Kelly C.
Yelp
It was my 50th birthday this year. In anticipation of this milestone, I had one simple wish--to swim in a pool. Growing up in Florida, every one of my birthdays was spent swimming. Now that I live in Montana, finding a pool for my birthday required additional planning, and that's exactly what I did.
After an extensive search, I reached out to the Lewis & Clark Motel and explained my birthday plans. They told me I had to book a room, which was surprisingly expensive for a dressed-up Motel 6, to access the pool. Fine. The pool looked cool, and I'm worth it! You only turn 50 once, right? I booked the room, asking for an early check-in, and a late check-out.
When we arrived, I once again emphasized that my sole purpose was to enjoy a swim in the pool with my kids, and that we wouldn't even be sleeping in the room. The following morning, on my birthday, we returned to the motel, eagerly anticipating a day of floating in the pool. I turned in the room keys to an unoccupied front desk, and looked forward to the poolside retreat. We stepped out briefly for an errand, and when we came back, still well within our approved late check-out time, the person at the front desk unexpectedly denied us access to the pool.
I explained the situation, telling them that I returned the keys because we didn't use the room, assuming we could still use the pool. I was told that since we were no longer registered guests, access to the pool was off-limits. I asked for an exception considering the circumstances, only to be met with another refusal.
I can't comment on the quality of the beds or the water pressure in the shower, but I can say with certainty that Lisa, the owner and manager of this place, lacked any form of kindness or understanding, and in this instance, didn't operate her business with hospitality.
She may have gotten her money for that night, but she lost my future business and any chance of a positive recommendation.
To make sure I wasn't crazy, I called several other hotels in the area with pools to ask about their policies. They all said they could easily accommodate this type of request. If only I had chosen differently... save yourself, and do NOT stay at the Lewis & Clark Motel.