El Rancho Motel

The woman at the counter was prompt and friendly, which is the only reason this isn't a one-star review. I'd hoped to support a small independent motel. Those places can be older but are often well kept. The lobby had a faint cigarette smell, and the clerk checked me in quickly and showed me to my room. Inside, the stained bedding and hundreds of ladybug-looking bugs on the floor, walls, and ceiling shocked me. I returned to the desk within three minutes to ask for a refund, but was told no. The clerk said I had to call the owner, Luigi, on Monday, even though it was Saturday night. I found somewhere else to stay and had a great experience there. My travels took me out of cell range Monday, so I called Tuesday. Luigi said he'd handle it and text me confirmation, but never did. After that, my calls went unanswered. I wish I'd been able to look into the motel before stopping; other reviews suggest plenty of guests have had worse experiences than I did. A simple apology and refund would've spared them this review. Steer clear of the Nortwoods Motel in Ladysmith.

The room smelled strongly of urine, and there was hair all over the tub. I found dead bugs on the walls and lampshades, garbage behind the nightstand, broken bedside lights, and a sticky microwave with no turntable. The fridge was nasty and the toilet leaked. The blinds were broken, leaving us with no privacy from the parking lot, and our keycard wouldn't let us back in. The front desk offered no refund or discount. Not worth $130 dollars for one night.

This could work if you need somewhere to stay for an extended time. There are both short- and long-term stays, though most people there seemed to be long-term tenants. A couple of rooms have a full-size fridge and a two-burner stove. All in all, it's not too bad.

We told the front desk we weren't staying, but were told the room had just been cleaned and mopped. We'd gone in, let my wife in through the outside door, and found crumbs all over the floor, shoes sticking to it, and a spot by one bed that looked like vomit. When we pulled up a sheet, the bed had gross stains too. Before that, check-in had required a lot of personal information, including an emergency contact, which seemed odd. The outside door locks didn't work, so we had to walk the whole hallway to our room at the end of the building. The hall smelled like urine.