Great Northern Motel, Mercer

The rooms are large and a wonderful view of the lake, BUT, the hallway and the rooms smell. The carpet is extremely dirty, poor TV reception and the breakfast bar uses spray margarine - yuck! We had planned to stay three nights but after one night we checked out and moved to the Cranberry Inn Motel just down the road and that was newly remodeled and wonderful, plus the restaurant is smoke free and the food is fantastic. The Great Northern desperately needs to be updated.

i've ben going to the grate nothern sence i was 3. it is my favorit vaction that we take all year. we go there snowmobiling once a year and i cant wate till February!!! GET LOTS OF SNOW!!!!!!!

I've stayed at the Great Northern every year for the last 5 years or so. I think the hotel is about 10 years old. The rooms are spacious and the rates reasonable. We paid $89/night for August. First, you have to remember that accomodations are at a different standard in northern Wisconsin. The rooms are clean. The rugs could use replacing but are not dirty. The accomodations are not luxurious but OK. If you ask for a lake view, you get a nice view of Lake Santo Domingo. There are paddle boast and a fishing boat with paddles you can use to go out on the lake. The showers are standard Holiday Inn-caliber. Clean. The shower heads are low but you just bend over a little. No shampoo and bars of Cashmere Bouquet! Watch out if you use the phone. I used my laptop and called Lac du Flambeau and it cost me almost $20 for two 20-30 minute sessions. It must have been local long distance. Breakfast is a unique toast bar in the Great Room. That's it - toast. Plus coffee and juice (apple & orange). It is surprisingly OK. Choose the cinamon raison bread - it is the most filling. Like I said - the hospitality standards in the north woods is just different from elsewhere in the country. There is a nice pool and hot tub that is not used much. The bar is standard north woods. I haven't eaten in the restaurant. There is a nice little restaurant across the street that serves breakfast and lunch. I've stayed here several years and will again. There are very few motels in the area that take less than weekly guests.

it was everything we had heard and more. we will definately go back. i understnd they have a spring special coming up april 1st and the prices are almot cut in half. unbeleivable!!! snowmobilers heaven.

Not sure where the previous review got her room deal, but my wife and I spent several days there in May of 2005. I just checked with their office to confirm the price we paid. All rooms are $79 for one person and $89 for two people -- not the $69 reported in the prior post. Add $10 a night if you have a pet. No AARP discounts or any other discounts are available, I was told. I went to the bar to get a drink and a bite to eat on a Sunday evening about 7 P.M. and the bar was closed. I agree the place was clean. The staff was very courteous and helpful. There were two problems with the room. One was the shower head which was located about chin height for me and the shower controls which were very stiff and difficult to operate. The second was that there was no deadlock and only half of the security latch was installed so it was inoperable. The rooms are "key" and not "card" operated. If someone makes a copy of the key they can get into your room even while you are in it. I will say we experienced no such intruders -- it is a small, safe town according to the locals. Our conclusion is it was not worth the $89 plus 5 percent sales tax a day. My wife and I are looking for other places in the area for our next trip. They won't have a pool, but they won't be $89 a night, either.