We stayed one night over Labor Day weekend for an overnight getaway. Prices were expectedly higher this weekend, so you will likely obtain a better value on non-holiday weekends. The pool area and water slides were wonderful. There is a 110 foot pool for older children and adults that dumped into the large pool. There was also a tiny children's pool with a small 'frog' slide for the smaller children (probably ages 6 and under). The hot tub was nice sized and there was a sauna also. The pool area was spacious, with a game area, and well maintained. You must check out towels for the pool and either exchange them for dry towels when needed or turn them in at checkout to avoid a fee (which is fair).
We had a room with 2 queen beds on the 3rd floor, overlooking the parking lot in the front of the hotel. We could see the nearby highway, but we heard no room noise. The room was basic with average size towels for a place like this. Breakfast was very nice with hot waffles, biscuits and gravy, yogurt, cereal, pastries, juice, fruit and more.
This property is only a few years old, so it generally in great shape. I did have problems with the overall lack of cleanliness of our room and the slow front desk service. I found a large frito chip on the floor of our room when we checked in and the counter over the dorm size fridge had gunk on it. It appeared that the maids did not wipe down the desk, counter, and dresser top surfaces after the prior tenants of the room left. That made us nervous about touching things. Next time I would bring my own handy wipes and wipe down the main surfaces upon arrival. The stairwells had quite a bit of dirt and debris on them and it appeared that the stairs weren't vacuumed as much as the hallways were. There always seemed to be a wait for service at the front desk, whether it was for checking in, waiting for towels or checking out. They were training new employees when we checked out Saturday morning, so it may have been an end of season staff change that affected the service.
The location is convenient if you are traveling along the North Shore, but the hotel stands alone and there is nothing nearby to walk to, unless you crossed over and walked on Hwy 61 down to the gas station. We didn't go into the actual town of Silver Bay, so cannot speak to the amenities there. I would likely stay here again if I was in the area if the price wasn't too high (closer to $100 than $150 would be reasonable). Our 5 year old had a wonderful time at the pool and on the small slide and the adults enjoyed the big slide. If you don't want to spend the money for the fancy resorts in the area, you will likely find this hotel to be worth a visit, especially if you have children or like water slides.
- Americinn Hotel Silver Bay
