Cookes Motel @ Saint John, New Brunswick. August 16th to 19th.
Based on the bad review of July 2007, I almost cancelled my booking . I called Susan at Cookes Motel and told her about the bad review and how I was apprehensive about staying with them. She said," come and check everything out for yourself and then decide" and that is exactly what we did.
The rooms were large with two double beds, clean and well maintained. Towels and linen was changed every day. It was value for money. We had absolutely no cause to complain. The staff were all exceptionally helpful and very courteous. The breakfast could be improved a bit in terms of quantity. I mentioned this to Susan. Our overall rating on a 1 to 10 scale would be 7.5. If you are a budget traveller with no desire for extra luxury, this would be the place.
Eshwar P Sitaraman, Toronto.

We were there July '07. I based my stay on the previous review. Oh how times have changed!!!! It was horrible. The only positive was the great water pressure. The beds were lumpy and felt like crators in the center. The towels are now threadbare and sparse. The breakfast is the worse let down. You have a choice between 2 eggs, 2 (bacon, sausage) or ham and one piece of toast. Or frozen no name blueberry waffles and the meat. The eggs were consistantly overcooked, sausage undercooked, bacon precooked. Bread sparsely buttered and half size jam. Coffee tasted as if it had been run through a sock, the juice was watered down. I can tell you I would have been disappointed had I payed $20/night instead of the $50. Oh yes, the smell, mold, and upon inspection found the source on the curtains. I was repeatadly "attacked" by the shower curtain. All in all it was awful. BEWARE!

For those heading to New Brunswick, or even en route to Nova Scotia through New
Brunswick on the 1, I suggest that you stop at Cooke's Motel in West Saint John.
Just off the 1 on the old main highway, the setting is not that impressive as
you approach: the buildings surely must date back to the '50s when this place
was first established. Nonetheless, each unit provides a spacious and charming
accommodation. In addition to the comfortable basic amenities, my room had a
frig, a micro-wave, and several cable TV stations. The towels, which were like
small fluffy rugs they were so thick, were in ample supply as well. An added
bonus is the HOT breakfast that owner Paulette Cooke provides for her guests on
order in the morning. In addition, she has a wealth of information concerning
the Saint John area- eateries and night life included. If there is a drawback,
it is that the units show their age a bit- my bed a little lumpy- and there was
no A/C (didn't need it the night I stayed in August '05, though). Nonetheless,
everything was very clean and the surroundings, a yard and picnic tables, too,
made for a pleasant stay. The final significant note is that this cost me only
$49C for a single! When you throw in that breakfast- the package is a steal!!!
I will surely be back next time I'm out this way, and I recommend it to others
looking to save a buck or two but still needing a good night's lodging.