Blue Spruce Inn & Suites

I slept soundly and woke up wishing I could stay another night, though I couldn’t. The proprietor was kind, respectful, and genuine, and I felt safe there. Everything felt simple in a good way: quiet, familiar, and uncomplicated. The room was clean and had what I needed without all the gadgets and shiny chrome, granite, and black lacquer that can make a stay feel slick and impersonal. The bathtub was spacious, the water hot, and the crisp bed linens comfortable.

For $100 for three people, it wasn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t want to stay more than one night. The room was clean, though a strong musty, stuffy smell had gotten into the pillows and bed. We were glad we’d brought our own pillows, since the ones there smelled awful. Opening the window helped a little. The shower had almost no pressure, and luckily I didn’t need to wash my hair. The TV showed only static, and the remote had no batteries. My brother slept great in his own bed, but my husband and I had a rough night. The bed didn’t seem queen-sized and sagged in the middle, so we kept waking up and shifting around. Booking was easy, everyone I spoke with was nice, and the clear lockbox instructions made it easy to find our key and room when we arrived after 9 pm.

The room was on the ground floor, as I’d requested, and was clean, with what looked like local antiques. I was treated so well by the friendly staff at the Blue Spruce last night, and even got a great bathroom tile idea from them, see photo. The thermostat was easy to use, there were lots of places to plug in my electronics, and the desk light was awesome. There was a Keurig, too. Chatham was very convenient, and getting to ALB airport was an easy drive.

Check the AC vents, under the bed, and behind the headboard if you stay here. I found dust and cobwebs in all those spots. I also looked in the toilet tank, and, yikes.