Wabush Hotel

The food was good, though the restaurant setup caused a little confusion since it operates separately. Our room wasn’t disturbed by the renovations underway. The building itself is such a neat, distinctive old place, and the arrangements for mine workers seemed well organized.

At just over $200 a night, this place is way overpriced. The bedding was in poor shape, with stained blankets and sheets stitched up where they had holes. The beds were hard, and there were only a few channels to watch. The tub was peeling along the sides, the area around the drain was brown-black and decayed, and the faucet was very loose. This was our first stay, and it’ll be our last.

The heating was impossible to manage with the thermostat. Set it for 15 and it reached 24, or set it for 22 and it might hit 27. We had to sleep with the windows open in -5 weather to avoid the heat building up under the sheets. Staff seemed indifferent, and although there is a restaurant, paying guests can’t eat there. It appears to serve miners and forestry workers who don’t have a choice. The hotel is very old and looks it. The room wasn’t buggy, but it wasn’t clean either, and the pillows and blankets were like something from an old fishing cabin. The shower and bathroom looked as if they hadn’t changed since the 50s. You wouldn’t expect the Ritz, but this was worse than a budget motel. I’m sure there are better places to look.

The food tasted good and the restaurant was pretty clean, so it’s still a decent spot for Chinese buffet when I’m craving it. On my last visit, though, there was just one strip of buffet food, much less than on earlier visits. I don’t know if the bigger spread is only offered on weekends, but I’d like to see more choices during the week too. The place was almost too quiet, and some music or other background sound would’ve helped. The server didn’t check back after first setting us up, so even a water refill would’ve been appreciated. I may add more stars after a future visit if the selection is larger and the atmosphere feels livelier.