Have stayed there twice with different experiences!
The Hometel has changed hands since we first stayed there in 2000. It was well run, clean, offered monthly rates and was a fairly safe and decent place to stay. The staff were friendly and easy to chat with.
The air conditioning worked well and the pool was clean. The grounds and parking areas were very clean and well lit.
We could see it was starting a downhill slide. I feel they reduced their rates in order to compete with several brand new, very modern, luxury oriented motels that had been built.
What they failed to foresee, was the extremely cheap rates would be attracting a less than desirable clientèle. This brought about even more problems. Police making nightly calls is not good for business. Fights, loud partying, lots of noise, eventually drive good customers elsewhere. No one wants to stay where there is violence and drug raids.
We spent a week in early Nov 2006 and it was quite shabby, laundry machines were broken more than they worked, bedding and towels were quite worn and faded. The drapes were hung with half the hooks they needed and were not the proper size for the windows - most were too long but some rooms, had a foot or more gap at the bottom.
Our room was dingy and dark. The carpets had badly worn areas, beds were lumpy and mattresses dirty. The rooms needed painting, they had either too much furniture or not enough. The refrigerator's barely kept things cool.
There was minimal light bulbs - which only adds to the drabness. They came around and replaced most of the burnt out bulbs while we were there - so things were looking up.
The air conditioning had been turned off months ago - the sign behind the desk in the lobby confirmed this. They used Pinesol to clean the rooms with. It has an odor I really do not care for that hung in the air constantly.
They strictly enforced quiet time from 10 pm to 7 or so am, which was appreciated. The assistant manager resided on site, obviously an effort to keep the peace. These new owners were obviously aware of the image and trying very hard to clean it up. I commend them.
I genuinely liked the new owners and felt bad they were obviously struggling to make ends meet. The pool had not been used during the summer - another sign in the lobby declared this fact.
The Hometel was always busy and most rooms filled year round. Truckers stayed there, business people and families. It was moderately priced and appealing. I felt so sad for the way it had deteriorated.
The new owners were trying to improve things. They replaced our bed the last day we were there. I don't know if they got to the bedding or not but certainly hope so. Our blanket was ragged, holey, had no binding along the edges. When placed in the middle of the bed - was short 6-8" of reaching any edge of the bed. It looked like a postage stamp and was pretty much worthless. The sheets were clean and white but so thin, they seemed about ready to disintegrate. The pillows were long past due for replacing. I was glad we always bring our own - I couldn't have slept on theirs - dirty, flat - maybe two inches thick, lumpy and badly stained.
Despite the negatives, I would consider stopping in to see how things look and if they've improved, would stay there. My guess is, they have every intention of bringing it up to standard but need some time to do so.
I would recommend asking to see one of their rooms, before deciding whether or not to stay. My hope is, they have continued to make improvements and in time, will have the Hometel up to standard again.
