Howard Johnson Manteno

We chose this place because it advertised a pool, but the pool was out of order and not usable. Then my wife found used women's panties in the room. When we asked for a different room that had been properly cleaned, the manager/owner got confrontational with her and our son. He told them to leave because he didn't want them there anymore since they disliked the room, and said no other rooms were allegedly available. The manager/owner was very rude and unprofessional, and showed my wife no respect. We'll never stay at this location again.

I stayed 10-06-2025- 10-08-2025, and there were no problems until checkout. I spoke calmly, but James the manager was yelling and belligerent. He called me an A-hole, used the whole worse word, accused me of smoking in the room, and called the police. I hadn't smoked in the room, and I left it clean. I don't even smoke cigarettes. I have health issues, am on social security, and life is rough right now. I wouldn't risk losing my $100 deposit, especially with money tight. All I smelled was my own sweaty feet. There was also a large garbage bin next door that belonged to someone else and smelled. I was treated like garbage and felt the manager was trying to steal my $100 deposit. I later got it back, which shows he was wrong: he must have smelled smoke on our clothes from smoking outside, but that doesn't mean we smoked in the room. Your staff is clueless and rude, and it seems like you have something against people who use medicinal cannabis. Do better and stop accusing people who follow the rules and smoke cannabis away from the property. I still wish I could give no stars for the rudeness and hate, and for the manager calling the police after he verbally attacked me first. This is the worst motel I've stayed at. Now I understand why there are barely any cars there. Please don't stay unless you like being treated like a parasite.

For the price, it's a hidden gem if all you need is somewhere to sleep. The staff are friendly and kind, and the place is clean and well kept. It also doesn't have that smell you get in a lot of places at this price. The location gets a four from me: it's right off the interstate, with gas stations close by and Wendy's and McDonald's within walking distance. A few bars and other places to eat are nearby too. Only downside in the room is there's no microwave or fridge.

If a bed for the night is all you need, this place will do, but don't expect much beyond that. There's no breakfast, only some coffee, the WiFi doesn't work, and you can't call the front desk from the room phone. A couple of posters are about all that suggest any Howard Johnson charm or nostalgia. The pool gets padlocked at 9pm and doesn't reopen until 9am, leaving only a two-hour swim window if you check out at the required 11am. They offer no flexibility. Check-in isn't allowed until exactly 3pm, and when we finally got to the room, the door was already ajar. The room was mostly clean and the sheets were fine, so cleanliness itself wasn't the problem. The building, though, looks like a time capsule falling apart: water stains on the ceilings and walls, chipped fixtures, crooked picture frames, and badly patched holes. The carpet looked worn and stained, as if it had decades of stories behind it.