We checked into the Super 8 Motel at 7:10. It was $65 for the room plus a $10 pet deposit. This was pretty high for a Super 8 out in the middle of nowhere, but I put it on my credit card. At 7:15, we got a call from home, and we decided not to stay at this hotel and push on to get home more quickly. I asked the woman the front desk for my money back and we were not going to stay after all. She said that her manager had to look over the room first to make sure there's nothing wrong. It was reasonable, so I waited about 15 minutes for Mr. Patel to show up. He took a cursory glance around the room, then he glanced into the bathroom. He told me there would be no refund. I told him that we only had the room for 5 minutes, and we never brought our luggage in from the car. He looked mean and said that there was no way he was going to refund the money. I was mad! Mr. Patel asked if I wanted to call the police, and I said yes! we went to the front desk, and I asked the woman to call the police. Mr. Patel spoke to her like a dog and told her to get in the other room. He told me that I am not to talk to her, and he will call the police himself. Officer Aaron from the Altamont police Dept. arrived in short order. First he spoke with Mr. Patel who said that we used a toilet in his room so there would be no refund. Office Aaron took my ID and information. He was fair, tough and asked really good questions. I showed him my time-stamped receipt from the credit card machine. He looked at his cell phone to see it was only minutes ago. Officer Aaron explained that this is a civil situation, and he cannot order Mr. Patel to refund my money. However, he did a great job trying to get us to come to an agreement. Mr. Patel offered to refund $35, but I said that's unacceptable. Mr. Patel went on about the fact that I had a dog. I offered to let him keep the pet deposit, and I'll take the $65 refund. Mr. Patel refused. He said that I rented the room just to use the bathroom. I pointed to a McDonald's sign across the street, and I explained that we have been using McDonald's restrooms for 6,000 miles; I had no reason to rent a room to go to the bathroom. I pointed out that I had declared the dog and paid the pet deposit rather than trying to sneak her into the room. Why would he think that I'm trying to rent the room to use the bathroom? Mr. Patel refused to refund the money. Officer Aaron dismissed me, and he set to questioning Mr. Patel as I left the office. Mr. Patel still has my $74, and I never spent more than 5 minutes in the room. I contacted Super 8, and they are standing behind Mr. Patel. They said it's his word against mine; therefore they will do nothing.

This is a basic Super 8, but likely better than other properties across the brand. The owners, who live on property with their children, recently upgraded the key system from old metal keys to smart chip cards that you dip into the new door locks. Furniture has been updated to include lazy-boy-like lounge chairs. Bathrooms are dated but very clean. Beds are clean and comfortable much like what you see in a Marriot or Hilton brand hotel. There is no (as of Aug06—our visit time) high-speed internet despite what Super 8 had advertised on their website (all properties with high sped internet) at that time. There is your basic one telephone per room with voicemail. There is only one connecting room – two rooms on the ground floor that connect, all other rooms are not connecting. There is no elevator—only stairs to the second level. All room face the outside parking lot and the interstate

You pay for your stay when you check-in, as well as register your car details, name and address--- a concern for those of us who relish in privacy.

There is fax service—pay when you check-out. There are not astronomical rates for receiving or sending faxes.

The motel is popular with truck drivers and people stopping for the night when traveling on the nearby interstate. Guests can hear the cars and trucks on the interstate all night long since the hotel is so close and faces the interstate. There is ample parking for trucks and cars in the large lot which is rarely full.

The TV is basic, but old. The channel offerings are numerous. There is plenty of natural and artificial light in the rooms. The air conditioners and heart which are in-window type have been upgraded. We found the AC to be either too cold or not cold enough. We could not get the digital readout temperature to a comfortable level.

Housekeeping:

If you are staying more than one night--is done by local elderly ladies. Do leave them a tip at the end of your stay, they are very nice personalities despite one whom just had a house fire at the time of our stay.

During our one week stay in August 06, they had thrown-out important papers from the top of the clothing drawers. We wrote them a note about it but they never acknowledged doing so and never apologized. We felt guilty complaining to the front desk, but did mention it once to no avail to the on-duty teenage part-time desk clerk. In addition, housekeeping failed to return to makeup our room after asking them to return later. We had to call the front desk when we returned in the evening to ask for servicing while we went out to dinner. I can only imagine the front desk clerk came in and made up the room on behalf of the housekeeping ladies. Although, the towels need replacing as they are small and losing their “fur.”

There is no mini-bar or room service. The restaurant next door and a one of two fast food places close to town have take away/delivery menus in the room and apparently will deliver to the motel.

Food options:

Next door is a tavern like restaurant that has gone through many names and ownerships over the years and in August 2006 was really NOT good—limited hours, limited menu, limited staff, dark and smoky--- all during the weekdays in particular. It used to be a great family place with diner like menu and food. It is advisable to go to Effingham – a 20 minute drive on the nearby interstate ramp for a plethora of options, as even downtown Altamont is limited in lunch and dinner dining options (sans McDonalds like fare).

Breakfast is included and offered in the office/check-in desk area, but only includes a plate of supermarket bought donuts and bagels, bananas, coffee, tea and warm orange juice from concentrate with Styrofoam cups for the coffee but multi-use for the juice.

You can earn Trip Rewards Points or Continental Airlines miles for your stay.

Note:

There is a Knights Inn across the street, which also has been through some name and ownership changes, but has not had any upgrades at all, and the Super 8 is really the best of the two other (Altamont Motel is the other) accommodations in town.