This was possibly the worst hotel stay that we have ever experienced. We were given two rooms with standing water and a musty, moldy smell. We finally accepted the third room because there were no other options within 30 miles due to a busy festival weekend. This third room had mold in the bathroom, permanent stains (that felt sticky) on the carpet and furniture in addition to the musty smell. Our infant daughter started sneezing shortly after we entered the room and continued until we departed the next morning. We ended up cutting our 3 night stay to 1 only night.

We stayed here after reading earlier reviews on this hotel. It seems to be a hotel that is a bit past its prime. Staff were fine, breakfast was fine (in the middle range for ones we have had at motels). Pool was pretty cood. Only our kids would swim and they came out shivering after being in there and playing for quite a while. Not one that you ever seem to get used to the cold water in. I wondered if they even had the heat turned on since this is summertime. Carpeting in hallways was stained. Room was pretty fair and seemed clean but the towels were stained in some spots and pool towels were somewhat worn. Just seems to be a place that is not kept up the best. I woud stay there in a pinch but would not rush back otherwise.

After experiences in a different motel in the same area, I booked a non smoking room in this motel. The rate I got was around $55 plus tax a night. The hotel seems to be listed as a 3 star hotel. I think they live up to that reputation. The hotel is a bit noisy, though. You can hear other guests. The room was well furnitured (room 105 on the ground floor) and clean. To back up the 3 stars, I would say:

* clean towel on the bathroom floor every day
* desk
* phone in the room
* Cable internet/wireless internet
* Indoor Pool

Check in
The front desk was very friendly. I wanted to see the room first before booking, since we had a bad experience in a different motel. They didn't make much of a trouble of that and were very helpful. This helped me in deciding for this hotel. There was someone around front desk at all times, which was helpful. I was surprised that the hotel lounge was used by the staff as relax corner. That was a bit odd. The hotel seems to be family owned.

Room & Bathroom
We stayed at room 105 on the ground floor. I have not noticed overhead noise of guests on other floors, but the hotel seems a bit more noisy in general. The room was cleaned on a daily basis and we received fresh towels every day. I do not support the comments regarding the bathroom not being clean of the member from Ohio. Hotel management could have improved the situation, though. We sed the A/C and heater and they worked fine. The lock from the door to the outside was broken, but management warned us for that in advance, yet we wanted that room. The shower was clean and worked well. The shower curtain was clean and so was the floor.

The bed was soft and clean. I believe we were offered clean sheets on a daily basis, but I can't support that idea. The mattres was fine and worked well. The sofabed (used as couch was a bit old, but it was also clean. Other furniture looked modern. We have phone that worked and a TV with remote that worked. The room also comes with a coffee machine.

Breakfast
The room comes with a simple breakfast. The dining area is very small. Breakfast comes with muffins, waffles, a (neat!!) coffee machine and bagels. The dining room is open all day, so coffee and tea is available at all times.

Location
The location is very good. Starved Rock State Park is around the corner and so is the Peru Mall with several dining options. Starved Rock State Park is worth the drive. Peru is in the country side. Ottawa and Princeton have more breakfast areas and Peoria is about an hour and 15 minutes away for some good shopping. De TV is working, but it doesn't hurt to bring your DVD player, if you depend on indoor (in-room) activities. The mall has a theatre.

Customer Service
This part annoyed me a bit. The staff is very defensive when it comes to situations. They do not show any empathy towards their guests. I accidently booked a night short.

We left the room in the morning, expecting it to be cleaned before we returned in the afternoon. On arrival in the afternoon, they told us that we they thought we would have checked out (because of my mistake). Therefore they didn't do our rooms. The explanation from housekeeping was that we left the "do not disturb" sign in our lock (which we didn't). We were simply expected to check out.

Eventually I wanted to see the document that I signed for our stay, but I couldn't find it. In the meantime I asked front desk how to solve the situation. They offered us a new room. I explained them that I planned to stay for one more night and that it wasn't really worth it to move rooms, because that would cause a major move with all our things. Their reply was: "So what am I supposed to do? Clean your room myself?" It was hard to stay friendly and understanding, because they were not. Eventually we got new towels and sheets and we 'cleaned' our room ourselves. The hotel offered a 20% discount for that night.

The hotel seems to be run by Asian people. I believe all it was, was a difference in culture. Nevertheless, I expect the customer service I am used to from Comfort Inn. The manager WILL solve your problem, but not in a very customer friendly way.

Overall impression
Apart from customer service we had a very nice stay in this hotel. I am satisfied over the room and the location. The room we stayed in is a good value. I would return to the hotel myself, but I will keep my eyes open for alternatives. I hope that in time the management will try to show more empathy towards their guests, but I do appreciate their logic and problem solving thinking.

I chose this motel because I have always been quite satisfied with Comfort Inns. This one lived up to my expectations. The room was clean, the breakfast satisfactory, and there was even a pool. It was also one of the very few places that had a computer available to the guests. The gentleman at the reception was also very friendy.