Nice spot

Paved trail beginning in town and then running north through various habitats. Bikers can appear rather suddenly, so dog walkers must keep an eye out, but otherwise this is a pleasure.

The trailhead is a bit difficult to find, though. It's at the west end of Corey Street, by the sewage plant.

Apr. 17, 2023

Good, basic accommodations

Motel style (room doors are exterior doors) and independent rather than a chain. Quiet on a Friday night in April. Clean room in good repair with good AC, microwave, and fridge/freezer. Window opened for fresh air -- a big plus in my view. Could not get coffee maker to work, but that may have been my fault. Bed was reasonably comfortable, wifi worked. No breakfast served, coffee available in office but office did not open until 8am. There's a pizza/sub place within the same compound and a Dunkin 5 minutes away. Dog area is quite small but very convenient. Parking spots vary in distance from the doors. For longer dog walks, the Marian R. Okie Memorial Wildlife Preserve is just a few minutes down the road, and perfect for a more extended bit of exercise. But you will need a map to find it.

Apr. 15, 2023

Not as advertised

The big problem might not be relevant to others. We needed a handicapped access room, and booked one that had a king bed. When we got there, we were told that was on the second floor. Since there is no elevator, how could they advertise the room as accessible? They substituted a queen size handicapped accessible on the first floor but that had problems, too, since there was no obvious way to get a wheelchair up a steep curb and then up over a smaller step into the room.

Luckily, a very helpful cleaning helped us ramp up over the curb, and then helped us get the wheelchair over a very uneven sidewalk. We thank her most sincerely, but notice that there was nothing inside the room that was particularly handicapped friendly, either.

As to things of more general interest: The room was very clean and well ventilated. AC, fridge and microwave were in good working order. Wifi was strong, after some fiddling with available logins. Oddly, there was only one blanket (for two queen beds) and just one plastic cup, but I am sure we could have asked for more.

The dog walking area was just a small, thin strip next to the road, which caused some inconvenience. And the water tasted awful, but I believe that is a local rather than a motel problem; the Dunkin down the road had a similar taste to its coffee. An exceptionally helpful cleaner, a mostly good basic room, and a feeling of being conned on the handicapped access.

Apr. 16, 2023

Great Place

Super helpful, wonderful people, and they have everything you could possibly need to feed and pamper your pup.

Apr. 12, 2023

Basic accommodations

Helpful, friendly people at the desk, clean room, good internet, handicap accessible, easy dog walking area, quiet except for traffic (this was a Thursday night). Nothing fancy, but everything basic was done correctly, which is what we look for in this price range. If you want the "drive up to your room door" style motel room, this ought to fit the bill just fine.

Jan. 20, 2023

Not what we reserved

We reserved a handicapped accessible room quite far in advance but when we arrived, it turned out none was available. I am not sure what happened. But it was odd, considering that they had very, very few guests. And that the main problem, a step up from the sidewalk to the room door, seemed to be true about all rooms I could see.

We ended up taking the room offered and got the wheelchair up the step. But then it turned out the extremely difficult to fit it into the bathroom. Of course, they had said that this room was not accessible, but the info might be useful to another customer in the future.

At least as seriously, we never got the hot water to work, either in the sink or in the tub. Less serious but annoying, the internet was very, very slow. It is also totally non-secure, not even a password. However, the bed was comfortable, as was the sofa. The room was mostly clean and it was certainly quiet and peaceful. Dog walking area was convenient and tidy.

Jan. 21, 2023

Mixed bag

We thought that we had ascertained, a week ahead, that we could have a handicapped accessible, dog friendly room, but got a call as we were driving to Wilkes-Barre asking if we really needed handicapped accessible, because they did not have one that was dog friendly. They offered a non-dog-friendly room for a $75 extra charge, or the dog friendly room. They described the dog friendly room as reasonably accessible, so we accepted it, which turned out to be a big mistake. It involved a significant walk including stairs from any direction.

