Since most of the people diving the Blue Hole and Rock Lake stay in town in one of the many motels there, I thought it might be useful to have a thread that provides information about the motel choices, including both factual information and opinions. That way people can be a little more informed about their lodging options in town. I have a personal reason for this---I am not satisfied with the choices I know so far, and I want to see where other people have stayed and what they think of it. So I will start by writing about the three I have used in the past. (You can probably tell from my reviews that I pay a lot of attention to the breakfast situation, and I like to have a protein source in it.)
Travelodge
This is what I have used the last two times I have been in town, and I chose it because it is among the cheapest and I was looking to save $$$. The beds and showers are fine, but the rooms are not super spacious. It has a good TV (which I never watch anyway) and a small refrigerator and microwave. There is no good place for the coffeemaker, which I didn't use, either. The WiFi was good and worked well. The amazing thing is the lack of working electricity. In both rooms my group rented both times we went, the majority of electrical outlets did not function at all. This last time, I had to unplug the clock to get enough working outlets for my own electrical needs--bring your own power strip if you have to do a lot of recharging. The continental breakfast is not at all good--the only protein is in the milk and the cream cheese packets. It is just the basic pastries and breads, cereal, orange juice, apples, oranges, and coffee type of thing. The time before last, we skipped it and went to Denny's. When you book, you get a pretty scary message telling you that your reservation is not refundable for any reason, so don't even think of cancelling.
Quality Inn
I have not been there in over a year, so so of this may have changed. It is quite a bit pricier than the Travelodge. The rooms are nice and reasonably spacious. Hopefully they have improved their WiFi router since I was last there. Just about every time I went, I had to call the office and ask them to reset the router because it was out of IP addresses. Once connected, though, it was fine. The breakfast is better than Travelodge, with some protein choices including scrambled eggs and a waffle maker. Their main hot item is biscuits and gravy, which I don't eat, so I would prefer some variety.
Best Western Adobe
I used to stay there a lot, but not for several years. It is on the lower side of cost, although not as cheap as some others. the rooms are very spacious, so you have lots of space for bags, drying things out, charging batteries, etc. I never had a problem with the WiFi. The breakfast is mediocre--standard cold continental, with the only protein being hard boiled eggs and peanut butter. (I used to bring a little mayonnaise and make egg salad.) The main reason I won't go there is concerns about my health. In several of the rooms, I found that after a few minutes in the bathroom, my head would be completely congested, and it would take a while for it to recover. I suspected a mold problem. (No proof of that--just a suspicion.)
Travelodge
This is what I have used the last two times I have been in town, and I chose it because it is among the cheapest and I was looking to save $$$. The beds and showers are fine, but the rooms are not super spacious. It has a good TV (which I never watch anyway) and a small refrigerator and microwave. There is no good place for the coffeemaker, which I didn't use, either. The WiFi was good and worked well. The amazing thing is the lack of working electricity. In both rooms my group rented both times we went, the majority of electrical outlets did not function at all. This last time, I had to unplug the clock to get enough working outlets for my own electrical needs--bring your own power strip if you have to do a lot of recharging. The continental breakfast is not at all good--the only protein is in the milk and the cream cheese packets. It is just the basic pastries and breads, cereal, orange juice, apples, oranges, and coffee type of thing. The time before last, we skipped it and went to Denny's. When you book, you get a pretty scary message telling you that your reservation is not refundable for any reason, so don't even think of cancelling.
Quality Inn
I have not been there in over a year, so so of this may have changed. It is quite a bit pricier than the Travelodge. The rooms are nice and reasonably spacious. Hopefully they have improved their WiFi router since I was last there. Just about every time I went, I had to call the office and ask them to reset the router because it was out of IP addresses. Once connected, though, it was fine. The breakfast is better than Travelodge, with some protein choices including scrambled eggs and a waffle maker. Their main hot item is biscuits and gravy, which I don't eat, so I would prefer some variety.
Best Western Adobe
I used to stay there a lot, but not for several years. It is on the lower side of cost, although not as cheap as some others. the rooms are very spacious, so you have lots of space for bags, drying things out, charging batteries, etc. I never had a problem with the WiFi. The breakfast is mediocre--standard cold continental, with the only protein being hard boiled eggs and peanut butter. (I used to bring a little mayonnaise and make egg salad.) The main reason I won't go there is concerns about my health. In several of the rooms, I found that after a few minutes in the bathroom, my head would be completely congested, and it would take a while for it to recover. I suspected a mold problem. (No proof of that--just a suspicion.)
