Stacie G.
Yelp
The location and the bed are the positives for this historic motel. The location was very good in that it is downtown Del Norte, close to shops and restaurants. It was a challenge to find the entrance to the motel. The motel sits down below street level and the entry looks like the entrance to an alleyway from the main street. We had to circle the block a couple of times before we realized where we needed to enter (note that it is one way). The bed was comfortable.
We booked this motel for one night in early March ($146.38 for a king). The initial text messages from Lauren, the motel owner, seemed nice - upbeat, welcoming, informative. However, the reality is that once you're at the motel there is no customer service to speak of. Everything is hands-off and impersonal. You check-in remotely. The doors to the rooms are keyless entry (which negates the need for someone to hand you a key card). We wondered how secure our rooms were. The owner requests (by text) a credit card number in advance of your stay (even though we used Booking.com) "just in case" you purchase incidentals from the not-staffed, "on your honor" Rodeo Mercantile. We went to the lobby several times, and it was consistently unstaffed. All communications with Lauren were by text. It seemed to us the property is mostly a passive income stream for her - she could have been clear across the country during our stay for all we knew. It's nice that she "redevelops" old motels and hotels, but more is needed for Mellow Moon. Guests should know the bathroom does not have a normal door on it. It's a barn door that slides and is always somewhat open, so not a lot of privacy. Our room (#8) had a mini-split unit that ran CONSTANTLY through the night, producing a major disruptive sound that made it impossible to sleep. (Think airplane circling a runway, getting ready to take off.) Another reviewer mentioned the noise in his review, so it seems this problem has gone unattended for several months. The window curtains do not close all the way, letting light in. The sink is quite tall, so shorter guests will have difficulties with it. Bottom line: Beware the lure of excellent marketing: a nice web page does not equate to "upscale" and "retreat." If you book a room at Mellow Moon because you need to sleep or work or just enjoy a nice getaway with your partner, forget it. I'm perplexed by the 5-star reviews.