Booked a queen room on Expedia, were traveling with a small dog and indicated as much on the site even leaving a message stating as much. We arrive, check in saying we have a dog, they moved us from the room we rented to a 10' x 14' room with a double bed, no headboard, theft deterrent devices on the pillows, extremely loud air conditioning in a bright-high traffic area (not good for dogs). Then to top it off they charged us extra for the dog! This being the 4th of July weekend left us no other choice but to endure a sleepless night in a room we grossly overpaid for. After all fees we paid roughly $180 to stay in a cell. read more

I like to be honest with my reviews, not try to oversell a place I like. That said, let's list some of Ely Motels' potential shortcomings: This is an old motel. It's exterior looks old and a bit shabby. The rooms are small, there's no getting around that. Much of the decor is also dated. The TVs are small, and the AC unit in our room was noisy. The parking lot is comically small. Now that all that is out of the way... onto the pros: The rooms, though small, are clean. The AC had a noisy fan, but it was modern, efficient, worked well, and even had a remote control. There were plenty of outlets in the room to plug in peripheral gear and devices. The Queen mattress was new and a medium-firmness. The mini fridge was an upright with a little freezer, not a cube. It also appeared to be new, as did the microwave and coffee maker. Also new were the bathroom fixtures, such as toilet, sink and shower head - a note about the shower: The owners are committed to a green motel experience. To that end they have dispensers for soap and shampoo rather than little bottles and bars. And their hot water is supplemented by solar heating. The shower head is amazing! Speaking of the owners, they are new owners of the motel and are very enthusiastic about their business and the town. They had some great recommendations for us, from dining, to day trips. For the amount of money that we paid during peak season (less than half of most other places), this place outshines its shortcomings. But keep in mind, if you're looking for the lap of luxury, look elsewhere. If you're looking for an affordable stay that is a comfortable night's sleep and a hot shower, then this IS the place for you. read more

Motel Ely - Queen bed, end tables. - Hotels Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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Excellent little motel! The proprietress was super-friendly and helpful, full of suggestions and advice. Very clean and quiet, despite being full and the height of summer. It's a fun, funky, retro-style motel! Don't stay here if you are super-fussy and want to spend time in your hotel room instead of enjoying the amazing town and location. I will definitely return! read more

This motel is like a trip back in time...but to a good time. You weren't sure what to expect when the sign said, "Air Conditioned, Color TV, Room Phones." The proprietor was super friendly, accommodating and efficient. The rooms were way bigger than I thought they would be. Bedding and towels were clean and newer and the rooms had refrigerator, microwave and nice TV. Beds were comfortable. We were on a motorcycle trip with an overnight in Ely and after checking in I noticed a sign that said, "Bikers Welcome." I thought, well that is nice. I didn't understand how sincere they really were until the next morning when we went outside greeted by a drizzle to find that the manager had put towels on our motorcycle seats to keep them dry for us. At 6 am in the morning!! Now that is welcoming! I highly recommend this hotel. They should be supported. read more

Great spot to lay your head. Run by a great family who live on premises. I grab this place as a stop-over each time a run a BWCA trip. Very clean, neat and comfortable. Will keep coming back. read more

A mid-century motel undergoing renovation by new owners that live on the premises. Very friendly owner,Eddy, made us feel very welcome. Nice sitting area outside to watch the world as Ely knows it go by. Looking forward to returning. How can you go wrong in a place that has in room instructions to "turn up" Patsy Cline or Marty Robbins? read more

We were looking for a place to rest our heads after a 6 hour drive, just for one night before we hit the Angleworm trail. The parking area seemed small and tight quarters - especially if you have a larger vehicle with a trailer or lots of gear. We parked on the street (right out front) and realized the spots are wider then they look just backing up could be tight. Seems strange but I like the way the bathroom was set up - I'm guessing newly remodeled - very clean. I've stayed at Budget friendly Motel/Hotel's before and this by far was the cleanest - and friendliest staff. Breakfast area is in the lobby/check in. Not really space to eat. But the scone was amazing (see my picture). It was such a nice treat and a great way to start a long day of hiking. IMO - it would of been easy to toss out some cheap want to be breakfast food. But not this place. Again when we checked out the staff was very nice (the doors use actual keys so no leaving the "plastic card" on the desk. Which, it didn't take very long so this was not a big deal at all. Suggestions: we checked in around 5. Around 8 we got a call asking when we may be arriving as the front desk gal was going to be stepping out for a bit. I am grateful for the call, good customer service. But odd that she didn't know we had checked in? The bed only had 2 pillows and once you laid on them they were flat. So - watching an evening movie after a long drive was rather uncomfortable. There was someone pounding (fixing or building something) either behind us or in the room next door. So at 8 PM this was a little annoying to listen to. The shower head was not very easy to use. Once I figured it out I realized I also had water all over - hard to explain but the head had to be pushed in and the temperature kept changing from hot to cold. I couldn't use the sink area while my husband showered because the water sprayed over the shower rod. This actually made me laugh, but had to wipe down the mirror once he was done. If we came to town and were only staying for 1-2 nights I would stay again. OR if you are planning on spending most of your days in the BWCA and not in the lodging then it is a great place to stay. I'd just bring a pillow from home...of course I didn't ask for another so there may have been more available. Thanks for the great hospitality. read more

