New Western Athabasca Inn

The hallways had buckets catching water from ceiling leaks, and several room doors looked as if they'd been hacked or punched. Inside the room, there were dead bugs on the windowsill. The roof vent was packed with dust, and within five minutes of switching it on my face felt like it was exploding. The bathroom faucet leaked across the counter, while the toilet kept running noisily all day and night because of a bad seal. The soap and shampoo dispenser was empty, and the ice bucket was useless since there wasn't an ice machine anywhere in the building.

The bed was the worst part of the stay. The comforter had stains, and the pillowcases seemed to be covering stains on the pillows. The floors were stained too, and the furniture dusty, whether from renovations or poor cleaning I can't say. The room smelled strongly of smoke despite being marked non-smoking, and the plug-in baseboard heater didn't keep it warm. We couldn't figure out the shower plumbing, and the tub spout spun all the way around while water poured out. There are stairs to reach rooms, and the unfinished floors and loose stair caps make them tricky to walk on. At the front desk, the clerk didn't understand what a cot was for the three of us sharing a room with two beds. She called her manager on her cell, and they discussed what to charge me while I stood there. That's unprofessional, and staff should know the equipment and pricing. The place is under renovation, but unless Athabasca has no rooms anywhere else, I'd avoid it. I'd rather sleep in my truck with it running than stay in any room there.

The shower took a good five minutes to get warm, then the shower head sprayed water like needles. The room was dirty and smelled bad, with holes in the walls, and everything looked like it was from the 1990s. This is about as cheap as it gets, yet the price is like the top hotels in town. Breakfast isn't complimentary as it is at other hotels, you have to pay extra. There was hair in the food, and the chef came out from the kitchen wearing the dirtiest apron I've ever seen. I won't be back.

The room felt run down, with worn out furniture that looked like it was from the 1970s. The portable AC was fitted to an open window with a broken dryer flex pipe. The restaurant and lounge seemed to be closed. Rooms here cost as much as new four star hotels on the east side of town.