Sword Motor Inn

The room smelled musty and felt very dated. There was no hand soap, and the bathroom hadn’t been cleaned properly, with plenty of hair left behind. When I brought it up at checkout, nobody apologized.

We came mainly for the indoor pool because we have kids, but the whole stay was uncomfortable and we definitely wouldn’t come back. For $180, expectations weren’t exactly low, though it was very much a “you get what you pay for” motel. There was mold on the bathroom walls, and the room smelled strongly of stale cigarette smoke. Then the fire alarm started going off. Staff had us take it down and didn’t provide a replacement, so we spent the night in a room without a fire alarm.

The comfortable bed, working heater, and good check-in were the bright spots. Still, the room looked very tired and dated, with dirty carpets and mold around the tub and bath mat. The TV was difficult to use. Breakfast was mostly carbs: toast, English muffins, mini waffles, cereal, sugary yogurt, and fruit juice. There wasn’t much for a diabetic, with no protein. At $158, it wasn’t worth it. We’ve stayed in much nicer rooms for less.

Our room was in a separate one-story block, and the hotel is right in the city center with everything within walking distance. There’s a park behind the hotel, with an exit to the river just behind it, where you can relax with family, eat, or walk on the green grass. Everything was neat and tidy. The beds were clean, the apartment was absolutely quiet, and everything worked: the shower, hair dryer, electricity and charging points, air conditioning, microwave, refrigerator, and iron. There was warm water, too. We swam in the warm indoor pool and sat in the sauna, which was wonderful. Breakfast was the usual coffee, cereal, fruit, yogurt, and baked waffles. We’ll definitely come back.