We stay at the CICC every winter. Great location for snowmobiling, right off the trail and next to gas station. Rooms are basic. The staff is outstanding. From housekeeping, to the front desk, to the bar, to the restaurant - they do everything they can to make your stay enjoyable. But what really makes the CICC stand out is the Greenhouse food. We have never had a bad meal in ten years, breakfast, lunch or dinner!More
This was our 2nd visit to the Caribou Inn & CC. Very easy to get to, right off the main roads(important if pulling a sled trailer). Plenty of room in the parking lot for trucks, trailers and sleds. Rooms facing the outside can give you direct view or your 'toys' as well, for peace of mind - not that it seems needed, but easy to unload your gear and settle into your room. Restaurant & bar in the hotel for ease of meals OR they have mini fridges in the rooms with small sink - perfect to bring some of your own food & munchies. We stayed in some nights and enjoyed meals made in our crockpot for a yummy post ride chili or soup. We also enjoyed choosing from some complimentary breakfast choices (not all just cold options either) or we could choose anything off the menu and enjoy $3 off their already affordable prices. Breakfast for two when we picked our own options was usually less than $8 including tip! I do think this is a weekday option, but even if no deals are running on the weekend, great & affordable way to start your day. As an FYI they also have vending machines for munchies and a quick stop style gas station/gift shop across the street if you'd like something of that nature. We stopped there every day to gas up the sleds before putting them away for the night. So we just geared up and left for a ride every morning - so easy!
Indoor pool and hot tub, Ah-Ma-Zing after riding all day. And they have one of the best and biggest gyms I've seen in a hotel in a long time. Not too busy, so you can get to a treadmill or weights without waiting. I think this is even the 'local' gym folks go to.
Is it the fanciest hotel we've ever stayed in - NO, but we're not fancy people. We like comfort, convenience, and the general friendly nature of the staff - especially the housekeeping - so nice. We love the location and ease to trails - right out the front door. Rooms can use a face lift, but we don't really care about the color of the curtains. As long as the bed is comfy and room is clean - we're happy campers. We were so happy with this place and the affordable nature - we've been back twice and take friends with us when we go. I'd say it's good for couples, singles, families and business if needed. We had a great time
I was in town for a business meeting being held at this location, so it only made sense to stay here. The funny thing is I had been to this inn when it first opened, years ago and remembered that is was very nice. I asked the clerk what year it opened when I checked in, and she had no idea...she thought maybe in the 80's. That is probably right -- maybe around 1988..ish..
In looking around my room, I think it has the original decor! It's no wonder the place looks tired.
I agree with other reviewers that the staff is friendly, but the facility could definitely use some upgrades to make it look more up-to-date & modern. It was fine for one night, but I definitely prefer the Hampton in Presque Isle.
Thank you for given our property high marks on your stay. I am pleased you enjoyed your stay and I will forward your comments to the staff. I am sorry you found our property to be “tired”. This surprises me. Yes, the property was opened in late 1989/1990 and purchased myself in 1994. Since then the only thing that has not been updated is the foot print of the property and the hallway walls. All room have been updated 2 times over, with the most recent all new furniture, fixtures, mattresses and carpet. The property had a complete remodel and addition to the restaurant as well as the lobby and the lobby recently upgraded early summer. We are presently installing flat panel televisions upgrading public space and new spreads. In order to keep our rate far below our competition we make necessary changes and upgrades as needed in order to stay competitive and not impact our customer’s value.
We hope to have you back as our guest in the near future.
I was very happy with this place and will stay there every time I am up there. It has a nice country setting and the place was clean. It is dated but that goes with the overall charm of the place. Staff are all smiles and willing to help.
This Inn is the best place to stay in Caribou - but, that isn't saying a whole lot. This is a dated, tired inn;; and, is the best only for being the last man standing. One has to factor in that this is in Caribou, a town which is in decline, bith economically and in culture.
