Originally designed for workers constructing the dam, this ex-Motel oozes the charm of the late fifties. The dirty carpets, peeling lampshades, rocky sewer pipe on the toilet, the antique sink with no stopper all echo a past age, though its large blue new sign, dominating the road, is definitely modern and should attract the unwary. Not designed for computers, you might want to take a small table with you if you are planning, as I was, to work on your computer. Internet connection is sporadic and slow. "We have problems with reception," I was told. I wonder if that's true for all the hotels close by? They installed a powerful loud fan in the bathroom wired into the light so that to escape the noise, switching it off is a considerable relief. A good way to keep the electricity bill low. If you make the mistake of staying two nights there is no room service the second day. Make your own bed and clean the bathroom yourself. Outside our room was a beautiful flowering yellow broom. Half of it was dead because it hadn't been pruned but the fir trees and the junipers were in excellent condition and in a much better state than the hotel itself.

Do not arrive before 4 pm because the front office will be locked. The young man and young woman manning the front desk were, I assume, examples of the Page Educational system. Nothing wrong with dyed hair or neck chains and tattoos. Rather quaint, in fact. When I pointed to the misspelling of "towles" on the booking slip, the young man laughed. "You don't care do you?" I joked. "Noooo." Yesterday's local paper is available. There's no breakfast but the fridge and coffee maker in the room worked. You park where you can. Some nice Canadian bikers looking as they always do, quite fearsome in their "leathers," were parked just outside.

There are fifty rooms all told so I trust the owner makes a tidy profit given absolutely minimal expenditure. Keeping the pool clean might be a problem but I am sure there are economies to be made. A memorable experience. I had to agree with a number of the negative reviews and just assume those writing positive ones were in the less dilapidated rooms. After all it's now called a "Hotel." It was interesting and who wants the boredom of a modern, well run, clean hotel with facilities and breakfast and well-trained staff?