Western Budget Motel East Red Deer

The staff were the best part of our stay, and I wish them luck. Most were amazing, kind, and helpful, even as several left during our month-plus stay, including the longtime manager who quit the day after we arrived. We used to come regularly before the new management took over, and the change has been noticeable. It's a shame to see the place go downhill. We were in the middle of a life transition and stayed for over a month because the price was reasonable. We're pretty easygoing, so we kept quiet about the broken toilets and fireplaces, ant poison in pet rooms, slow hot water, uneven room cleanliness, frequent water shutoffs, and a breakfast that was all carbs with no protein. I'm a hypoglycemic diabetic and couldn't eat what was offered. For what we paid, we figured we'd roll with it. But today I found a $140 charge on my card for one night at this budget motel. We usually paid $79 a night, and I've never paid that much for a hotel room except for a special occasion. When I called, they said it included a pet fee and an early check-in fee. The pet charge seemed somewhat fair, though we'd been told it was paid once at the start and would taper off over time. They kept charging us whenever we came back, and we let it go. Still, going from $79 plus $20 for the pet to $140 for one night is unacceptable for a motel of this quality. We checked in about an hour early. I've checked into hotels early plenty of times without a fee, and never without being asked first. They asked if we wanted the usual charge, we said yes, and then they charged whatever they felt like because they had our card on file. Management defended the extra charges. The motel 6 across the highway is $94 a night including pet fees, with no early check-in fee, and the quality was about the same, maybe a little better. We won't be back, and we've taken our regular business across the highway.

The atmosphere at the Budget Inn in Red Deer was hard to explain and pretty unsettling. I heard knocking at the door more than once, but no one was there, and the touch lamps kept switching themselves on and off, often three times in a row. I also woke up around 3:00 AM feeling strongly uneasy. After I moved to another room, the disturbances seemed to get worse, with the same kind of knocking when I entered.

I loved it here. The kindness and professionalism on the phone, the thoughtful, helpful front desk ladies, and my beautiful room all made such a difference. I don't have enough words for that night of sleep in my pretend castle, lol. This is my new favorite place and my regular room from now on.

Right across from Costco and the gas station, too. The hotel was super, super clean and cute. It's a bit dated, sure, but you get what you pay for. Breakfast wasn't anything special, though it did the job.