Let me preface this review by saying that I knew that I was getting a discounted rate because the motel is a work in progress and also, I am apparently a bit of an accommodation princess.
I have been traveling to Ely on and off for about 20 years, so I`ve stayed at a lot of the hotels around town, but decided to gamble on a motel in town for the first time. The price was right and who doesn't want to save a buck sometimes? I want to come back when this place is in better shape because there is a lot of potential, but yes, it does need work. Let's do two lists for my stay.
Pros:
Good location
Quiet at night(other guests respected an unspoken quiet time after 9 p.m.)
Internet is pretty good
Streaming services are welcome
Exterior is cute
Owner Ian is communicative and friendly
Best price in town during their revamp
Hot water
Felt relatively safe as a solo female traveler
There was a friendly orange cat who hung out with me for a bit
Cons(This is for room 5):
The walls are a mess and need repair(holes everywhere)
Carpet gave me the ick
Lack of outlets
Bathroom is in need of...a lot(including better cleaning)
Shower handles fell off when I would turn (lol)
Curtain rod fell down when I closed the curtain (lol again...)
Need more of a lock on the door (keypad and chain lock is OK)
Towards the back of the room there is a noticeable dip in the floor
I really want to come back and stay in a refurbished room sometime. Some recommendations to the owner( that they didn`t ask for): Gut the carpets and replace with floors, add better top door locks, designate a smoking area so guests who smoke can go there(I am not a smoker and there was a guy who was constantly smoking outside of my room), add short curtains to cover any light that comes through the blinds, hair dryers(even small, cheap ones) would be good.
Look, I get it, this is an old motel with decades of repair and grime that is being cleaned up. This is a place that is totally fine for others as is and it was a good price. I can see the direction the owners are going in and the retro vibe they want to achieve, but try to stay in a refurbished room if you are picky about what I have mentioned. read more