Baxter Inn

My wife and I came to Baxter Inn Motel to help two longtime residents who live there, rather than to stay overnight. They both have physical disabilities and need some assistance with everyday activities. When we first arrived, the front desk clerk was helpful and friendly in pointing us to the room. The motel is dated and clearly not a five-star place, but it looked clean and tidy. My wife is a Licensed Practical Nurse. She planned to assess and care for the woman, who had recently been in a car accident and needed nursing help at home, along with errands, transportation, and basic housekeeping. I’ve spent more than 20 years as a motorcycle technician repairing and restoring vehicles so people can have safe transportation without spending too much. The man asked me to repair his SUV, and I planned to pick him up the next day so we could start the repairs we had discussed. When we returned the following morning, around 6 a.m., we parked our truck near the rear entrance with tools and equipment in the bed. As we drove around the back, we saw a man in neon yellow running shorts and tennis shoes dragging something across the grassy yard. He seemed out of place at that hour. I got out, but paused just inside the entrance because he looked suspicious and was slowly moving toward the door. From there I watched him walk to my truck and reach into the bed. I opened the door and confronted him. I told him clearly to stay out of my vehicle and that I’d call the police if I caught him going through or taking my belongings. I also said I would tell the manager on duty so they’d know what happened and there wouldn’t be further contact with my property. He became verbally defensive and physically assertive, raised his voice, and said he was the motel’s security guard, checking whether vehicle doors were locked to prevent theft. He followed me inside and down the hall to the front desk, where I spoke with the manager. Update: I later ran into this individual at the local Casey's fuel station. He parked next to my vehicle at the pump and insisted on approaching me. I told him I felt threatened by his presence and wanted no contact. I warned him that if he wouldn’t leave me alone, I had every right to protect myself. I’m now at the police station in Baxter springs filing a report for an adult protection order.

We’ve been at Baxter inn for over a month, and it’s a quiet spot. The owners are friendly, and they respect the signs: they clean the room when we put out the maid sign and leave us alone when it says not to disturb. The room has been comfortable, clean, and everything works. The ice box holds plenty of food, the microwave is fine, and the showers are nice and warm. Mcdonalds is across the street, Casey's is next door, and the dollar store and grocery store are just down the road.

Parking is easy, and the value is good. There are BBQ pits behind the hotel that guests can use, and it’s right by a gas station and a newer gray-and-white Macdonald's. The beds were good and the rooms fairly clean, but it’s an old hotel that needs updating. The smell by the back stairs and hallway entrance is really awful.

The front desk staff were nice, but our stay was a flop. The room smelled like it hadn’t been occupied in years. There were stains on the sheets, and I spent the whole night worrying about bed bugs, though luckily there weren’t any. The towels had large black spots, so I wouldn’t use them and threw them away. At least someone had wiped the counters, but the rest of the room was really dirty. I was hoping breakfast might make up for it, maybe with some coffee, but there was barely any food, just pastries wrapped in plastic, and I couldn’t tell how old they were. The coffee tasted like water with a little coffee in it, so we went to Starbucks instead.