TLDR: we recommend this motel, and will stay again anytime we're in the area! Posting separate…read morecafe/bar review.
We stayed 3 nights in unit 20; it sits atop the office/bar, so it sticks out from the rest of the motel, windows on 3 sides. It's a super cute unit! Very impressive remodel. I loved the black-and-white photo art on one of the BR walls, it would be really cool to see more art in here. We loved that it had a heated mudroom at the foot of the stairs to remove your boots before you come up to the unit. A little bench or stool in there would be nice to sit and take off your boots for those of us who are over 40. ;-)
The suite had just about everything we need, which typically never happens. There were even wine glasses! It could use a can opener and some dish towels, but other than that, the kitchenette was well appointed. We loved having a toaster. There were even hot plates (but no pots to cook in) and 2 coffee makers. My only complaint is there was no decaf coffee, and when I asked at the front desk, they said they only had caffeinated coffee for the rooms? Seems like an odd thing to skimp on, but I was able to purchase cups of decaf from the coffee bar downstairs, so not a huge deal. The fridge is a pretty decent size for a motel, it even has a separate freezer! An ice cube tray in the freezer would be nice.
Each bedroom had a TV, desk, closet and full-sized bed. It would be nice to have closet valets to set luggage on- I typically like to avoid setting my bag on the floor. We loved having separate rooms and desks in each room, and took full advantage of them, as each of us had to work over our stay. Recommend getting queen beds in the bedrooms when they replace the mattresses. Beds were okay, but old and pretty soft, and probably should be replaced soon to match the upscale vibe they are going for here. Website says their bedding is "luxurious" and it felt fine, but we prefer 100% cotton sheets. And we noticed there were some rips in the comforters and pulls (from a dog?) on the rugs. Not a big deal, but details like this matter when you're trying to be upscale.
We stayed toasty warm even though it was below zero all weekend. It has electric baseboard heating throughout the unit, but not sure what's up with the super loud heater in bathroom? It was the only heater that made loud noises, and we couldn't control when the noises happened, so it was irritating while we were watching movies together. But the great thing is we didn't ever hear any noise from other guests, even though below us was the office/bar. We did however constantly hear street noise, which can't be helped on a main thoroughfare. You get used to it after a day or so. Recommend bringing earplugs if you're a light sleeper, truck traffic goes through there all night long. They desperately need blackout curtains in all the bedrooms, it was wayyyyy too bright with just the blinds closed, even at night. Installing blackout curtains would help with the street noise as well.
The only sour note in the whole weekend was the front desk clerk, Kayla. I'm not sure what her problem was, but she was rude, defensive, sarcastic and seemed angry to see me whenever I entered the office/bar. She seemed to snap at her coworkers as well, and made them visibly uncomfortable. Also- it really would have made our Sunday morning tons easier if we could have gotten a late check out, but they refused to allow it unless we paid for half a day. ($77). But, it was such a fantastic experience otherwise, I am still giving Hotel Rapids 4 stars!