Northwinds Motel

Room 16 was filthy, with stale air, dirt on the floor and walls, and cracked bathroom tile coming loose. A tiny AC unit had been mounted awkwardly above the sink, with wires hanging down. It didn't work properly and looked dangerous. Room 17 had been even worse: the moldy, musty smell hit me as soon as I opened the door and triggered an asthma attack. The rooms were nothing like the listing on Travelocity. I went to the office to ask for a refund, but it was three hotels away, and the clerk refused. When I came back asking for the manager, that same clerk said he was the manager. He blamed the booking on Expedia and said he couldn't help, though Travelocity later confirmed the hotel charged my card and also tried to get a refund for me. The hotel refused that request too. I handed back the key and left because I wasn't willing to risk my health or safety. Between the mold, unsafe wiring, and dirt, this place was not fit for guests. I wouldn't use any hotels or motels owned by this owner. I found a list online. Zero stars all around.

The stay cost us twice what we'd consider fair, and it wasn't worth even $50 a night. We paid for two nights and won't return or recommend it. Stay at your own risk. Getting there after dark was hard: the driveway is narrow and awkward to enter from the road, and there's no light on the roadside sign. We drove past it two or three times. The property looks like a 1950s place with paint slapped over old paneling. The registration office is three motels down the street with no connecting road or driveway. The pool and spa are there too, not on-site. There was no housekeeping, ice machine, or pool at this motel. Inside, there were very few outlets, and they were hidden behind the bed. The TV only got one channel. The tiny fridge's freezer had no door, so food slid onto the floor. There were bird droppings all over the porch chairs, and bugs could get in around the wall AC because daylight showed all around it. Rain poured onto us from the gutters when we tried to open our door. The bathroom was especially rough: no light, no toilet-side railing, an orange-stained toilet, a very low seat, a cracked sink counter and shower stall, and a door stuck in the wall that wouldn't close. The tap water was orange tinted. The bed was poorly made and short-sheeted, with the sheets' top and bottom ends apparently mixed up.

Once inside, we found a shower so tiny my husband barely fit, brown water from the bedroom-area sink, and water from the shower that smelled of sulfur and rotten eggs. The toilet looked as if it had never been brushed. Dead bugs were under the sheet, and the bed was a joke. The AC was dirty and never cooled the room, so we were hot all night with it running full blast. I caught my finger between the doorknob and door jamb twice. The porch was covered in spiderwebs and bugs. We were on a motorcycle trip along the Sunrise Coast, ending in Mackinaw City, and needed one night. Most places were full or charging $300 to $600. It was getting late and we didn't want to ride among the deer, so we stopped when we saw a $69 sign. That turned out to be the winter rate. We paid $200. The room looked nothing like the advertised pictures, and the buildings all looked abandoned. I've never had to walk four buildings over to check in. We were desperate, but this was the dirtiest motel I've ever stayed in. There's no pride in ownership. Given the other reviews about refunds being refused after people see the place, it feels like the owner is ripping people off. It's not worth the price. We won't be back to Mackinaw City.

I was left 4,000 miles from home, over budget, with my 7- and 8-year-old boys, sleeping in the car at a rest stop in a strange state. Even a refund in 10 business days wouldn't have helped that night. Don't use this service, don't pay more than $100 to stay here, and don't expect good service from the manager. I called the number I found on Google and got a broker, though he never said he was one. I thought I was speaking directly to the hotel. He described a nice place with a sandy beach, pool, and spa, and charged a hefty $585 per night. When we arrived, I drove past the motel twice because I didn't think it could be the right place. The sign said $169 a night. It was the Fourth of July, but even that seemed like a lot for a run-down motel with 1970s decor. The beach was an eroded wasteland I wouldn't let my dog poop on. The pool was closed until the next afternoon, but I was only staying one night and checkout was at 11. The room smelled so horrible I couldn't stay. The musty mold and mildew would have triggered an asthma attack for sure. I was worried about what would happen to the kids if something happened to me. I called immediately to cancel. The woman said she'd recommend a refund but couldn't promise one, and couldn't reach the hotel. I spoke with the front desk, who called the manager, but he wouldn't help.