like walking into a time warp

My "favourite" worst hotel would have to be one we "stayed" at for about 10 minutes last summer in Oregon. I can't remember the name of the town as it wasn't an actual destination but just the place we ended up at the end of the day's driving.

My husband had to go to the bathroom and didn't want to stop at a gas station and since our choices of hotels were very limited due to the size of the town and all of the hotels we spotted having no vacancy signs he pulled into one that didn't look too bad. Usually we check out rooms before paying and hauling our luggage out of the car but not this time. We got our room key and headed to our room with our luggage and kids in tow. We actually were staying in a motel not a hotel as the door was outside and not down a hallway.

Walking up the stairs and to our room in the corner we started to get not so good vibes about our accommodations. The stairs and walkway were damaged and unswept and on closer inspection the building looked like it hadn't been painted in years.

After unlocking the door and depositing our luggage hubby made a bee-line for the bathroom. The kids and I looked around the small cramped quarters with a bit of disdain. The room was dark and dingy and the beds didn't look like a place I would want to sit on never mind sleep in. Being hopeful I started to check it for cleanliness because looks aren't everything. Dust on the baseboards and other flat surfaces hinted at the room either being empty for awhile or not being well cleaned. I spotted a fridge in a strange spot and proceeded to open the door but closed it just as quickly as it stank of mildew and needed no further inspection. I pointed this out to hubby as he exited the bathroom.

Our son came out of the washroom telling us about the leak in the toilet. We went in to inspect and found water coming out of the base of the toilet but luckily it was coming from the water intake and not the toilet bowl. Since we were already there our daughter took her turn in the bathroom giving us a couple more minutes to really see the room for what it was. We couldn't believe we were thinking of spending the night there.

We looked out the one small window only to spot a hotel hidden behind the one we were in. We got in the car and quickly drove to the hotel we spotted. They had a vacancy and we quickly took it but not before we inspected the room. The price was the same but this room was large and airy with a clean fridge and no water leaks.

We drove back to our first room to tell the proprieter about our change in plans. He apologized and told us that he just bought the place and was in the process of fixing it up. Wanting to retain customers he told us he had more rooms right next door he wanted to show us. Not wanting to be rude we agreed to view the "new" room.

As we followed the proprietor across the parking lot and down the sidewalk my husband and I exchanged looks wondering where we were being taken. By now it was getting dark and when we first spotted the outside pool our hopes brightened a bit. Then we noticed the pool covered in a black tarp and had a closed sign on it. Next we spotted old rolled up carpets thrown around outside and the shrubbery was all over grown. Going inside the room was like walking into a time warp and into a bedroom circa 1955. The furnishings were so old and mismatched we couldn't believe we were being offered these accommodations as being better than the previous room. We politely took a 5 second look around and declined the offer. Leaving the room we realized there were no other cars in the parking lot.

We went and gathered our luggage and canceled our reservation trusting that we would receive credit on our mastercard for it. No matter how much of a hurry we are in we always inspect rooms before accepting them.

-A careful consumer in Cranbrook, BC.