However, that aside, the room nice. Air was fresh. Internet was good (although not secured). Bathroom a bit small but nice. Bed was comfy. The dog walking area struck me as a bit eccentric. It's an inner courtyard, very nicely landscaped. But when our pup asked to go out at 4:15 am, I felt like I was prowling near other guests' bedroom windows. However, by day it's downright luxurious. The hotel is actually part of a larger complex including a couple of restaurants and such. With a dog in tow, we wouldn't have used those facilities even if there had been no accessibility issues. But others might find this a plus or a minus. We would not stay there again because we felt misled, and apparently they do not really have the combination we need. But it is a nice setting for sure.

Apr. 18, 2022

Very comfortable!

We had a large room, comfy bed, spacious bathroom, good internet (although unsecured -- use VPN!). The area in back was perfect for dog walking, with a nature area and for children to play. Lots of pups up and down our wing. (Dog friendly rooms are on the first floor.) And plenty of carts to bring things to the room. Which counts for a lot with me. They ran into a water problem the night we were there, but obviously that was a freak thing, and they handed out free water bottles to compensate. Definitely a place we would go back to.

Apr. 17, 2022

Great for pups

Lots of attention and also good treats for the dogs. Area to walk them is just a few feet from the front door, next to parking. Everyone seemed to like dogs. The hotel was a bit fancier and pricier than we are used to, but all in all, it seemed justified. Though of course, with dogs, we could not very well go to the dining room. But the bed was very comfortable and the place was beautiful. This was a winter visit, and we appreciated the ability to adjust the heat to our liking, but the blower was loud -- really the only detail not so much to our liking.

Jan. 21, 2022

Guest Review

We spent two nights and saw lots of great dogs up and down the hallway. :)

On the plus side, this hotel has an excellent and convenient area for walking the pups. Lots of space, well away from traffic. But be aware they do not allow dogs on furniture or beds.

As for humans, the bed and chair were quite comfortable, and the room was clean. Fridge worked properly. Air was a bit stale, and the windows did not open. Breakfast was the usual, nicely laid out in a spacious room. Light bulbs in the room changed brightness unexpectedly without our doing anything -- not sure, maybe a thing with a new kind of bulbs. Bathroom sink was a bit cramped, but not a big deal. Very easy access on and off the main highway, good pizza just down the road, and a very nice rail trail 10 minutes away in Elkin.

Jan. 27, 2020

Basic Motel

No luxury, but adequate in all regards. Dog walking patch is fairly small out behind the pool, but our dogs liked it very well.

Window opened, which is a big plus in our book. Reasonable amount of room in the main room and bathroom. Very clean.

Only aggravation was that water temp is difficult to adjust, be careful or you can get hit with some very hot water. The entrance is a little awkward to enter off an intersection on the main road. But it is a very convenient location, and was quiet on a Saturday night.

May. 03, 2020

Best all around

The coffee is fantastic. Croissants, scones, cookies and other treats outstanding. Service is friendly, helpful and efficient. Informal, comfortable seating. Original artwork for sale.

And there are always dogs here -- the owner's dog, workers' dogs, customers' dogs. This place is the best of the best.

Apr. 07, 2020

Excellent hotel

We has a super comfy, spacious room, even a window you could open. Good wifi. Clean. Comfortable bed and furniture.

Dog walking is only in the area out back, but it is a very nice, large grassy area.

Humans and canines had a wonderful stay.

Feb. 28, 2020

Very nice!

We walked from the Ebenezer trailhead, which was easily found using Waze. Nice paved walk through a good residential area on the one side and woods on the other. People were pleasant, everything great.

Feb. 28, 2020

A Bit Different

All kinds of sweets, breads, and dishes, many of them a bit off-beat but all delicious. In our experience, you do not want to get there too close to closing time, they run out of various things. Great for takeout, as well as eating on site. The people strike us as a bit eccentric, but very nice.

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor dining area.

