Americas Best Value Inn - Tahquamenon Country

I picked ABVI mainly because I was told the sauna worked. I checked twice, before booking and again when I confirmed, but after two hours of preheating it only reached 34 C, around 91 F. It should ideally be about twice that warm, so it was no use to me. The room was disappointing too: a bulb was missing from the table lamp, one switch seemed to do nothing, and there were only two small bath towels and a washcloth, with no hand towels. The desk said they were out of towels, and there weren't any by the pool or spa either. A stink bug was crawling across the floor within ten minutes of my arrival. My key stopped working at least five times over two days. Staff seemed frustrated and assumed I was doing something to cause it, even though I kept it away from my phone. I didn't want to keep returning to the desk. The last time, they'd assigned my room to someone else while I was out, so my key was cancelled and I had to get another one. The location outside town was convenient for my dog, with space behind the property to run. Still, I can't recommend ABVI at these prices compared with other local options.

The breakfast was decent, with waffles and other choices, and the one staff member on duty did a great job keeping it stocked while also handling the front desk. We appreciated her effort. The room was generally clean and comfortable, though dated, and the sink being out in the main room rather than with the toilet and tub wasn't ideal. We paid a steep weekend rate because there were almost no other places available on short notice, so the stay could have been better for the price. There was a faint musty, cigarette-like smell when we entered, perhaps from smoke coming through the ventilation. The room felt cold and damp, so we ran the heat and bathroom fan. The TV took some fiddling to get working, then had motion smoothing and a stretched picture on some channels that we couldn't fix. We didn't use the pool, but its water looked odd from the lobby. Also, the side entrance near our room didn't lock.

The pool, hot tub, and sauna were nice to have, and the peeling paint in the hot tub didn't keep us from using it. The hotel was clean and pleasant, though clearly older. We could hear people in the hallway and upstairs, and the beds have seen better days. I'd stay again.

We paid around $250 for one night in this two-star hotel after already paying for our reservation, which left me feeling like we were taken advantage of. I booked through Booking.com for a double queen room for up to four people, just like the room we'd booked the year before. At check-in, though, we were given a single-bed accessible room that smelled of smoke. It wouldn't work for my husband, our two teen sons, and me. The lot was nearly empty, but the desk argued that I'd booked the wrong room because the reservation listed two adults. She offered an upgrade for an added charge, including two extra guests, and said Booking.com wouldn't help. We were six and a half hours from home on one of the busiest days of the year; St Ignace hotels were sold out and choices were limited. I didn't argue back, but she kept trying to draw me into it and even said she'd have to see whether anything else was available. There was a room, and about $100 more was charged. My husband thinks they scammed us because we had few alternatives. I disputed the nearly doubled charge with my bank, which added to the headache. The hotel has gone downhill since our last visit. The pool and hot tub had been painted inside, and paint was peeling everywhere. The hot tub water was murky. The sauna was nice, the pool okay, and the lounge chairs good. In the lobby, some desk and cleaning staff were loudly chatting, laughing, and swearing like they were in a bar, which felt unprofessional given the premium price we were paying. The room was only sort of clean: sticky carpet, hair on a pillow, and smoke smells in both rooms. Towels were scarce, and staff said no when we asked for extra ones for the room or pool. The continental breakfast had very limited options, though waffles and yogurt were available. They stocked it once, and when it was gone, that was it. Free popcorn and coffee were offered, but the coffee was extremely watered down that afternoon and the next morning. Every plastic half-and-half creamer I tried was curdled, with chunks floating in my coffee. Last year, our rooms were clean, the price was good, the location worked for us, the pool, jacuzzi, and sauna were nice, breakfast was decent, and the hospitality felt warm and welcoming. That wasn't our experience this time. We stayed over Labor Day weekend again, and next time an Airbnb may be cheaper and better. I bet they'll leave a generic reply to this review because they don't really care.