Maris Stella Inn

Suite E, the third-floor unit, had clean stove, toilet, bathroom and kitchen sinks when we arrived. I wanted to like this odd little place, and with some work and creative remodeling it could be nice. But it was obvious the owner had spent as little as possible. The furnishings looked like they came from behind Goodwill, and there were so many problems. The website says Maris Stella Inn is clean and quiet. The floors must make a difference, because we could hear stomping from below, even from the parking area. It also promises hospitality-clean units, full kitchens, stocked kitchens, quality furnishings and fresh linens and towels. That didn't match what we found. The third-floor unit didn't have a full kitchen, and the carpet ranged from dirty to filthy. The living room sofa looked filthy and decades old. Slider and window tracks were caked with dirt and dead bugs. In the bedroom, an odd orange-red sofa was splitting at the seams, exposing Styrofoam; it should be removed and replaced with a dresser. The open closet area had drywall that hadn't been painted. The whole place needed paint, with bare drywall where things had come off the walls. Two smoke alarms were open and hanging from the ceiling. The dirty slider curtains didn't cover the whole opening. Their rod was an aluminum pipe spray-painted black, with Styrofoam balls on the ends. The kitchen faucet handle fell off, and my husband fixed it so we could use the sink. The ancient Formica counter gave us very little prep room, so we had to use the table. The microwave was in a closet in the living area and needed an extension cord to run, probably a code violation. The refrigerator top hadn't been cleaned in a long time and had a dusty fake geranium on it; there was rust around the inside metal screws. The living room fan blades were crusted with dust and grime. Kitchen supplies were sparse: a wooden spatula, spoon and fork, can opener, nutcracker, corkscrew and ice cream scoop. The plates didn't match and there were no small ones. There were four soup bowls and two plastic bowls, which I think someone left behind; I saw the same ones at the town market. The glasses were mixed, and of the two mugs, one was from Mervyn’s. No serving dishes at all. There was one teaspoon, several soup spoons, and mismatched table knives and forks. Of the two knives, one small serrated one couldn't cut anything, and the old dull plastic-handled one managed some things. There were four saucepans, only two with lids, and two 8-inch skillets. Several kitchen towels were there, one with a huge hole. The bathroom towels were stained and mismatched. The shower curtain and bathmat were the only bathroom things that didn't seem ancient. Baseboards and the electric heater were very dirty. The shower head needs replacing because the water came out unevenly, and its pipe had been “repaired” with tape. The shower curtain rod was stained. The water had an orange tinge and turned the washcloths orange, so we bought water for cooking. Hot water was adequate when nobody occupied the other unit, but only lukewarm when it was occupied. I can't recommend the place unless and until it gets a complete overhaul.

Apt

The place was very comfortable and nice. Next time, it would be good to have new mattresses in both rooms and replacement burners for the stove.

The place was clean, but the beds were hard. The kitchen was equipped like a hotel, with only pans and dishes. It was difficult to set the stove to the temperature I wanted because there were no markings on the knobs.