I stayed at the Wandlyn Inn in Amherst because it had been recommended as being convenient to Amherst at the New Brunswick border. The hotel has seen better days--or, rather, better decades. It must have been quite the place in the 1970s, but it's dated, dingy and depressing in 2005.

The lobby features a model of a schooner, with stained sails, with a prominent "for sale" sign noted on it. There's a snoozing parakeet, dark carpet and dated decor. Up to my room (facing the parking lot) was a tricky walk up and down stairs on the multiple levels. The halls were poorly-lit and smelly.

My room was medium-sized with a double bed, a TV that was probably cutting edge in 1982, a small table (convenient) and a little desk. The room, while marked non-smoking, seemed to have smoke in the air.

No air conditioning, and no cross breeze.

The bathroom had not been updated except for a tub surround that made the space very small. I could not run the... more