Motel Ely - the view from our room - might not be "fancy" but worth the stay. VERY clean room! - Hotels Near Me - Ely, Minnesota

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This was a nice little place to stay for the one night we were looking for. The staff was very friendly and gave suggestions of places to visit. The room was clean and cozy. Breakfast options included fresh fruit, muffins, pastries, hard boiled eggs, juice, coffee, and tea. read more

Well, I got my refund back. That was my only qualm. Otherwise, the place was pleasant. The front clerk attitude was nice and was helpful.

I rated the Motel Ely a five star because it was exactly what I wanted at a great price. The room was clean and quiet, the bed was comfortable and the shower never ran out of hot water! Also, this is a family owned business run by extremely friendly folks who genuinely care about their customers. I had a great week in Ely in no small part because the owners set the tone for my stay the first moment I arrived and never disappointed me. Thank you for a wonderful stay and I hope to return! read more

I had a similar experience that a previous reviewer had. The gentleman who first checked me in for my one night stay was very pleasant and friendly. I paid for my room and grabbed my key, it was close to 10 pm, I had driven 4.5 hours, and I was beat. I opened the door to find the room had not been turned over, bed was a mess, cups out all over, and towels on the floor. I returned to the front desk and explained my situation, not worried because I figured it was a simple fix. The nice man behind the desk was in the middle of apologizing when some lady comes storming out of the back. She almost seemed to be accusing me of lying about the room being dirty when the guy pointed out "he has no reason to me making it up". So she sits down and bangs away at the keyboard and says ok you can stay in this other room. I ask if the room is dog friendly, it wasn't. I had my trusty companion with my for a week in the BWCA. She then responds by telling me it looks like they forgot to charge me for the pet fee of 15 dollars. I chuckled and said well I guess we can just call it a wash since I was inconvenienced with a dirty room. When she proceeded to argue with me over the 15 dollars and telling me, "well you're welcome to go find a room elsewhere". I was shocked. None of this was my fault. I guess in the end it was, because I'm the one who booked a room at ely budget motel. After yelling at me for a few minutes she slammed the key to my new room on the counter and said "whatever". read more

Had to stay a few nights in Ely recently. Picked this spot due my other primary spot was booked. It is a motel, in the 60's sense, in that you drive up to your door. The decor is "motel" too, but at least it was well kept and clean. The bed was comfortable and the room was surprisingly quiet. I checked moderate on the price range, but at 80 bucks a night during 'off season' it was a bit pricey for the room. It ain't the Ritz, but if you're looking for a spot to sleep, it'll work. read more

The gentleman working the front desk was very friendly. We drove in from the cities and were told we could stop by on arrival to see if the room was ready early. We were greeted by the most unwelcoming woman I have ever met. Frantically running from room to room she said she was too busy to help us and, "It's ONLY 11 o'clock, " as if we broke some cardinal rule, then told us to come back in two hours. We were forced to get ready for our family wedding in another motel across the street. There were 8 of us, we had two rooms with four beds total. After the wedding, about 1am, we returned to a parking lot full of bikers hanging out no big deal. 3 people went into 1 room and fell asleep, 5 went into the other to wind down. At 1:30 we called the front desk to ask for a cot. The woman was furious, told us our music was disruptive (played from a phone mind you), and scolded me like a child. They're now charging us to have the carpets cleaned because we apparently stunk up the place so bad they can't rent it out again, also exaggerated. Given the musty old smell upon arrival I'm surprised they can smell anything! I feel like we were used. We certainly aren't rockstars, just a family who went to a wedding on a Saturday night. This place was out of line for treating us so poorly. read more

This has been our go to place in Ely! The staff is helpful and friendly even when we check in late :) The rooms are so clean, beds comfortable, and in room coffee great before heading out for the day. Reasonably priced, a great value. read more