Super 8 Spearfish

There are two waffle makers at breakfast, which was a nice extra. We also spent a good amount of time hanging out in the pool area. The front desk and housekeeping staff were accommodating and helpful, always with a genuine smile. Our room was clean, and the comfortable beds and pillows made for a good night’s sleep.

The pool was cute, and breakfast was decent, with oatmeal, coffee, sausage sandwiches, waffles, cereal, and muffins. The bed was clean and comfy, the bathroom had no mold, and there were plenty of towels. We also had a fridge and microwave. There were downsides: the jacuzzi was broken, the first-floor room felt humid, the carpets were worn, and the bathroom and toilet were tiny. The AC was loud and the TV was tiny. It isn’t a luxury hotel, but this Super 8 was much better than I expected.

The one thing I really appreciated was the large map of nearby stores, gas stations, mechanics, and other resources for exploring Spearfish. I wish more hotels offered that. I also liked seeing the pool. Beyond that, this was a bad stay, and I should have researched more before booking. I chose this Super 8 because I’d had good experiences at other locations. My boyfriend, our small dog, and I were traveling home after visiting family in another state. The building looked run-down inside, and there was no elevator despite the multiple floors. After 9 p.m., the front desk clerk was missing when we arrived. When he finally appeared, check-in was frustrating because he hadn’t read the online request we’d made hours earlier to upgrade our room. He also didn’t know we had our dog, so we couldn’t have the room we wanted because pets weren’t allowed there. I wish the online room details had said that, as they do for service animals. Our room wasn’t clean. There was a toenail on the floor, a dirty bathtub, and my boyfriend found a large clump of hair on the cord connected to his medical equipment. The TV guide didn’t match what was on the channels, and the recliner’s footrest wouldn’t rise. Breakfast included biscuits and gravy, waffles, coffee, drinks, yogurt, and a few other simple foods, but not many hot options. We asked for late checkout the night we arrived and paid for it, but our keycards stopped working just after the usual checkout time the next day. We were lucky one of us was still in the room, or we’d have been locked out. At checkout, my boyfriend noticed the $25 pet fee had been charged twice. They refunded the extra charge.

We were so disappointed by the condition of this hotel that we couldn’t stay for a second night and had to find another motel. The first room smelled strongly of urine. We were moved, but the new room had a strong mold and mildew smell. The carpets were visibly stained, the sheets were stained too, and we wondered if they’d even been washed. In the morning, we traced the smell to the AC and found black mold covering the inside of the vents. We all woke up feeling sick with bad headaches. Other things were broken or in poor shape: the Kleenex holder fell right out of the wall, and the door looked as if someone had pried it open with a crowbar. It was far more than this place was worth.