Upper Lake Inn & Suites

Good place to stay when in the area

Hotels.com’s listing includes a pool (along with pics) and that the hotel was pet friendly. We’d been traveling with our dog for over 12 hours and were road weary, so this looked like the perfect oasis to rejuvenate us. We booked it! Sadly, when we arrived there was no pool, and they hadn’t had one since Covid. Also, they required a $25 pet deposit that wasn’t mentioned at booking. Okay. Then let’s add the bed was noisy (the left side made a bang side when you sat down) and was hard, and the shutters on the windows did not block the bright security light outside our room, so no sleep for us this night. The front desk basically placed the blame on hotels.com for the pool and pet, but did recommend some good places to eat nearby. That was nice. The soda machine was broken, but you could buy drinks and snacks from the counter. Final sad complaint, the tv channels didn’t come in clear. It just wasn’t anything we were expecting, so I want to make sure no one else is surprised.

It was ok

It was amazing

With a few exceptions in our experience, the husband-wife management is responsive to requests and generally courteous. "Ken," the husband of the South Asian couple was a little surly one morning when asked to reprogram our key cards. In contrast, his wife "Bikie" (?) was always cheerful, even when asked to exchange our towels for fresh early in the morning. To be fair, there is no back-up for them, so they're up late. Morning isn't their best time. The facility is a recycled Super 8 with obvious equipment and physical deficiencies. It's by far the lowest-cost lodging in the Upper Lake area for obvious reasons. The pool appears to be permanently closed. Some repainting and maintenance work was ongoing at the time of our stay. Possibly it will get better? Our room overall was clean, though we thought the carpeting a little dingy. Linens were fresh. We always check for bedbugs, even in high-end hotels. There was no evidence of the critters. Our stay was predicated on being close to our business destination. Other options include a casino down Hwy. 20 a short distance, but at a much higher price. There are few restaurant options in the area, though enough to satisfy our needs. Try Judy's cafe directly across Hwy. 20. The food is good and the staff is cheerfully responsive. The Blue Wing, a more upscale restaurant in Upper Lakes Old Town is more upscale. It offers dining inside and outside. There was live music the evening dined outside. Breakfast is a little too fussy for us.

I got there yesterday I was an hour late but no one answered I tried for 20 min so I left I hope they're going to give me a room today or something because I already paid for it half off or something

This is an older, recycled facility, probably a former chain hotel built in the 1960's or 70's with the typical 2-story, outside entry configuration. Due to several prior negative experiences, we try to avoid facilities owned and operated by people originating from the Asian subcontinent bordering the Bengal Sea. Often, they cut too many "corners," and don't seem to concern themselves with cleanliness and guest comfort. Often, the reviews will signal the ownership, or we'll call ahead. English spoken with a distinct accent usually provide enough clues. Our efforts don't vary, so we were somewhat surprised to encounter the aroma of curry upon arrival. Of course, this was past the date and time for cancelation without penalty, so we "hunkered down," waiting for the nearly inevitable "other shoe" to drop. As we settled in, we noticed the usual decaying concrete on the stairway leading to our room on the second story, and that the pool was "closed for the season" due to hundreds of boxes and othe items stored under what we interpreted as a pool house at the end, the gate securely locked. We don't know what that was all about..., but somewhat unsightly in our opinion. There was a problem with the credit card reader at check-in, so we were asked to return later. No matter. It's incumbant upon them to collect the room fee. We set aboit organizing our stay, unloading a fair amount ot luggage and other items for our upcoming business, the purpose of our stay. There was no elevator.

Location was convenient for our needs. The pool is out of service, seems permanent by the looks of it.