First room assigned (123) felt cold, both literally and figuratively. The room’s wall heater didn’t work on a 5-degree night (my first clue should have been that the previous occupant had it set to 84), the furniture was worn and shabby, and the lighting and uncarpeted floor felt cold and uninviting. Trudged back to the office for a new room assignment and was given 112. Went to room to find that the night manager had failed to program the key. Back to the office I went for a programmed one. Mind you, I’d just driven ten hours, it’s late, and it’s freezing outside. I finally got into the room which was shabby like the first one, with the added feature of a broken inner door shared by the adjoining storage room, a loose roll of TP in the bathroom, a paper-thin sheet and blanket, and a dusty recliner in one corner. The heater in this room worked, however, and the bed was comfortable enough for a night, so I stayed.
The manager noted that the property had just changed hands (the outside signage was still displaying the old place’s name, in fact), but overall it just had this dingey, run-down, rent-by-the-hour-motel feel. I’d wanted to support the local independent lodging option, but fell for the glowing pics in the Expedia listing, and in the end I was pretty disappointed and regretted the decision. Until this place tidies-up, keep on driving.