Super 8 by Wyndham Ticonderoga

The motel itself was a disappointment. The room was okay but bare, the exterior badly needed painting or staining to look like the website photo, and the interior carpet was worn down and looked dirty despite daily vacuuming. One morning there were clumps of mud in the entry and on the stairs, still there a few hours later. Holes from a removed handrail hadn't been patched in the stairwell. Shower water was only tepid, though our towels were changed each of the three days. The advertised “breakfast” wasn't really breakfast. On the second day, the photo showed only small cold yogurt and fruit cups and packaged muffins. The first day there were just a couple of tiny fruit cups and two packaged muffins. No juice, cereal, or warm food. The desk person seemed to refill things a few at a time, and it all looked like it came from Walmart next door. We spent three nights in Ticonderoga during a three-week fall trip that included a Canada and New England cruise from Quebec City to Boston. I picked the town as a base for driving to Stowe and other places in Vermont's Green Mountains, Lake Placid and the Adirondacks, seeing fall colors, and visiting historic and colonial sites in Massachusetts. The road trips were varied and enjoyable, but Yikes, we were shocked by the state of Ticonderoga and its downtown. With almost no breakfast at the Super 8, we had to look elsewhere. Our choices seemed to be McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, and one or two local diner-type places. There were only a couple of restaurants in town. On our last night we found Paper and Pencil, a wonderful restaurant in a new building on a historic site a minute or two from downtown. It had a great menu and well-prepared food. I'd suggest looking into Ticonderoga carefully before deciding to visit.

For a $70-a-night motel, this was way better than I expected. I stayed five days, the staff were excellent, kind, and helpful, and there was nothing wrong with the rooms. I'll stay again when I'm back up north fishing.

The $150 incidental hold was a nasty surprise. When I called, they explained that they post the charge to your account first, then issue a refund that can take 7-10 business days. Usually a hotel leaves the card hold processing until it's removed. The water pressure was terrible, their Wi-Fi didn't work so I had to use McDonald's Wi-Fi, and the mattress springs squeaked as soon as I got on the bed. The most I've ever had held elsewhere was $75 at a Marriott, which had memory foam beds, good water pressure, and working Wi-Fi. Save yourself the uncomfortable sleep and the big hold, and stay somewhere more normal.

The rooms were clean and about what you'd expect from a Super 8, with useful basics like towels, shampoo, and soap. We were traveling by motorcycle, so having those things supplied helped with our limited luggage. Front desk staff and housekeeping were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was short on options even though we got there early. The coffee was good, there was orange and apple juice, and a limited number of individually wrapped pastries.