My college roommates and I just returned from our fun-filed but budget conscious 25th reunion in central Connecticut. We stayed one night at the Hillside Motel and went tubing down the Farmington River (http://www.farmingtonrivertubing.com/) which was wicked fun.
Frankly we were quite nervous about staying there because of the review on this site but decided to 'chance' it because we'd stayed there about 20 years ago and a phone call confirmed that the motel is still owned by the same lady (Joy).
The main building is not new (1950's maybe?) but it is very well maintained and quaint. You might expect Rob and Laura Petrie to emerge from the room next door! Our rooms (we rented #7 & #12) were very, very, very clean. The bathroom actually sparkled. The bed sheets had been dried in the sun and smelled like my mother had laundered them i.e. wonderful). The A/C was very cold and the water (delicious well water) was very hot. The TV (DirectTV) worked fine . The grounds are lovely with beautiful plantings, a rolling lawn and birds galore (I'd guess we saw at least ten species; the hummingbirds were especially cool). We enjoyed our own cocktail hour at the screened-in picnic table area. The setting feels like you are in the 'country' but a grocery and liquor store and restaurant are just a mile down the road. We really appreciated the delicious complimentary coffee this morning.
The Hillside Motel is not the Ritz Carlton; if you are looking for room service, granite surfaces and Egyptian cotton linens keep on looking but if you want a EXTREMELY WELL PRICED ($60 per night if you can believe it!), clean room in a privately owned (support small business!) old-fashioned, meticulously maintained, clean motel (steps from your numbered parking space to your room door) I could not recommend The Hillside Motel any more strenuously.
The owner, Joy and Edison are wonderful friendly people. I asked them about the other Yelp review and they said that it appeared after they denied renting a room to a bunch of kids who wanted to cram 4 in a room; the max they allow is two in a room (the rooms are not huge). The internet is such a great resource it is a shame that somebody could be such a jerk as to seek revenge in such a manner. read more