Value: 1
Amenities: 3
Sleep Quality: 3.5
Location: 3
Rooms: 4
Cleanliness: 4.5
Service: 3
Proximity to attractions: 3
Ambiance/Character: 3.5

Typical 50s Ranch Style Motel. Close to Muskegon but officially in Norton Shores. Clean and well-appointed but very expensive for what you got. I would have expected a motel of this caliber to be closer to $60.

Pluses: Cleanliness, Mini Fridge

Minuses: Value, No Continental Breakfast.

Trip Advisor Review
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Michigan.html

Property site:
http://www.belairemotel.net/

[Super Amputee Cat]

Gateway Motel
Oak Lawn, Illinois




Type: Motel
Location: 4657 W 95th Street, Oak Lawn, IL
Date Stayed: April, 2010
Rate (inc. Taxes): $71.00


Rating: (Out of 5)

Overall: 3
Value: 4
Amenities: 3
Sleep Quality: 2.5
Noise: 1
Location: 2
Rooms: 4
Cleanliness: 4
Service: 2
Proximity to attractions: 2
Ambiance/Character: 4

At $71 including tax, you're not going to find anything even close to this price in Chicago proper or even the inner suburbs. And its a nice ride on the Metra to Union Station to downtown. The Gateway is also a well designed, well-maintained '60s era motel, with an attractive brick veneer..certainly a welcome change from those cheaply built vinyl-sided motels I'm used to staying in. So, on the surface, this seemed like a great find.

But besides general cleanliness, attractive settings, and a nice room, this hotel had much to be desired.

First of all lets talk about the guy that was pounding is girlfriend into oblivion in room below us. My 10-year old daughter asked "Why is that girl making so much noise?' Try explaining that one. Secondly, even though this motel was touted by the owners as being "just a block or two from the El" it was actually quite a bit further, and local parking ordinances prevent you from parking on any residential streets even close to the the Metra Station. Traffic on the main road was absolutely horrendous. Non-stop teeth-gnashing traffic in all directions. Just to really drive home how bad things are, there are no turning lanes on 95th Street so good luck making that left turn. AND BEWARE: There are red light cams all over Oaklawn, ready to nail you for $100 for making a right turn on red at a 2+ minute red light. Yeah, I got caught by one of those goddamn things. Utter extortion.

Yeah, the motel is an oddity alright. Clean and well-maintained and located on the fringe of yuppieville, yet close enough to Chicago and cheap enough to attract the crazies. If you have children, you might want to stay away. By yourself? Put on the earplugs and take pride in the fact that you'll save $100/night for not staying in Chicago proper.

Pluses: Cleanliness, Attractiveness/Character, Value, Fridge & Micro in some rooms.
Minuses: Sleazy Guests, Noise, Traffic, Location, Smoking allowed in some rooms

Trip Advisor Reviews are generally positive. Maybe I just stayed there on a bad night
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Illinois.html

Property Site:
http://www.oaklawngateway.com/

[Dan]

Damn! Forgot to take photos.

Red Roof Inn
Middleburg Heights, Ohio

Type: Motel
Location: 17555 Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights, OH 44130
Date stayed: August 2012 and many other times
Rate (inc. taxes): usually around $45-$55/night after taxes

Rating: (out of 5)

Overall: 3.5
Value: 5
Amenities: 2
Sleep Quality: 4
Noise: 3
Location: 3
Rooms: 3
Cleanliness: 5+
Service: 4
Proximity to attractions: 2
Ambiance/character: 1

Having lived in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland, one might wonder why, when I visit the area, I stay at this motel on the West Side. Simple. It's about a mile away from where one of my friends lives, they allow pets without any extra fees, it's clean and bedbug-free, and the price is outstanding, at least compared to the inflated lodging rates of upstate New York where an equivalent room might set you back $80 a night. Besides, bargain lodging is much harder to find in the well-off burbs *cough*Beachwood*cough* east of the Cuyahoga.

The utilitarian three story building is perhaps one of the least attractive to touch the soil of Cleveland's otherwise architecturally picky 'burbs. Ground floor rooms are motel-style with direct outdoor access, while those on the second and third floor have hallway access. You're not staying at the Red Roof Inn for the architecture, though, but rather for the sleep. Despite the location beside busy Interstate 71, I've always gotten a solid eight hours or more of sound sleep, even in the rooms facing the freeway.


What was the architect smoking?

Rooms are typical of an early 1990s-era RRI; a bit on the large side for a budget motel, with basic but not spartan furnishings. Wall-mounted HVAC is effective and not obnoxiously loud. 25" CRT television sets are likely original to the motel, and it's hit-or-miss whether you'll get one with a picture that's not out of focus. Channel selection is limited; the usual local network affiliates and about 15 basic cable channels. The free wi-fi is fast enough for email and basic Web surfing, but too slow for screen sharing or streaming. My major pet peeve regarding Red Roof Inns, a loud bathroom fan that turns on with the bathroom light and can't be turned off independently, is also an issue here. Forget about a quiet soak in the tub.


