Econo Lodge Battle Creek

The people were really nice, and my room was fairly clean without much of a smell. The hallways, though, smelled smoky. Breakfast was pretty scant, but at least there was hot coffee. After the big snow, the parking lot hadn’t been cleaned very well. You can walk into town from here, though the train may be a bit of an obstacle.

The very low price is what brought us here. The room itself was clean and well appointed, and the staff were polite. Outside, the building has seen better days, while the lobby looked like a remodel had started and then been abandoned. Several people seemed to spend a lot of time hanging around the parking lot, which made me concerned about security. Breakfast was included in what we were billed for, but no continental breakfast was available.

The staff were nice, and at least the beds were clean. The rest of the room was rough: the carpet was gross, both the shower and curtain had mold, and there was a nasty odor. We pulled the AC filter out and cleaned it ourselves. It looked like it had never been cleaned. There were sketchy people coming and going all the time.

We came back for a second year because the management was great. It’s family-owned, and I appreciated how well they treated us. The rooms were fine, with good beds, a TV, fridge, and microwave. The hotel’s location and hallways aren’t the best, though I never felt unsafe. There’s also an amazing little hole-in-the-wall breakfast place right next door.