SureStay Hotel by Best Western Helen Downtown

We had a wonderful stay and would choose this place again if we came back to Helen. The room was ready well before check-in, which we appreciated, and the front desk was quick and very kind. Our room was clean and had a king bed, fireplace, spa tub, and balcony. The balcony faced construction on the hotel's right side, though that's not the hotel's fault. It's an ideal spot, only a five-minute walk from most shops. There were a lot of creaks and settling sounds through the night, so light sleepers should be ready for that.

The evening and morning desk workers were very nice and polite, but the trip was a huge disappointment after traveling all the way from Orlando, Florida. We came because we'd seen that Helen, Ga. was having a New Year's Eve celebration with activities for children. The town didn't have much to offer that night, and the area was surprisingly dimly lit. The hotel room was average and outdated, despite being described as newly remodeled. The TV only got one channel, the heater blew cool air even on heat, and there was mold on an old repair in the bathroom ceiling. I could maybe accept those problems in a $100 room, but we were charged $324.92. That felt ridiculous, especially with my rewards membership and AARP discount.

We had a relaxing overnight stay for our couples trip and thought it was good value. The room was very clean, though the floor could have been mopped better because some dirt was still there. It didn't bother us much since we had socks on. The front desk staff were friendly. Breakfast wasn't served hot, but there were plenty of things to heat in the microwave, including oatmeal, grits, and breakfast sandwiches. They also had a toaster and jam, bagels, toast, waffles, cereal, yogurt, hot tea, coffee, and juice. Downtown Helen was an easy walk away, and we'll definitely come back.

For what we paid, this was a great place for our one-night stay. Parking was plentiful, and we liked being able to leave the car close to our door. The room was clean, and we could walk to almost everything we wanted to see. Anyone concerned about there being no elevator should get out more, hotels and motels like this haven't had them for decades. We barely heard other guests. The TV worked fine for us, though a storm interrupted its signal a few times. We were okay with that since we don't depend much on having a TV. It's a great spot when you're in Helen!