Arkona Motor Inn

Nothing about this place matched the pictures. It smelled terrible, the people were rude, and it was by far the worst place I’ve ever seen. After checking in, I found pubic hair on the toilet seat and rim, and feces in the toilet. The TV was broken and leaning against the back of the cabinet, and one bed was tilted because a leg was broken. As I headed to the lobby to complain, someone sitting outside offered me “Whatever I need” and I took him to be a drug dealer. Staff came to inspect the problems and show us another room. Its toilet was broken and ran continuously, the TV and one of the cabinet’s two drawers were missing, and one bed was unmade with a filthy-looking pillowcase. I told the staff member who saw it that this was unacceptable too. Back at the lobby, I asked for a refund. The owner came out after she spoke to him and said, “We showed you 2 rooms, if you don't like it, don't stay”. When I tried explaining, he cut me off, repeated “If you don't like it, just get out”, and refused to listen or refund my money. We left and stayed at the Ramada down the road. Stay away.

The toilet was dirty, the room smelled so bad the odor stayed even after we used room spray, and there were flies everywhere. We didn’t want to walk on the floor mat without shoes or sandals. I’m not sure whether they actually clean rooms after guests leave. The microwave they provided didn’t work, and even after we contacted the front desk, they never arranged a replacement. This is the worst motel I’ve seen in Canada. I gave it 1 only because that’s the minimum rating; it deserves 0.

I’d read a lot of reviews but booked anyway. Check-in was quick and friendly. The first room turned out to be smoking, so I went back to the desk and explained how sensitive I am to smoke smell. They moved us to another room without fuss, and it was lovely, clean and had working a/c. I’ve seen people complain about mismatched linens, but if they’re clean, who cares? I’d stay again.

The room was a decent size and clean, and my kids enjoyed the pool. For a place that seems old enough to still have tube TVs, the free Wi-Fi was a surprise. The traditional door key stopped working while I was doing a final check after our stay, just before checkout. There are things the inn could improve, but it’s enough if you mainly need a bed to sleep in and a washroom to use. You get what you pay for.