Hillwinds Lodge, Franconia

What I liked...staff / owners were very pleasant and wi-fi capable What I disliked... 1. The view...I took the river side since the pics looked serene. The pics don't show that the view beyond the river is rte 3. 2. Dirty rooms!...I had to clean the bathroom before we could use them. The rugs are filthy, don't go stocking footed. Rooms smelled awful. 3. Decor...old furnishing from clothes storage, curtains (ridden with moth holes), lamps, tables, etc. 4. Decks are filthy and not kept clean. They have lots of mildew issues on exterior of blg. 5. 2 prong outlets, bring an adapter if you use a laptop. No iron 6. Pool...They never took the cover off the pool so you could use it, not that I would trust the cleanliness. 7. Location...If your looking for a classy place to eat you have to travel. Worst place too stay if your celebrating your anniversary. All the eateries are casual dress and dressy nor romantic. To get through the visit, I had to go buy room deororizers, sheets, adapters, flip flops to walk without shoes, iron and iron pad. To be fair, if the place was clean and didn't smell I would have given it a 3 star rating. I was very disappointed at the 4 & 5 star ratings that I based my decision on. They were not accurate. I don't mind the basics, but cleanliness is a must!

The owners are very friendly. I was visiting in December so it was very quiet up in the mountains. I chose this place because they accept pets and rates are very reasonable.

WE HAD THE PLEASURE OF STAYING AT HILL WINDS IN AUGUST WHEN WE SEEN OUR ROOM GIVE WAY TO GALE RIVER. WE WERE ON THE GROUND FLOOR. OUR ROOM HAD WATER DAMAGE,BUT THE MANAGEMENT TOOK GREAT CARE OF MY WIFE AND ME. TRIP TO NH TURNED TO BE ON OF OUR BEST. BEEN VISITING THIS AREA SINCE MID 70'S. LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK.. CHARLIE & HANNAH WOOD MOORESTOWN NEW JERSEY.

I visited the place in late March for a skiing and hiking trip and to my suprise it was quite pleasant, although there are no reviews of the place. They have some really good specials if one stays for a few days. The riverside rooms are your best bet, as the sound of the river is very soothing all day. It just flows outside your room and makes you feel at one with the nature. There are barbecue pits near the river and the pool- these I hope to use on my next visit. The rooms are very clean and the lady who comes in does a good job keeping them smelling nice and fresh. There is nice breakfast served every day and the owners are really friendly and chatty. On the down side, Hillwinds looked a little cheap at first with the big red signs saying HILLWINDS MOTEL outside. Also, they grounds could use a pick up, there was something shabby about it at first glance.There really is no wireless in the rooms as advertised, you have to go to the main room to access it. Some advertisements online (they have since been removed) suggested that there was a sauna and jacuzzi there, or that one would be able to use the amenities at the Franconia Inn. Unfortunately, this is only possible if there is someone staying there so when I went we couldn't use these facilities. There was noone else staying at the motel when I visited, but I did not find it creepy. To be honest I appreciated the privacy. If you are looking for something affordable and comfortable- bring your own candles and you can even make it romantic, this is a good place to visit. Don't be put off by the way it appears, I had a very nice time here. I am going back soon to enjoy another weekend there in the summer. The area is great for hiking and for discovering small cute stores like the Littleton diner. Echo lake nearby has swimming and there are a few waterparks in nearby Lincoln that would be fun for the kids.