Feb. 25, 2020

Nice little walk

Interesting preserve with a large number of trees and other plants labeled. Good birdwatching. Not a long walk, I think we covered the entire trail system, and we walked less than a mile. There's a very nice pond in the middle, with gators. Some noise pollution from the nearby main road.

Feb. 03, 2020

Extensive beautiful trails

This preserve is part of Sea Pines Resorts, which is actually a combination of a private residential area, a vacation rental area, and a resort emphasizing golf courses. Actually, a very interesting history to this, going back to the 50s.

So yes, as other reviewers have noted, you have to pay to get into the area, a $6 day use fee. And once you get in, it can be a little tricky to find the preserve without a map. Especially the better entrance which is a hardly marked side road right off the Preparatory School on Lawton. (There is a better marked entrance on Greenwood.)

However, the preserve itself is beautiful. The main road itself is a fine walking trail, running from the Lawton canal east past Lake Joe, Lake Thomas, and Lake Mary. Or you can park on Fish Island, between Lake Joe and Lake Thomas and hike the less traveled trails south of Lake Joe, including the 4,000 year old remains of the Shell Ring. Or head north from Fish Island to the network of trails around the Old Lawton Rice field, with its depressing history.

All the trails are totally dog friendly, with plenty to sniff -- our dogs love it every time. But use leashes, there are alligators in the water, and coyotes in some areas of the preserve.

Birds and bird songs everywhere. Really, a spectacular place.

Feb. 03, 2020

Top Notch

My wife and two shelties and I stayed on a winter Friday night, and could not have been more pleased.

Room was very clean, chair extra comfy, the room was not at all cramped, fridge and microwave worked properly, and the room was airy. Mattress was comfortable. Everyone was friendly to the dogs and us, even phoning us that we had forgotten an item in our room. Breakfast was good, and the coffee was excellent. (We chose the dark roast.)

The dog walking area was a bit limited, the hotel being between a plaza and the highway, but right across the highway is the trailhead for a very well kept, picturesque park and nature trail, and the dogs had a great time there. (Just follow W Webster Road out of the parking lot and across the four lane highway, and you are there -- about a two minute drive.)

Jan. 25, 2020

Good deal

My wife and I spent a winter night here with our two shelties.

Very reasonable rates. Very quiet on a Thursday night. Good breakfast. Very efficient and helpful front desk. Clean room. Fridge actually worked (rather than freezing things -- a pet peeve of mine).

The dog walk area is a rather narrow strip of grass around the edge of the parking lot, but they provide bags for waste removal, and it was fine.

For a more extensive dog walk we went to Knob Hill Park a 5 minute drive to the south, and found a very nice nature trail running off from their Disk Frisbee course.

The one real negative was that the room was very warm and stuffy, even hours after I turned off the heat entirely. (Windows did not open.) Other than that, a very good place to stop with dogs.

Jan. 24, 2020

Mixed bag

First the good part. They were very dog friendly. Lots of dogs in nearby rooms, no fuss about it at all, easy to walk dogs out back.

Also, I appreciated that the windows opened. I really dislike stale hotel room air.

WiFi worked well.

On the other hand:
* The room was rather small with little space to put anything.
* Electrical outlets were very limited, and the hookups of existing lights, etc, rather shaky.
* Yet another hotel fridge that froze our stuff solid. What's up with that, anyway?
* A back door that took anywhere from five to twenty attempts to unlock with the magnetic card. A sign on the door makes me think this is not a new problem. Really, this was the main aggravation.
* Check in was just weird. We initially made a five day reservation, but cancelled the first two days through BringFido. We did not object to losing our money, but wanted to be certain that our reservation for the other nights did not get canceled. When we arrived, they spent some time insisting that we had been there for two days and then checked out. No idea what that was all about.
*Other little stuff, like the bathroom light out, just one small wastebasket for the room.

All in all, I would hope to find another budget place next time, but if necessary, I would stay there again.

Dec. 04, 2019