Johnny's Motel

We needed somewhere to sleep after a long day on the road, so we gave this place a try based on the reviews. The room was cozy, comfortable, and clean, and honestly I hadn’t expected the inside to be this nice. We were so glad we stopped. It was great value, and I highly recommend it.

The staff were incredibly kind, thoughtful, and helpful. I can see why people stay for longer stretches, and I’d love to find a reason to return to Grand Forks for at least a week. Johnny's Motel did a stellar job rebuilding after being flooded over a decade ago and recommitting to its service, and I’m so grateful. The motel was easy to find just off the highway, yet the rooms felt away from the road bustle. They look out over a bit of lawn and the river, and my two cats loved watching through the full glass sliding door. On our cross-country trip, so many motels had windows we couldn’t open or access, so this was a welcome change. The room was nicely laid out, with a tallboy dresser and two bedside tables with drawers. The kitchenette had everything I could need: a toaster oven, kettle, small hotplate, pots, plates, cutlery, cups, and even what I needed to wash and dry dishes. I’d brought my kettle in from the car before realizing everything was already in the cupboards and drawers. There was also a full-size fridge with freezer, which was the best option for keeping my refrigerated medications cold and refreezing ice packs along the way. The washroom was surprisingly large, with a barrier-free shower and built-in ledges to perch on. The room temperature was lovely, and I could easily turn it down since I tend to run warm.

Johnnys recently had a fire in Dec 2025, and several units are being taken down to make way for a new build. There are still unaffected units to rent, and we can hardly wait to see the finished place when we return. The motel was rebuilt after flooding years ago and feels bright and new, with great furnishings and WONDERFUL, comfortable beds. We love the management and the motel, and look forward to another visit to this charming little town. We highly recommend staying at Johnnys. We stayed from January 1 to March 11, 2026, escaping the Winnipeg winter. We’d stayed at Johnny's before and deliberately chose it again for a long visit. We picked two-room model #4, with a separate bedroom and a pocket door to the bathroom. The living area also had a queen bed, but with just the two of us and our little dog, there was plenty of room. The kitchen was very comfortable and accessible, with an Oster countertop oven, microwave, fridge, small appliances, utensils, full-size sink, lots of upper and lower cabinets in bright white, a small dining table and chairs, coffee maker, electric kettle, and toaster. Each room had cable TV and complete privacy when needed. There were bureaus in both rooms, but only a hanging clothes rack in the main living area. The new vinyl slider windows were tight-fitting and still easy to open. The larger units have private entrances at the back, away from the road, and ours had a carport. The carports also let you BBQ out of the rain. Shared propane BBQs and picnic tables sit in the lovely yards behind the units, with tables and chairs on the patios. The property backs onto a private, quiet riverfront, with stairs down to the river and a small sandy beach for summer. It’s totally dog friendly. Our pup loved going out to look for deer, which often wander by. The deer are so used to dogs that they seem to know they won’t be hurt, so there’s no trouble between them. At night they head down to the riverbank for water. The river is clear and sparkling and quite shallow this year. In previous years, the water was higher and the current stronger, so dogs might be tempted to swim. A few things would help for a longer stay. We used the main living area as a living room, so a comfortable fold-out sofa bed instead of the queen bed would be nice, though we know a good affordable sofa bed may not be practical. In the bedroom, two small bedside tables would be handy. We brought folding tables in from the yard to use as nightstands. The narrow wall spaces would also work well for small clothing racks, since hanging space is limited and only in the main room. In the spacious bathroom, a medicine cabinet above the toilet would keep personal items and medicines out of sight. There is a decent cabinet under the sink, but it means us seniors have to crouch to get things.

We were pleasantly surprised by this stop on our road trip. We booked at the last minute, and check-in was easy. The room was spotless and very well kept, and the price was affordable, with much better value than we expected. This motel will be our first choice when we travel this route again.