Ah the joys of “budget” travel. While I don’t stay in quite as many super rundown places as I used to before I discovered miles and points (and also started earning more ACTUAL money than I did as a young father of 6 starting out in my career), there are still a few times when I go back to my budget-traveling roots
(SEE ALSO: My top 5 Disney World tips for a budget traveler)
(SEE ALSO: A tale of two Super 8s –Â true budget traveling)
So I wanted to report in on a recent stay my wife had at a Motel 6, and why I would give my stay 5 stars
Motel 6 North Ridgeville Review – Booking My Stay
I had a trip up to Cleveland to stay with my parents and needed to book a few nights at a hotel room, because my siblings were also in town and there wasn’t enough room to stay at my parents’ house. I actually put off booking the hotel for quite awhile because nothing was really jumping out of me in terms of a good hotel at a good price.
But then I remembered that one of the new benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is that you get an annual $50 hotel credit when booking a hotel through the Chase Travel portal. With no great points redemptions, this seemed like a perfect time to go for this benefit.
That’s when I found the Motel 6 North Ridgeville, clocking in at a cool $61.20 for a one-night stay.
After the $50 credit, my total cost for a night stay was $11.20!
Yes, This Was A Motel 6
So, to get it out of the way, this definitely was a Motel 6, with all of the things that you come to associate with a Motel 6. The bed was tiny, and you have to pay $20 extra if you want 2 beds instead of a double bed.
The room is also tiny.
The bathroom (not pictured) was tiny as well, with a stall shower. There was no breakfast (coffee of unknown quality in the lobby). The afternoon desk attendant (And probably the only person on staff at the time) was pretty surly, though I will say that the morning person (who seemed like the owner) was much more cheerful. There was bar soap but no shampoo or conditioner (luckily we had packed our own)
Why I Give My Stay 5 Stars
It’s important to understand the difference between a “5-star hotel” and a “5-star stay”.
(SEE ALSO: How hotels categorize themselves (the difference between upscale and “upper upscale”))
Obviously the Motel 6 North Ridgeville is not a “5-star hotel”. But…. it checked a lot of the boxes
- It was clean
- The bed was comfortable (though probably too small for 2 people)
- The wifi was actually surprisingly fast
- There were sufficient USB and electrical plugs
- Oh and did I mention that it was $61 / night? 🙂
Would I Stay At A Motel 6 Again?
Definitely, though I probably wouldn’t stay in a double bed with my wife (or anyone else). But if it were just me, I would go for it, at least at this particular Motel 6. With Motel 6, like many Choice or Wyndham hotels, you really have to check the reviews to make sure the kind of hotel you’re getting into.
(SEE ALSO: Is it ever a good idea to book a Rodeway Inn?)
(SEE ALSO: Okay – I stayed at a Rodeway Inn (and lived to tell the tale!))
Unlike say, your average Hyatt Place or Holiday Inn Express, which (at least in my experience), have a pretty consistent brand, the quality at Motel 6 and some of these other brands can vary WILDLY. Check TripAdvisor and other review sites to get some on the ground feedback on what things are like. The Motel 6 North Ridgeville had good reviews (4 and 5 stars), and I would concur.
(Though for the 2nd night of our stay, we paid 35,000 Hilton points and moved over to a Hampton Inn 😀 )
The Bottom Line
The Motel 6 North Ridgeville is obviously not a 5-star hotel, and you shouldn’t review it to the same standards you would view a Ritz-Carlton or Grand Hyatt. But, for what it was and is, it was a solid stay, and WELL worth the $11 I ended up paying for my stay.
What about you? Ever stayed at a Motel 6 (and lived to tell the tale)? Leave your experience in the comments below
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
It’s all about how clean and non-weed-smelling this level of hotel is. I think you should have stayed another night for $61 versus spending 35,000 Hilton points for a Hampton Inn, that seems like a good trade-off per cent. Like buying 35,000 points for $61 plus you’d earn My6 points in the process.
Yes – we did consider it. I think if it had just been me I’d have stayed there, but with the 2 of us on the smaller bed, we opted for a bigger bed. Plus, we are pretty flush with Hilton points
When visiting National Parks I will sometimes stay at a Motel 6, especially when travelling solo.