Madelia Hotel & Suites

The towels were stained, and the mattress was worn out. I didn’t interact with the staff or service, but the place seemed to be in the middle of a ten-year remodel. Safety was a major concern: some doors and locks didn’t work, and the perimeter doors were left unlocked.

I couldn’t wait to leave. The building looked abandoned, and for much of my two-week stay I seemed to be the only person there, with no staff around. The manager even asked me to leave a good review. Trash was often left outside my door for days until it started to smell, and the place felt completely unsecured. There was a hole where the side-door lock should have been, room doors were propped open when nobody was inside, and labeled keycards were kept at the front desk. If someone came in while the manager was away, they might have found the key to the only room with a closed door and gotten into my room. I don’t know who could have accessed the rooms while no one was around. The facilities were run down and nasty for what they charged. Every time I went into my room, it smelled off. The showerhead was tied to the pole with a plastic bag, and there were bugs in the room. One man told me he had no AC. My bath towels were basically giant terry cloths, or the thinnest, smallest Walmart-brand towels they could find. The vending machine was turned off and empty, and using the ice machine meant asking the front desk, so I didn’t bother. I don’t know where the room money was going, since it clearly wasn’t being spent on upkeep. In my opinion, charging such high prices for a place this run down isn’t ethical.

Getting checked in was a hassle. You had to call someone who wasn’t even on the property, and try three different phone numbers to reach them. The lobby was dusty and dirty, and the so-called continental breakfast was stale cereal in Tupperware with a partly used gallon of milk that looked like it came from someone’s home. There was no fruit, coffee, or pastries. The beds were old, with springs poking you all night, and the sheets and comforters were stained and had burn holes. I couldn’t see out of the room window because the windows all needed replacing and had lost their gas. The pool and hot tub area was locked and shut down. Don’t stay here, this place is a joke. Save yourself time and stay in Mankato, or try the charming bed and breakfast on the other side of Madelia. You’ve been warned.

The front desk lady was very kind while we were there, and breakfast had basic cereal and muffins. There was also a pool table in the lobby, but otherwise it was mostly a matter of staying in your room. The pool is no longer available, and they said they don’t plan to reopen it. I was glad I wore shoes because I stepped on a nail in the hallway, though thankfully it was small. I’ll look for a better pet-friendly place to stay next time.