Taken from tripadvisor.com. Like I said, typical 1990s RRI. CLEAN. You could perform surgery in these rooms.

The motel is located a couple of miles from the Cleveland International Airport, close to an expressway exit near several other motels and hotels, the usual assortment of mid-end chain restaurants, and gas stations. When I most recently stayed there, just as I left my room one night, I was immediately approached by a man that tried to pull the "I'm out of gas and money" scam; something to be expected considering the transient dynamic of the surrounding area.

Pluses: Cleanliness of room and grounds, price, very friendly staff, price, pets at no extra charge, price.
Minuses: Crappy televisions with limited channels, bathroom fan, Warsaw Pact-style architecture.
Would I return?: Yes. RRIs can be hit-or-miss, but I'm a regular at this property.

Trip Advisor reviews are generally very positive.

[Super Amputee Cat]

Wow, Dan. We stayed at the same motel. Did you see my earlier view? Hopefully you didn't have the annoying guests that I to put up with did during my stay.

BTW, how do you wrap text for links like you did for the Trip Advisor review?

[Dan]

Wow, Dan. We stayed at the same motel. Did you see my earlier view? Hopefully you didn't have the annoying guests that I to put up with did during my stay.

BTW, how do you wrap text for links like you did for the Trip Advisor review?

I didn't see the earlier review, believe it or not! Amazing coincidence. usually, when I'm there, the guests are a mix; families, seniors, students, and traveling contractors. There's the occasional trailerless semi.

The link: just placed the [url] tags on either end of the sentence.

[Super Amputee Cat]

Note: I am now adding. Reason for visit to my reviews (family, business, etc.) as well as Number of Nights Stayed.

Motel 6
Warwick, Rhode Island




Type: Motel
Location: 20 Jefferson Boulevard, I-95 north exit #14-15, south exit #15, Warwick, RI
Date Stayed: August, 2009
Rate (inc. Taxes): $63.17 - $76.17 (including Wi-Fi fee)

2012 Rate for 1 room w/2 Queen Beds $60 (weekdays) to $74.50 (weekends) inc. 13% TAX

Reason for visit: Family Vacation
Number of nights stayed: 3

Rating: (Out of 5)

Overall: 2.5
Value: 2
Amenities: 2.5
Sleep Quality: 2.5
Noise: 2
Location: 2
Rooms: 3.5
Cleanliness: 2.5
Service: 2.5
Proximity to attractions: 2
Ambiance/Character: 3.5

Pluses: Larger rooms, quiet rear building, clean pool.
Minuses: Value, noisy front building, pay for wi-fi, no continental breakfast.

I used to be a big fan of Motel 6. Some of my stays during the during the 1995-2007 era were much more enjoyable than staying at overblown high-end motels at 3X the price. They could be a little noisy at times, but I never had problems with the crazies and dirty rooms that seemed to afflict my later visits. But due to a severe sleeping disorder from to being overmedicated with sleeping pills in 2008, I am much more sensitive to noise and thus it has been more difficult to stay at cheaper motels.

This particular Motel 6 is actually 3 seperate buildings, two attached by a center office and one totally detached. On the first night, we stayed in one of the attached buidings close to the office. We were very close to the entrance, whose door was not operating properly and slammed with a "BOOM!" everytime someone entered or exited. Needless to say, my nerves were frazzled after hearing door-slamming all night.

On the second night we were moved to the barely-occupied third building where we stayed on the third floor. It was much quieter, but because the building was underused and we were on the upper floor it was a lot warmer. It took a long time to cool down. (This was during a heat wave in New England with temperatures in the 90s and overnight lows probably well about 70F)

The rooms were larger but not as clean as some of the earlier Motel 6s. (Or maybe I was just more aware of it) The price I paid - $76.17 for the first two nights and $63.27 for the third - was way too high for a Motel 6 after being used to only paying in the $40s or less. To add insult to injury, they charged for Wi-Fi (but this may be included in the price)

The location was not easy to get to in a rather ugly industrial area of suburban Providence with difficult access to downtown. It abuts the I-95 freeway on west side and is surrounded on all sides by commercial or industrial buildings. Access to quieter areas of Warwick is not easy and traffic in the vicinity is heavy.

On the plus side. The pool seemed clean...a welcome spot after suffering from temps in the 90s. No continental breakfast is offered but there is a restaurant immediately adjacent to the motel.

