Lion Inn

On February 13 at 10:30 pm, the front desk woman was extremely rude. We couldn't stay in the room because it smelled of cigarettes and the bed was hard as a rock, but she wouldn't give us a refund. Later, when we called to ask for the manager, she said, "I am the manager, you got your money back, what do you want!" We'll be filing a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

The front desk staff were cordial and friendly, and being able to walk downtown was a real bonus. The Lion Inn has a clean, updated look with a retro feel that reminds me of a 60s motor inn, in a good way. We've stayed at plenty of chain motels that didn't measure up to this one. My only complaint was being next to the ice machine.

I gave it two stars for the location, though I'd have been better off choosing a cheaper, nicer hotel farther from the city center and paying for an Uber. The room was expensive and smelly. The sheets seemed to have been washed without detergent and smelled of the previous guests' sweat. There was no hot water, and I haven't had to shower in cold water for years. The AC kept blowing on the bed, so I had to wake up every three hours to turn it on or off. Street noise was constant, with every passing car easy to hear on the main road. At 3 am I was thinking we might as well sleep in the car, which at least wouldn't smell and could be parked on a quieter side street. They wouldn't let us check out at 12 pm instead of 11 am, even though we hadn't slept much. They advertise a queen bed, but it was a double. This was the worst place I've slept so far, and I've stayed in places across 30 countries.

I loved the location and the service on my last visit, but this time was awful. Nick took my reservation and quoted a price for four days. When I called to add Friday night, his wife told me I had no reservation and that her husband had quoted the wrong price. She said they only had an extra large room for $180 a night or a smoking room. Since the mistake was Nick's, I asked if she'd work with me on that $180 price. She said no and offered to cancel my reservation. They hadn't called to tell me any of this. If I hadn't called, we would have driven six hours with two children and arrived without a room. She didn't see a problem with that. So much for trying to support a family owned business.