Shoal Lake Motor Inn

The portions seemed fair for the prices, and the food was great. I also chatted with some friendly locals. But the place was visibly understaffed. The server was rushing around because he was also cooking, and we had to remind him about a few forgotten items. He brought them back quickly and apologized each time. We were greeted and seated promptly, and he helped the other customers before coming back to apologize for being busy. Meanwhile, the owner was relaxing and chatting. I heard the owner is known for overworking and underpaying staff until they quit. I also heard families with kids might want to avoid the motel, though I can't speak to that myself.

The coffee tasted fresh, wasn't bitter, and came in a generously sized mug. I stopped in at the bar while my truck was being serviced at the rad shop. The bacon and cheese burger was a real surprise: a juicy, light patty with a nice fat-to-meat balance, a little garlic in the sauce, and a smashed shape that filled the bun. The fries were crunchy and ridged, and good. As usual in Manitoba, they only had regular vinegar, since no one uses malt vinegar. Prices were reasonable, around $10-$15 per person. I'll come back and try something else.

The bathroom walls were dirty. The wall by the hand towels looked like it hadn't been cleaned after the previous guests, whose hands must have been very dirty, and the left wall was dirty too. I washed them while my husband went to get a plunger for the plugged toilet. When he asked the manager for one, the manager only said they'd been waiting for a plumber, without saying they would come fix it. At least the floor and the bed linens were clean. We will NEVER stay here again.

There wasn't even a coffee pot or any other way to make coffee, and the bathroom had no ventilation, either a fan or a window, so odors and moisture were an issue. The bed was very firm, with squeaky springs and hard, flat pillows. The TV was small but adequate, though the digital cable had almost no options beyond basic news, and more than half the channels with a picture had no sound. In the attached pics, you can see a heavy, clear line of dust, which made it look like vacuuming hadn't been done carefully. The simple rooms had very few amenities and were overrun with flies. I killed 10 on the first night so I could sleep without them landing on me as soon as I lay down. On the second day, the housekeeper asked about it, and I got my own fly-swatter because the place didn't have one. I stayed three nights because it's the only place in town and my employer provided it. I'd only choose to stay here myself if I had no way to get to a neighbouring town and needed somewhere to crash for one night.