Red Rock Lodge

The lobby's rock fireplace and lodge-like common areas made a nice impression, and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. They suggested places for breakfast, and there was coffee in the lobby. Our room was clean, with a huge TV, and being off the highway made it feel very safe. The bed was a bit too hard for me, but otherwise it was fine. The shower was great, large, and had lots of hot water. A great place to stop for the night in Challis, Idaho.

The beds are extremely firm. I'm a big guy with some extra padding, but that didn't make them any softer. I kept switching sides all night as my hips, arms, and shoulders went numb, so sleep was only okay. The A/C and fan worked great, and the room gave us shelter and some comfort for the evening. My wife and I were on a road trip through Northern Idaho, Western Montana, and Eastern Oregon, and Red Rock Lodge was our first night's stop. I'd booked it based on Google reviews. It's a decent place with basic hotel or motel amenities, including a reasonably stocked kitchenette with a microwave, hot plate, basic cooking utensils, full-size fridge, and a table with two chairs. The room wasn't cramped, and the bathroom was roomy with a walk-in shower. Both the entrance and bathroom doors were wide. Based on other reviews, I guess this was originally an assisted living facility. Cleanliness was just okay. We use disinfecting wipes and Lysol in every hotel room, and some spots left the wipe pretty dirty while others didn't. We were grossed out to find three used bandages on the shower floor, so we gave the shower extra attention with antibacterial spray. The carpets in both the room and hallway could use a serious deep clean.

The staff kindly let us check in early, even though we'd said we'd arrive by 4 p.m. The rooms were clean, adequately equipped, and stocked well enough. I was surprised by how nice the hotel was. The walls are a bit thin, so if you bring kids, make sure they know how to behave in a hotel.

The front desk employee was very helpful, and the owner was a really good guy. I accidentally left my pillow behind and only noticed once I got home; the owner went out of his way to ship it back. The location was great, and the rooms and bathrooms were clean. I stayed last weekend and plan to return next summer.