Redwood Motel

The room stank of pee, there were needles everywhere, and the shower had only two settings, painfully hot or much too cold. The water pressure was either too weak or so strong it felt like it was cutting my skin. The dresser was missing drawers, the TV remote had most of its buttons missing, and the volume was either too loud or too quiet. We had to lift one side of the door to get it to close. One night, a wide-eyed man with a scabby face and flat nose kicked in the already broken door and tried to rob us. I left him lying in a pool of his own in the parking lot. I expected the RCMP to show up, but they never did. The place was a bad choice, though it was the cheapest in town. Random dogs were around all the time and got hit by cars at least once a day. We'd twitch at the loudest yelps. The other guests were constantly fighting about who would go to the liquor store while they waited for their “plug.” I saw ten different people leave in an ambulance and return swearing at their partners, who often had a fresh black eye or missing teeth. There were kids in grade school still in saggy pampers, with people talking about how proud they were of them. I stayed for a week, and at first it seemed nice. Then I found out there was another door into the room for staff. They'd just come in without knocking, sometimes while I was mid-coitus. I asked the foreign lady to leave, but she kept asking what we needed. We both said, “PRIVACY!!” She smiled, handed us toilet paper and coffee, and congratulated us as we finished. This happened at least once a day.

We rolled through town looking for somewhere to crash for a night, and this little spot worked out great. The staff were super friendly, and our room was really nice and already warmed up when we arrived. You can park right in front of the room and keep an eye on your truck. Definitely recommend it.

After ten hours on the road, I wasn't in the mood to be snapped at. The night manager walked past with his pit bull and lectured me that all dogs had to be leashed, saying it would be my fault if his dog got loose and hurt mine. His dog was pulling hard toward my small, well-behaved Shih Tzu, who was sniffing nearby while we unloaded. I objected to his tone and the “#1 rule here” talk, and we argued in front of the day manager, who I assume was the owner. I don't think anyone in hospitality should speak to customers that way. The night manager also looked scruffy and unkempt and brought his pit bull to work. We were undecided about staying even after unpacking much of our luggage. Before we got out of the truck, I noticed the smell of Marijuana. One bed cover had holes, stains and an unclean smell, the bathroom needed repairs, and the water smelled a bit unpleasant.

Cathy made our month-long stay affordable and comfortable. She was dependable, always available, and shared local events and places that might interest us. Her professionalism, dedication and easy conversation made the time feel well spent, and we'll definitely come back. The environmental service ladies were a pleasure, and helped make things pleasant for my son while caring for our two medium-sized dogs. The rooms were clean and pleasant, though dated, with the necessities we needed. We were also unexpectedly offered an ozone cleaning because of my son's sensitivity to smoke, which we really appreciated.