Lake Erie Lodge Erie

The office was dirty. In our room there was hair and dirt all over the floor, something that looked like vomit on the wall, daylight showing around the door, and an unclean bathroom. We couldn’t get our money back, so we chose to leave.

For an overnight stop while driving through, this place is okay, but I wasn’t impressed. The exterior feels stuck in the 1960s, and the rooms are only loosely “remodeled.” Mine was clean after I moved, but the work looked shoddy, as if they’d primed over dirty old paint and stopped there. The first room they assigned me had stained sheets with black oily marks, coffee, and red juice, and the mattress felt wet. They moved me without a problem. I also got the impression some guests lived there full time. The booking site advertised continental breakfast, but at check-in I was told it was seasonal and had ended on Labour Day. The man who handled reception and was the hotel manager was polite, but gave both my wife and me a creepy Norman Bates vibe from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” I saw renovation work happening during our stay, so I assume it was ongoing when I wrote this.

The room was good, and the location was great for Waldameer, the beaches, and places to eat. There’s also a small pool. The room was clean, though the bath towels didn’t arrive until close to 9 p.m., and the AC was in an awkward spot that made it hard to cool the space. I was ready to leave a good review until I found out it could take 2-3 days for my $102 deposit to return to my account. Most hotels only hold a small amount for incidentals. I’m not sure I’ll come back, but if the money is back in my account tomorrow, I might edit this review.

It was what I expected for a decent price: a basic room that was clean and fairly recently updated. The pool was perfect for the kids, and being so close to Waldameer and the state park was fantastic. The air conditioner in the room was a bit loud, and calling the breakfast continental is a stretch. I’d stay again.