The Maples Motel, Sandusky

A wonderful little place to stay. It's off the beaten path, yet close to all the attractions downtown (which is only about 7 mins away). It's owned by a great family. The service can't be beat! If you want the ritz and lots of amenities, this isn't the place for you. If you want great hospitality, a clean and comfy place to lay your head, and to save some cash- this is the hotel you want to stay at! Pros: Best service I've ever had at a hotel. The room was clean and smelled good. The doors to the rooms are outside doors, and parking is right in front of your room. There's cable TV and a mini fridge. There's an ice machine and pop machine at the end of the building. They actually bring fresh towels everyday (many women who have traveled a lot know exactly what I'm talking about, haha). Fresh coffee, donuts, and fruit are in the office every morning (free). There's also a small pool (which we didn't use being that it was October in Ohio!). Cons: There was no coffee pot or microwave in our room- which we can live without. There was no tub (perhaps in certain rooms they do?). The motel is right accross the street from a train track. Trains run fairly regularly, but they go by very quickly and honestly didn't bother us one bit. All and all this was a wonderful place to stay if you're going to Sandusky. It was a nice place to relax after running around the town. We plan to make a return trip next year!

The motel offers a nice clean room for a value price and easy access to all the entertainment you could ask for in the Sandusky/Huron area. The pool is a great place to end a long hot day (after a shower of course). Never mind the trains.

What a quaint & lovely motel to go back to after a long & exhausting day at Cedar Point. The room & bedding were clean. Steve & Joan were quite pleasant & helpful when we were inquiring about where to eat in the area. Sure, there is a railroad track across the street, but we were so tired, it never bothered us. We definately will return there in the future.

We chose this motel based on on-line reviews. It was not what we expected. Arrived about 9 PM, checked in, and went to the room. Found a spider in the bathroom, beetle on the floor, and there were lots of little bugs in the room that would fall from above. One of the blankets was dirty as well as threadbare. We had asked for a roll-away bed but it was not in the room. So we had to go back to the office (there was no phone in the room) and wait for it to be found. Then we had a poor night's sleep with trains running regularly during the night on the tracks which I would say are less than 100 yards away but sounded closer with the thin walls and door. We left the next morning (I am pleased to say they did not hesitate to refund what we had pre-paid for the next 2 nights). We went on into Sandusky and found a much better motel on Cleveland Road (and it was cheaper, too).

After checking the consistently positive reviews of the Maples we felt confident that our stay would be as advertised. Everything the other reviews said was true-pristine rooms, ample towels, great water pressure, friendly and helpful hosts, at a great price. True the decor is what you might call "retro" and yes, there were frequent trains, but for me the only down side was that everybody in my family saw the eagles that live on the adjoining nature preserve except me! And we snapped a picture of the most beautiful sunset ever on our leisurely lakeshore drive back to the motel. If you are looking for a peaceful and affordable family place to disconnect from the hustle and bustle, the Maples is it.

I stayed at the Maples' August 11th-13th with my three children 12, 10 and 8. We stayed in the "Sunset Lodge" cabins, for $62/night for the four of us. Our room was spotless, with two queen beds and one twin bed. Mattresses and pillows were comfortable for a lower priced motel. Our bathroom was also very clean with plenty of towels, soaps and TP. There was a TV w/remote and a box fan mounted to the wall. No air conditioning, but none was needed as the room cooled off sufficiently in the evenings and the shade from the beautiful trees on the property kept our cabin comfy. The decor is quite dated at the Maples. Imagine if you stayed a week at your grandparents' house. That's what you have here. Clean and comfortable, but definitely not stylish or modern. Where the $200/night Hilton may have a continental breakfast, Joan serves a fresh pot of coffee at the office and all you can eat fresh donuts. The Hilton has a busy parking lot and valets. At the Maples, we pulled up on the lawn to our #14 sign (our parking spot marked for our room number), layed on the hammock, ate breakfast from McDonald's at one of the many clean picnic tables, and enjoyed the sun and the birds at the game preserve on the next property. The kids played catch, frisbee and basketball each morning before going for our day's activities. Joan has anything you need in the office to have a great time in her backyard! Yes, there are trains...and they are loud and frequent. My boys loved them. At night, we closed our windows, turned on the fan and couldn't really hear them. We also loved the drive from the Maples to Cedar Point. Two turns on back roads, then a lovely lake shore drive for about 10 minutes to the park. I don't hesitate to recommend this motel to most travelers. If you love camping, you'll love it here. If you require a lot of amenities or want an impressively luxurious accommodation, you should probably try one of the chain hotels. If you're somewhere in between, give the Maples a try. We really loved it! This motel is full all the time, so make sure you make reservations.

The Maples is run by a really nice family who care about their guests' comforts. Situated on a large piece of land, the Maples is located very close to the old Cedar Point entrance (still open). Very convenient and quick to the park. There is a walk to a protected nature preserve which was the home this summer to 2 eagles and their eaglets. The motel is a throwback. While the Maples is older, the rooms are exceptionally clean and the staff is great. There is even free coffee and donuts in the morning. The price is right as well.