Broke AC unit but cool temps. No automatic room service.older bed but OK BR baseboards dirty. Did like that it was a direct walk in,as we had bikes. Hot tub broke "for ages". Price was cheapest thats why took it for a week

Property was formerly a semi-decent Super 8 that we used often in the past when on winter x-c ski adventures, but changed hands in last 10-15 years. Owners now appear to be the same real estate group who bought up many of the motels in Grand Marais (including a slightly better but pricier motel on the NE end of town with similar name: Aspen Lodge), which is an extremely popular Minnesota vacation area on Lake Superior. Quite remote so not many options for lodging. This property has NOT been properly maintained - now very dirty & heading toward dereliction. Ice machine "broken" so guests offered ice in lobby from a cooler - primitive but workable first night; however, second night told "no ice"...only one staff person on duty & she could not leave to buy more ice (say what?). Had only an antique, extremely loud and ineffective room air conditioner, and windows would not open. Bathroom sink replaced sometime in last decade, but so tall that touched the bottom of the original shelf above sink, making it very difficult reach the hot/cold spigots. No maid service between day #1 & day #2. Parking lot desperately needs repaving; potholes galore. There was a fridge but no microwave. Alarm clock did not work. WiFi, however, was quite good. Property needs a serious facelift!! I will not stay here again until it is upgraded - even if it means driving 40 miles farther north to Thunder Bay, Ontario for lodging.

The room was not the cleanest and the ice machine was broken, the staff left at 8pm for the night. The staff was really friendly and helpful very pleasant to talk with. Breakfast was cereal, toast, waffles to put in the toaster, bagels and cream cheese, cartons of juice. It was ok place but not sure i would stay there again

The room was clean and serviceable. Bed was very comfy and the bathroom was clean and handy. The folks at the front desk were friendly and personable. All in all, a good value for the money.

no air conditioning but it was cool.

Quiet, tv was hard to use, on second day we moved to less Oder room, whirlpool was not working

Aspen inn was adequate, but they didn't collect the garbage until I asked, and even then, they ask that you place the container outside for them to pick up, and for you to bring it back in. Free breakfast was sparse, mostly sugary cereals, beverages, etc. the facility itself was in need of much renovation. The spa, listed on their website, was closed, and has been so for months.

This place just needs a full overhaul. Spa wasn’t working, exterior doors didn’t close all the way, door to room you had to shoulder to open, staff person was nice and rooms seemed clean with what they had to work with. Good location to Grand Marais!

Had a great stay there. It is a perfect place if you are just looking for a place to get some sleep and relax after a day of hiking. The staff were great and offered to help or answer any questions we had. Would stay again.

This hotel was a bait and switch situation. The hotel is the neglected brother of the Aspen Lodge down the street in the middle of town… which is where I THOUGHT I was booking based off of the hotels.com map view. Checkin was awful. Receptionist was cold and uninterested. We asked about the hot tub, it was drained and out of order. We asked for an ice machine, it too was drained and out of water. Our rooms window did not lock and we were in the first floor. The shower had a clump of hair floating in gin it and a used wash rag hanging from the shower rod. The Continental breakfast was a bit of a joke.

Even though it's nothing fancy, the room is comfortable, close to a restaurant, on the main street of Grand Marais, and has premade breakfast available the entire day (I grabbed a bagel for lunch because I wasn't too hungry and it was fine). The staff is really friendly and helpful and gave me tons of ideas to go hiking.

Needs to be updated no ice machine ice was in a cooler in lobby.

Front desk women was very polite and nice. Other than that i would not stay here again. $150 nightly motel. First no ac but being up on the north shore you would think that would be a no problem, well it would be if the screen on the window wasn't broken. The door was broken hard to open. HUGE a** bugs right outside the door that jump at you... 🙅‍♀️ Dont get me started on the broken mattress... the king size bed had a hug dip in the middle of the bed so my husband and i literally slept on top of one another. We were in room 101.... if you happen to stay there do not stay in room 101!

Horrible. Parking lot was a disaster. The door to the building didn’t Lock or close. The hotel room smelled musty and damp. The rooms are horribly outdated. The air conditioning system is about 300 years old and many of the rooms it didn’t work and we were told that the owners don’t want to pay to fix them. One of our friends had to spend two hours cleaning his room. The air conditioning unit had so much dust in it. It was disgusting. The breakfast was next to nothing. I had a bowl of corn pop cereal and it was stale. The little hot tub pool thing they have wasn’t working. There was only one pillow per person on the bed, and they were little and flimsy. I normally do not like to leave reviews like this, but the entire hotel experience there was terrible. About the only good thing was that we had a roof over our head. The options were limited for the weekend as there is a big event that goes on this weekend and there are no rooms unless you book super early. Please invest some time and money into your business. It’s a disgrace and you should care more about it.

