After having gone to a couple of the hotels on Wanamaker, I thought I would try this one for a change. First, I immediately realized that this place is closer to the Expo Center. It's just down the road, so directions are literally straightforward. Another pleasant experience was the service. The front-desk clerk was very informative about surrounding attractions and helped with other directions. Lastly, even though rooms are of decent size (could be bigger) the beds were incredible.

My hubby and our 15 lb dog stayed here on July 9th, 2010 while en route to Iowa from Texas. It was 1:30 a.m. and we wanted an inexpensive, but clean place to sleep for a few hours.

I would not have chosen this motel if we planned on staying any longer than we did. I agree with the other reviewers, the staff was very friendly, even at 1:30 a.m. The room was a bit dingy, but clean, which is the most important to me. Our dog could not stop sniffing the comforter (gross), but I'm sure it was no more dirty than other motels/hotels.

The breakfast selection was nice. Cereal, fresh fruit, bread for toast, pastries, sausage biscuits, waffles, etc... It was more than I expected. Overall, I tend to be picky about where we stay, but in this case we knew we'd be there less than 6 hours. I'd stay again in the same situation.

Four stars?

I use TripAdvisor like it's the Bible for traveling, but on this one, I think its reviewers got it wrong. And I think they got it wrong simply because it's a motel (and it is very much a MOTEL) that's been updated a bit on the inside, they didn't expect that, and the price was right. But make no mistake, this is still nothing more than a nice motel.

Consider the fact that I got a smoking room (and neither I nor my four year old daughter are smokers). Or the fact that it's clearly a home for quite a few migrant workers (and I'm talking about white migrant workers, lest anybody assume that I'm just a racist) who keep there doors open, drink a lot, and talk loudly. Or the fact that the pool desperately needs to be cleaned (I mean literally scrubbed) and repainted. No guys, this is no four star deal. It's a three at the very most.

Thing is, I've paid $55 for a hotel room before. Yeah, it's rare, but it's still possible and means that I can give this motel no more than three stars.

(that said, I will agree that the staff are very helpful and very nice.)

I stayed for two nights and since the motel is very old and I was familiar with the location and needed to be in that basic location, I chose this motel out of necessity. I was pleasantly surprised that it was totally remodeled, my room was spotless, I could not hear my neighbors, everything worked, and even the breakfast was very good. The furnishings in my room were new although there was not a flat screen TV...yet. They even changed the sheets and towels daily rather than reuse them. All in all, I was pretty impressed that this place was in such good condition and well maintained. I also checked out the indoor pool and it was crystal clear. I would stay there again and most likely will.