Room Tip: As mentioned, if it's not too hot outside, ask to stay in the stand-alone east building on the third floor where you are further from the expressway, heavily used entrance area, and your chance of being close to loud guests is minimized.

Trip Advisor Reviews have been quite negative. It is the lowest ranked hotel of the 16 motels in Warwick.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...de_Island.html


Pool and east building (3 stories)


West (front) building.

Above pics by SAC

[Mud Princess]

Anyone here ever stay at a Microtel??

I can't quite figure out what this brand wants to be.

[Dan]

Anyone here ever stay at a Microtel??

I can't quite figure out what this brand wants to be.

Stayed at one about ... oh, maybe seven or eight years ago, in Amarillo, Texas. I remember the room being cramped and nothing special, and it was expensive; $95 or so IIRC. It struck me as being what a European motel might be like.

[Dan]

La Quinta Inn
Rochester, New York

Type: Hotel
Location: 1956 Lyell Avenue, Rochester NY
Date stayed: August 2012
Rate (inc. taxes): $92

Rating: (out of 5):

Overall: 2.5
Value: 2
Amenities: 2
Sleep Quality: 2
Noise: 3
Location: 2
Rooms: 3
Cleanliness: 3
Service: 3
Proximity to attractions: 3
Ambiance/character: 1

The La Quinta in Rochester will probably be one of my most memorable hotel experiences, because it's one of the most forgettable hotels I've stayed at.

Let me explain that. The small, five-story hotel building is a plain block structure, surrounded by an oversized parking lot with literally zero landscaping; an anomaly in the otherwise leafy Rochester area. It's located in an industrial neighborhood, across the street from a Hess gasoline storage facility. "The Diplomat", an Italian-American style banquet hall (or, in the local vernacular, "party house") next door, probably helps fill some rooms. Until recently, the place was an America's Best Value Inn, perhaps the most downscale budget lodging chain in the US. Reminder: add "American" to the list of hotel name red flags.


Yawn.

The room looked what one might find in a generic 1990s-era limited service hotel. La Quinta, Quality Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, you know, all more-or-less interchangeable. The older CRT television in the room was slightly out of focus. The bed was very high, which seems to be a growing trend; the older of my two elderly dogs didn't feel confident enough to jump onto it. There's no key card access from any exit doors, which is inconvenient for those stuck parking far from the main entrance. The only ice machine is on the third floor. I didn't sleep very well, even though the room was quiet, and there were no obnoxious guests. Guests appeared to be mostly middle-class families and middle manager types.

Still, the room was clean enough, and the staff friendly.

Pluses: Clean room, friendly staff, dog friendly.
Minuses: Gritty surroundings, unattractive grounds, old TV, no key card access from parking lot.
Would I return?: No.

Trip Advisor reviews are generally average.

[kjel]

Anyone here ever stay at a Microtel??

I can't quite figure out what this brand wants to be.

I've stayed at the one in Hagerstown, Maryland a couple of times when I was making the trek between SC and NJ. It's 8 hours away from SC. While there's not much around it, I found it to be nicely maintained, the family that owns it does a great job at running it, the rooms are well appointed and very clean. The price is pretty decent as well.

I think of it as a value hotel. Not a lot of frills, but still comfortable and clean to stay in.

***************************
The last hotel I stayed at was the Hotel Whitcomb in San Francisco. Unfortunately I was given no choice in the matter as it was a business training trip and the organizers made us stay there. I cringed as soon as I heard the address. I told my fellow attendees that this was going to be an adventure and we were not disappointed.

If I could sum it up in the title of a movie it would be "The Shining". No joke. In the middle of the Mission District with an abundance of homeless that just curl up on the sidewalk and go to sleep at night and furtively panhandle during the day. Very few options for food there although the liquor store is conveniently across the street. The rooms were hopelessly small and creepy, we had one operation outlet for two people with laptops and smart phones. The internet was a joke at 12kbps speed, the tv had like 10 channels. My friend and I shared the room, lying in our beds we could have held hands while falling asleep. The bathroom had a fan that sounded like a jet airplane and the toilet sat on a marble pedestal that was about 8" tall. The problem with that was that the edge of the pedestal was even with the rim of the toilet bowl so your feet were left hanging in the air or your legs were splayed.

Their room service food was probably hopeless but we never tried it, the catered lunch they provided was gross enough. Fortunately Wednesday brings a great farmer's market to the UN Plaza a couple blocks away so we played hooky and ate lunch there. The two redeeming qualities of the hotel are that there is a Starbucks right next to it and that it's two blocks away from the BART.

The Yelp site has pretty dead on reviews http://www.yelp.com/biz/hotel-whitco...els%20whitcomb

[chupacabra]

I think this may be the greatest thread I've ever seen.

