Ole English Inn

Nothing fancy here, but it did what I needed. I was looking for somewhere to sleep and shower near the University of Alabama on a game weekend, and this place worked.

The lower price on game day and the chance to check in a couple of hours early kept this from being a one-star stay. The room itself was dated, musty, and in need of paint or a deep clean. Our room, 118, had an uncovered A/C unit that swung between an arctic blast and a heat wave. The bathroom was bad enough that I wouldn't shower there. The bigger problem came after the Alabama football game. We'd checked in early so getting back late wouldn't be an issue, but our key no longer worked. There was no emergency number, buzzer, or other way to reach the front desk. We spent an hour in the parking lot, long after midnight, trying the phone and door. Since our things were already inside, leaving wasn't really an option. My husband knocked hard on the door and window of the closest room to the office, hoping the owner was there. Thankfully she was, and gave us a working key. It was well past 1 in the morning by then. We were exhausted and furious, and I still don't know why the key stopped working. The next morning, people in the parking lot immediately approached me as soon as I stepped outside, asking me to take them somewhere. It didn't feel like the most secure lot around.

The Ole English Inn is another place that keeps me busy. Sometimes I'm dropping the ladies off or picking them up at the Bell Aire up the street, and other times I bring them down here. A few minutes after a drop-off, I'll often pick up a two pump chump and drive him back to his truck at the Pilot.

I asked for a towel and got told they had more important things to do and that I wasn't the only guest. I've never been treated with that much disrespect. If you want to feel like a bother and be treated rudely, stay here. I was shocked, but luckily managed not to lose my cool.