Bar-Mel Inn

The beds were decent, and the rooms are large, but the cleaning was poor enough that I’d stay somewhere else. I was glad I’d brought Clorox wipes to go over a few things. There were marks on several walls that looked like blood or puke, and the toilet was covered in something when we arrived. Thankfully, the cleaning guy took care of it right away. The shower drain had what looked like bandaids in it, so I didn’t dare use the shower. There was thick dust on top of the headboards and the mirrors were pretty dirty too. The Roku TV worked fine. It feels like basic cleaning has been neglected on top of the place being old. It might do if you’re in a pinch and don’t look too closely, since it’s the only game in town, but I wouldn’t choose it otherwise.

The staff were amazing. The gentleman in the office worked with us when we were late getting out, and treated us like family instead of guests. Our room was very clean, and the TV actually worked, which hasn’t been the case at other hotels we’ve stayed in. Nobody bothered us. You could hear cars passing, but that wasn’t a big deal for me since I usually sleep once I’m asleep. A very enjoyable stay.

The owner was a very nice older gentleman, and the rates were cheap. The room was plain, with no shampoo, conditioner, or lotion, and there wasn’t even toilet paper. I only found that out when I got up at 3 AM. It seemed clean enough, but smelled of smoke. Since the motel sits right by the road, you hear every car going past all night. There weren’t any vending machines either.

For two adults and two kids, we paid $55 a night including sales tax for two double beds, and room service was available if requested. It’s an easy distance from lake Thurmond and a much better deal than $146 a night including sales tax. We stayed for two weekend nights. The couple managing the property are also the owners, and they were nice. The room was clean, the sheets smelled fresh, the bathroom was clean, and there were no roaches. The property still needs work, though the owners told me about their plans and seem motivated to improve it. They’ve started inside, focusing on clean, comfortable beds, sheets, carpets, and bathrooms. Those seemed better than some reviews I’d read. Fixtures are meant to be updated in time. Their next phase is outside work on the roof, siding, gutters, and drainage. They hope to keep rates the same for at least another year while doing these upgrades. I was glad to hear the details and hope to visit again before summer ends.