The Inn is generally quiet because of the extensive use of carpet in the halls from floor to ceililng - not a bad idea for them; but, it is dated and a little dingy feeling. The rooms are good sized, but somewhat "dark." The Internet works okay, but the TV kept turning itself off, which was definitely annoying. The TV's are old and perhaps they no longer want to work. The bedding is not very good. The front counter staff are not professional, perhaps even a little "don't bother" in their attitude.
It is called the Caribou Inn and Convention Center, but one gets the idea that it is actually the place where the Buffalo roamed and no one took up after them.
We stayed here last weekend and had several problems: 1) the fridge in our room was tiny and the door did not seal properly and was very loose. Our food only got slightly cool and our ice packs did not freeze over night. 2) Huge frustration: we were watching TV and suddenly it shut off by itself! When I turned it back on, it was back to the TV Guide channel and the volume was so low you hear nothing. This is apparently a “reset” for every time the TV is turned off, but when it kept turning off by itself, it was apparent that the hotel has set the TVs to turn off automatically after some period of time. The problem is, if you’re watching a show, it shuts off in the middle of your program, then you waste time turning it back on, trying to remember what channel you had been on (if you happened to notice when you were surfing and stopped on something to watch!), then you have to turn the volume back up to hear anything! I’ve never been in a hotel that’s done this crazy TV stuff before!
3) Our biggest complaint was due to very poor communication: when we checked in Friday evening, I specifically asked if there was a complimentary breakfast. The gal said there was a good restaurant in the hotel and they had reasonable prices and good food. In the room, I looked in the Directory to see what time breakfast was at the restaurant. This is what the Directory states on page 6, under the Greenhouse Restaurant, verbatim: “Complimentary On The Run Breakfast. Redeem your On The Run breakfast voucher for a complimentary limited breakfast menu or $3 off a regular breakfast menu entrée.” In the morning, I called the front desk and told them I had not received the comp breakfast voucher…were they at the front desk? The gal said, “Hold on, let me check.” Check? Either they are or they aren’t! I could hear her typing on the keyboard, then she said because I had been given a reduced rate, I wasn’t given the vouchers at check in. I said, “It doesn’t say here in the Directory that these vouchers are dependent upon the rate you paid! The wording doesn’t discriminate between which guests get it and which don’t!” I also told her that the person who checked us in didn’t tell me that we were not entitled to a comp breakfast because of the rate we paid, and I had specifically asked her about a comp breakfast! So, the gal on the phone, said I could go to the front desk and she’d give me a voucher.
The poor communication doesn’t end here! With voucher now in hand, we went to the restaurant for breakfast. Sign said “Please wait to be seated,” so we waited though it was nearly empty. The only staff person we could see, saw us but picked up a water pitcher and disappeared into the kitchen. She did not acknowledge us in any way. No one else was around so we seated ourselves. Finally a gal came with menus. I didn’t see anything in the menu related to the On The Run comp breakfast menu, so I asked the server what was included on that menu. She stated that the free breakfast voucher was good only for Monday – Friday, and on the weekend we could only get the $3 off each entrée. Again, I refer you to the Directory page 6 wording and no where does it state that this comp breakfast was only good M-F! She pointed out that it says that on the voucher. Again, the front desk gal could have told me that when she handed me the voucher, at which point I would have asked her to show me where it says that in the room Directory! (It doesn’t!) My mom ordered 1 pancake and 1 egg. When we got the bill, only one $3 was taken off, even though the voucher showed it was good for 2 people. I asked the server why there was only one discount and she said it was because mom’s meal wasn’t an entrée! What a scam!
Clear communication is the key to customer satisfaction! Communication that agrees in all places: front desk staff, in the Directory, on the actual voucher, and in the restaurant! This would go a long way to make customers understand what they are or are not getting! Don’t have front desk staff tell guests one thing, the Directory tell something else, the voucher have a third story, and the restaurant staff not be gracious enough to point out what one orders doesn’t qualify!
With these problems, I wouldn’t stay there again!
