Rodeway Inn Hibbing

The staff were very accommodating, and the snow view made getting up to adjust the heat no trouble. The older heating system was tricky to set just right. The tub drained slowly, though the water pressure and temperature were great. The beds and especially the pillows were comfortable. The room felt average for an aging property, but it was a fine stay.

The shower had good water pressure and temperature, but that was about the only bright spot. The room was freezing when we arrived at the beginning of December in northern Minnesota, with the heat turned off. I understand heating costs money, but it wasn’t a warm welcome. The room felt bare and oddly arranged, and it seemed like both maintenance and cleaning had been cut back. The bed was stiff as a rock, and I woke up with a backache for the first time after a hotel stay. While getting ready, I spotted stains on the mattress and unfortunately pulled back the sheets. Not good. I picked this place because it was closest to the work site and hadn’t read the reviews, which was a mistake. When my colleague and I tried to check in, the desk clerk said my card had been declined and locked. After an awkward two minutes of silence, he just stared at me without offering a solution, as though they didn’t want our money. We eventually used another card. Later, my bank sent me a fraud alert. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel, even though it’s cheap. $104 is apparently cheap for a hotel now, but I wonder if any clerk would pay $104 a night to stay here.

There’s no elevator in a building with at least three floors, which is a serious accessibility problem. The outside looks run-down, like a low-end Motel 6. Inside, the room was disgustingly dirty: splattered mirrors, a filthy microwave, and obvious lack of maintenance. Light fixtures were coming off the walls, the bed leaned noticeably, and the desk had only an uncomfortable metal folding chair. There wasn’t a good spot to charge devices. Their so-called breakfast was just a juice machine, so there was no real breakfast at all. The stay was so uncomfortable that I would’ve checked out and gone to the Hampton Inn, but they were fully booked. This place badly needs a health inspection. Avoid it.

Don’t book here. I canceled my reservation within the allowed period after my plans changed, but Hibbing kept the full payment and never canceled the booking. They also never answer my calls. I wasn’t even at the hotel, yet my booking account somehow shows that check-in was confirmed.