Riverside Inn John Day by OYO Rooms

Compared with Best Western, we saved $100 for the night and didn’t regret it. The room was clean and roomy, and basically everything worked, though we had to fiddle with the toilet to stop it running. It was just two steps from our car. The “slow speed” Wi-Fi was useless, but there was a strong 5G signal for tethering my laptop. The pillows were hard, but we’d brought our own for camping.

The owners were kind enough to mail us something we left behind, and the shower worked fine. The TV had a great selection of channels, probably the best feature. The bed was pretty good, but bring your own pillows. For two people staying three nights, we got just two very thin towels, with no hand towels or bath mat. The shower curtain was old and gross. Dollar General across the street was handy, and there was a decent area outside for the dog. It may be the best motel price in town, but I’m not too interested in staying again. The place needs updating and some TLC.

It’s a quaint little place to rest if you’re traveling this way. The rooms are dated, but everything worked, and the staff were very accommodating. Being able to park right outside the room made loading and unloading easy. The area felt safe for families. Some neighbors next door drank beer and talked late into the night. I’d stay again if I were passing through.

The rooms are very dated, and our stay began with the owner telling us he had only one room left, a double, for $140 plus tax. He said they were booked, so we thought we were lucky to get it, even though that was far more than the other hotels in town. While we unloaded the car, we saw him tell the exact same thing to someone else, and we warned that guest away. It made me wonder: if he’d lie to get a customer, could we trust how thoroughly the room had been cleaned?