[Super Amputee Cat]

Days Inn
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania




Type: Hotel
Location: 760 Kidder Street, I-81 Exit 170B, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Date Stayed: August, 2009
Rate (inc. Taxes): $70.98

August 2012 Rate (10 % AAA discount) for 1 room w/2 Queen Beds $74.88 (weekdays) to $84.87 (weekends) inc. TAX. Kids over aged 12 may be charged extra.

Reason for visit: Family Vacation
Number of nights stayed: 1

Rating: (Out of 5)

Overall: 3.5
Value: 3.5
Amenities: 3
Sleep Quality: 4
Noise: 4
Location: 3.5
Rooms: 2.0 (smoking room)
Cleanliness: 3
Service: 3
Proximity to attractions: 3
Ambiance/Character: 3.5

Pluses: Views, High-Speed Internet
Minuses: Stuck in smoking room

After a long and stressful trip driving from SE Vermont, seeing this motel was a sight for sore eyes. We were lucky: We got the last room available on that day. At $71, the price seemed reasonable for this caliber of hotel. However, there was a downside. It was a smoking room.

This is a huge, huge pet peeves of mine: That smoking rooms are available at all. I think smoking should be banned in all chains, system wide. The chains will only lose more money because they have to replace carpet and wall-paper sooner by years of nicotine and ash stains, so from just a purely economic point-of-view why not eliminate this health threat once and for all for the sake of themselves as well the health and well-being of 80% of motel guests?

I opted to take the room anyway because I was too tired to look for anything else. Anyway, as for the room itself, though there was no overpowering smell of smoke, I am sure there were carcinogens in the air and carpet. Beyond that, the room was sizable and afforded views of the surrounding area. Though it is mostly surrounded by urban sprawl (chains like McDonalds and Pizza Hut are right next door), you are not too far away from downtown Wilkes-Barre and older neighborhoods on the northeast side.

I wish I could remember more details, but it was over three years ago and my memory of things like general cleanliness and quality of the continental breakfast are a little fuzzy.


Room Tip: Get a room on the 4th floor for views of the surrounding area.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...nsylvania.html

[Super Amputee Cat]

Oops...

So far I my posts have been in reverse-chronological order of all my stays, from most recent to oldest. It was inevitable that I would forget one of the places I stayed so let’s go "forward" to 2011 for a moment before we continue on with the summer of 2009.

Days Inn
Sidney, OH




Type: Motel
Location: 420 Folkerth Avenue, Sidney, OH
Date Stayed: January, 2011
Rate (inc. Taxes): $56.49

Reason for visit: Family Vacation on way to somewhere else.
Number of nights stayed: 1

Rating: (Out of 5)

Overall: 3
Value: 4
Amenities: 2
Sleep Quality: 3.5
Noise: 4
Location: 2
Rooms: 3.5
Cleanliness: 2.5
Service: 3
Proximity to attractions: 2.5
Ambiance/Character: 2.5

Pluses: Value
Minuses: Sugary breakfast

Though I stayed here much more recently than my stay at the Days Inn in Wilkes-Barre, my memories of detail are less. Ultimately, this motel, on the inside at least, was forgettable. I do remember that the motel was mostly empty on the Thursday night we stayed, so their probably wasn't a lot of noise. It seemed adequate in terms of cleanliness and sleep quality, though fellow guest on Trip Advisor would beg to differ. The continental breakfast was subpar: Only offering sugary cereals and sweet-rolls.

It is located in a typical blah industrial area, close to the I-75 ramp but not within walking distance to downtown Sidney.



Trip Advisor Reviews have been negative, particularly in cleanliness.

[Super Amputee Cat]

Dubois Manor Motel
Dubois, PA




Type: Motel
Location: 525 Liberty Blvd., DuBois, PA 15801
Date Stayed: August, 2009
Rate (inc. Taxes): $55,98

Reason for visit: Family Vacation (on way to somewhere else.)
Number of nights stayed: 1

Rating: (Out of 5)

Overall: 3.5
Value: 3
Amenities: 2
Sleep Quality: 3.5
Noise: N/A
Location: 4
Rooms: 3
Cleanliness: 3.5
Service: 3
Proximity to attractions: 3
Ambiance/Character: 4

Pluses: Location, Character/Architecture
Minuses: No breakfast

We stopped here overnight on the way to camping in NE Pennsylvania and New England. I had hoped to make it further into the state but a huge backup on I-80 forced us to take an early exit or be caught for hours until the next faraway exit.

The motel was a '60s style motel that had an old converted farmhouse on its property. Evidently it has been operating under that name over 45 years. It was a little run down on the outside but adaquately clean on the inside. Our room was small but clean. It is in a commercial area but pretty close to downtown Dubois. That's pretty much all I remember.



Trip Advisor Reviews have been mixed but generally positive.