As a well seasoned traveler and health professional, this was shockingly and abysmally disappointing. There is no excuse for filth in hotel accommodations. I retrieved cleaning supplies from the front desk and cleaned for 2 hrs. straight after check in to feel comfortable enough in the room. The AC unit was filthy; filter and vents caked with dust and grime. The blinds were threadbare and old. On check in, I was made aware that the AC unit may or may not work, however a fan would be provided as advertised on Expedia. The sheets and towels seemed fine. The young lady at the receptionist desk was apologetic by script but realistically unhelpful. Grand Marais is a lovely town and accommodation is difficult to get; hence they have a captive market. With an investment of time, money and an understanding of basic and acceptable hospitality standards, this property because of it’s location, could be potentially great and the price point justified. It is basically run down and neglected, inside and out. I would stay elsewhere given the choice.

Terrible, no reservation when we showed up, even though I had confirmation from last April, staff super rude, although they lightened up after a while, nothing works, no AC, broken fridge, no jacuzzi, absolutely no amenities that worked, nice continental breakfast though limited...

Excellent lodging; easy access and easy parking. All-day breakfast! Friendly staff.

Close to everything

We really liked Kwaunea at the front desk!

Never again! Building door did not close, much less lock. Pool and spa were out of order. Ice machine was out of order. Refrigerator didn’t work. They moved me down the hall to a room with working refrigerator. This room had hot water in the morning but there was no hot water when I returned in the afternoon. They were unable to fix it but allowed me to use the shower in a different room. It was noisy. The parking lot was in poor condition. Lots of pot holes. The breakfast offering was cereal, refrigerated waffles and refrigerated muffins. Worst place I’ve ever stayed at. The staff tried to be helpful but the building was in such bad shape and they really couldn’t fix all the major issues.

We had a very comfy room. If you need a place to relax in between activities this place is perfect. Have stayed here multiple times and have never been disappointed.

This is an older property, but it was very convenient. The staff was pleasant, the room was clean and the price was reasonable.

This hotel is a great location to Grand Marais and surrounding towns, walkable to Grand Marais. The motel is older in need of cosmetic improvements, but our room was large with side table and 2 chairs, dorm refrig and toiletries in the bathroom. Bed and pillows were comfortable. There is no ice machine, they make ice cubes in a tray and will reluctantly give you some if you ask. We bought a bag of ice and they kept in their freezer and we asked for some of it when we needed it...problem solved. Breakfast wasn't anything we wanted to eat so we ate out. Overall our stay was good, and saved money on our accommodations.

We booked a budget trip and I know you get what you pay for. I can deal with old, out dated, and not in the best of shape. That being said our room had mold on the ceiling on the bathroom. Management was awful. Only solution they wanted to provide was move my family of 6 to a tiny room where we wouldn’t have even had enough beds and didn’t have working A/C. And if we took that option there was zero reimbursement. Stay absolutely anywhere else.

It was a great stay for the price.

This property was very run down and was in need some updates to the room, refrigerators and air conditioners

On our way to check in to this motel Apple Maps indicated it was permanently closed. This caused a bit of panic as it was an incredibly busy weekend on the North Shore. However, I called and the front desk person who answered was friendly and confirmed they indeed were open. She was pleasant at check in. The important parts of the room were clean. It is very dated and could use some upgrades but the beds were comfy, the pillows not so much. The inner hallway was quite filthy and the doors into hotel part did not shut all the way. We witnessed in the lobby one morning a guest who was upset because someone had a key and tried to enter her room the night before. It was a different person working the front desk who was not concerned and not very friendly or helpful to a woman who was being very kind but wanting answers. We booked a different motel for the same weekend next year.

I want to express that I am not trying to be mean or put this place down; rather, I want to share my experience and suggest improvements to make this place better for future travelers. The hotel is quite old, and while I understand that, the room and hallway had a musty, unpleasant odor. The trash in the hallways was always full and not changed regularly, and the front door was dirty and uninviting. Despite these issues, the staff was friendly and tried to help with the TV when it didn't work, but I believe it's time for an upgrade. Additionally, the carpets need a good shampooing or perhaps replacing with a more easily cleanable flooring, especially if the hotel allows pets. Speaking of pets, we brought our dog, and one day he was stressed in the new environment. We received a call about it, but the person was rather rude and unsympathetic. As a pet-friendly establishment, I believe we should feel welcomed and not like we're causing a bother. While I appreciate the call, it could have been handled with more kindness. The hot water was another issue; out of the three days, we only had hot water on one day. Everything else was fine, but it's importt it's important to distinguish between vintage and old. Thank you.t it's important to distinguish between vintage and old. Thank you.t it's important to distinguish between vintage and old. Thank you.t it's important to distinguish between vintage and old. Thank you.t it's important to distinguish between vintage and old. Thank you.

The staff was warm friendly and responsive. The room was clean and comfortable. Only a minute to downtown.

This is a quiet, comfortable, no-frills motel. It is not near downtown Grand Marais, but is near a nice bar and the mini golf course. Overall, a good reasonably-priced place to stay.

Comfortable room temperature was difficult to control

Great check in & out. Room very clean, close to restaurants and outdoor activities.