New Kansan Motel

For $110 a night, I’d choose a Motel 6 or Super 8 next time and pay a bit more for a more professional stay. The room had a pungent odor, which management had tried to cover with another awful smell. The small refrigerator next to the microwave wasn’t plugged in, and I wondered if leaving it off was a way to save on electricity. It might have helped with the smell, though. The bathroom was especially rough. The showerhead only came up to about 5 feet 5 inches, so at six feet tall I’d have to duck to get wet. There was no light in the shower stall, and the toilet was squeezed right up against the shower wall. The sink looked okay, but the toiletries didn’t look very professional. The room’s furniture was beaten up: two nightstands, one with a lamp and one without, plus two worn chairs around a pedestal table under a 40-inch TV. The open closet had mismatched hangers. The heater and air conditioner also looked like they’d seen a lot of use. There were two small windows facing Helman, so traffic noise carried through day and night, though that isn’t the owners’ fault. A larger window above the heater looked out at vehicles parked right in front of the door. The front door was old, with a big gap along the top and knob side, though the knob itself seemed new. The peephole cover was broken and swung freely, so someone outside and someone inside could look through it at the same time. The adjoining door to the next room had only a deadbolt and no knob. The TV had very limited channels, mostly weak over-the-air signals that kept dropping, along with two local channels and some free cable channels. I suspected the owners had full cable in their apartment and passed along the free channels to guests. I’ve lived in this area for 20 years and had never stayed here. Now I wish I’d gone somewhere else. It’s a half step above a flop house.

The rooms were bigger and nicer inside than I expected, with enough space for one person and their belongings. Connecting rooms are available if you ask for them. I didn’t stay overnight, though, I only saw the inside. There’s no breakfast.

The central location made it simple to get around to local attractions, and the staff gave us great service. My room was tastefully decorated too. Exceptional stay from beginning to end. Highly recommend it.

The owner is friendly and always around, which is a nice plus at this small motel. It doesn’t offer many amenities, and there’s nothing especially impressive about it, but it’s an economical place to stay in the area. The motel sits on a main street but is easy to miss, tucked by a small cross street and looking a bit like a 12-room apartment complex. During a major local event, being just 4.5 miles from ONT Airport makes this little place a handy option for the night.