Twin Rivers Motel Castlegar

I’d never stay here again and can’t recommend it. The shower was nasty, with lots of long, gross hair blocking the drain, and the cupboards were disgusting. There was a mouse trap under the sink. The couch was so gross I had to cover it with a sheet, and the sheets had stains, so I felt I needed to buy my own sheets and blankets. The blankets looked older than me, with a floral pattern from the 70s. They advertised it as a two-bedroom, but it was just one bedroom with a mattress in the living room and no door between the spaces. The price was another problem. They quoted me $2,000 a month, then charged $2,200 plus tax, $2,530 total, when I arrived. That’s 25% more than the original quote. The same thing happened to my friend who was staying there. Gross!

The room smelled strongly of cigarette smoke and cat pee in some corners. There were cigarette butts everywhere and cat food on the floor, even though we’d been told no pets. It clearly hadn’t been cleaned in weeks, and there were holes in the wall that we were blamed for despite having photos showing they were already there. The owner Erica Ortega was very rude from the moment we arrived. When we asked for a heater because the room was cold at night, she yelled at us and refused. After we left, she made up a bunch of claims about damage and us being loud, then tried to make us pay for damage that was already there. This was by far the worst place I’ve ever stayed. I wouldn’t stay there again even for free, and absolutely don’t recommend it.

The price was unbeatable, and the attention to detail was just as good. After more than 10 hours in the car in 33-plus heat, we were so grateful to find somewhere safe where we felt completely comfortable. The room was cleaner than some of the nicest resorts we’ve stayed at in Mexico. The owner had space for us and our dog, comped a kitchenette suite in case we needed several nights, and even pre-chilled the AC for us. We only ended up here because our vehicle overheated and was towed into Castlegar on a Saturday night of a long weekend. Every hotel we called was full, so I made a hail-mary call to this little motel and found an angel in the owner. She did mention that they’d sold the motel. Otherwise, if I’m ever stuck in the Kootenays again, I’d choose to book here and be glad to.

The location above the river is great, and it makes a super base for exploring the area. Manager Lauralee was gracious and helpful, and the motel is good value with weekly rates. I noticed the daily price is lower on Booking. It’s an older motel, but the rooms have been updated and were clean. We had newer carpet, a very nice bathroom, and a full kitchen. Fresh paint made it feel inviting, and the linens were very nice.