The Landmark Inn

This place is a total dump. It's worth $20 a night at most, just to avoid sleeping on the sidewalk outside its unmarked entrance. I don't buy the renovations excuse. They shouldn't rent out dangerous rooms that haven't been renovated. The outlets didn't work, cable wires ran across the floor and made a serious trip hazard that could easily be fixed, and there was no hot water. I'm surprised it hasn't been shut down. It's really sad, because the building has good bones and a great location, and the right owners could make it a great place. At the very least, it needs someone at the front desk.

The smell from the kava bar downstairs was unpleasant. I think it came from whatever root they use for the tea, though I'm not sure. The bathroom is tiny, and the toilet sits so close to the wall that it could be tough if you're over 5.5 feet tall. Watch your head on the shower door bar, too. If you want hot water, let the shower run for about five minutes first. It's a fairly nice no-frills place, basically a bed, bathroom, mini fridge, and microwave. There's no staff on site, so when we ran out of toilet paper we had to provide our own roll.

The staff aren't there around the clock, but they're on call if you need something. Renovations are underway on a big scale. I work on the square and often stop in to see what has changed since the new ownership. A few of the newly remodeled rooms are finished. I'd ask for one of those: the old rooms feel very historic, while the new ones are sleek, modern, and sparkly new. The new rooms get five stars from me.

The location was the one bright spot. I was on foot and enjoyed the people I met among the merchants, locals, and other visitors. Still, I won't stay at this Landmark Inn again. The second floor was noisy in the evening, with guests coming in, and other guests showed little courtesy. One person locked himself out, then made loud phone calls and broke into the room. The bed and linens were worn out. For one night I paid $89, then found a $10 parking ticket on my car because I'd parked overnight in a spot marked no parking from 2 to 6 a.m. That warning wasn't posted anywhere.