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Mom-and-pop motels

The good ones are homey, hospitable and inexpensive, the best values in lodging. But they're disappearing fast.

In Bayfield, the Seagull Bay Motel is a throwback to bygone days.

The roadside motel was built in 1957, and it hasn't kept up with the times — there's no fitness room, no hot tub, no spa services, no designer decor. Modern developers consider it a tear-down, says owner Mike Goodier.

Strange, then, that so many people want to stay there.

This mom-and-pop motel overlooking Chequamegon Bay is that rare thing in travel — a great place to stay that doesn't cost much. The hillside location is big-bucks — guests have a lovely view, and they can stroll into town on the Brownstone Trail just below the motel — but standard rooms cost just $70 in summer.

"People check the web, and they call and say, 'Are your $70 rates correct?' '' Goodier says. "I say, 'Yeah, you don't need to equate high rates with quality.' ''

The place feels more like a B&B than a motel; guests have barbecues in the back yard, go to Big Top Chautauqua on the shuttle Mike and Jeanne Goodier sponsor and have long chats with their hosts about what they should do in Bayfield and on the Apostles. Not surprisingly, 80 percent of guests are returnees.

"We're always sold out,'' Mike Goodier says. "Our guests know the drill — when they check out, they reserve for next year.''

Motels like this increasingly are hard to find. Few owners want to maintain aging properties when they can sell to developers who want to build vacation condos.

Goodier says he gets regular offers for the property. Luckily for guests, he still has plenty of energy after 14 years.

"If I weren't mowing the lawn and doing laundry here, I'd be doing it at home, so it matters not,'' he says cheerfully.

These days, a room at an ordinary franchise hotel costs more than $100 in summer, and B&Bs regularly charge $150 or more. That's why it's so great to find a place like the Seagull Bay.

I'm always looking for good mom-and-pop motels, but here are the ones I've found so far.

Seagull Bay Motel in Bayfield, Wis. You'll feel lucky if you can get a reservation here in summer. Rooms have a view of Chequamegon Bay, and there are grills and picnic tables in the back yard, which adjoins the Brownstone Trail (Maggie's is a 10-minute walk). Since the Goodiers organized the free shuttle to Big Top Chautauqua, the motel is one of the stops. Rooms go for $70-$80, $90 with kitchenette, and there are two guest houses and a cottage, $100. 715-779-5558, www.seagullbay.com.

Coloma Hotel in Coloma, Wis. This 1876 hotel on the sand plains of central Wisconsin, next to the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and just east of Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, is newly renovated by retired Milwaukee detective Dennis Apps and his wife, Susan, who charge $35 to $50 per night for the eight attractive  rooms.

When I stayed there during the Prairie Chicken Festival in April, my large room had a king bed, gas fireplace, cable, fridge and sofa, and breakfast was included. There's a small pub where I paid $2 for a Heineken (this might have been a mistake!), and the bartender brought me a bowl of pretzels. 715-228-2401, www.colomahotel.com.

Best Northern in Wawa, Ont. This quiet motel is a welcome stop on the Circle Tour of Lake Superior. At most strip motels, people walking by can look through the curtains and see the bed; not at this one, which has the best-designed strip-motel rooms I've ever seen and also the most stylish, with sponge-painted walls and Arts and Crafts furniture.

Proprietors Teresa and Mark Kozik also have added a sauna, outdoor hot tub, free high-speed Internet and billiards room with CD player and a gas fireplace. Motel rooms are $75-$89, and three cottages overlook the Michipicoten River, $135. Call 800-434-8240, www.bestnorthern.ca.

The Koziks have added a new restaurant, but just up the drive is the excellent Kinniwabi Pines, a mom-and-pop restaurant that serves an international menu, 705-856-7226.

Willowood Inn in Baraboo, Wis. This neat and comfortable motel is the closest lodgings to Devil's Lake State Park, Wisconsin's most-visited state park. I went there with a group of hikers one October; it's perfectly suited for a group because rooms have two or even three beds, and in fall they cost just $65-$70 for up to five. In the evening, we sat around the fire pit in the back yard; there's also a playground, grills and a heated outdoor pool. Rates are $60-$100 between May 18 and Sept. 15, $55-$85 from Sept. 16 through October. A two-bedroom cottage with kitchen is $110-$140. Linda Johnson and Steve Kearns are the proprietors, 888-356-5474, www.willowoodinn.com.

Willard Munger Inn, Duluth, Minn. I've stayed at this 1954 brick motel on West Duluth's Grand Avenue in every season, and it's the best deal in town. The staff is helpful and friendly, breakfast is included, guests get free use of bicycles and there's a small refrigerator and microwave in every room. It's not on Canal Park, but it is at the junction of many trailheads (see Duluth's other waterfront), including the Willard Munger State Trail, named for the father of the motel's proprietor, Will Munger. Peak season rates for two are $56-$100 weekdays, $70-$130 weekends. Call 800-982-2453, www.mungerinn.com.

Sunset Motel in Munising, Mich. This town is the gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the Upper Peninsula, but there aren't many good places to stay. Luckily, there's one: the Sunset Motel, facing on the bay and away from the strip-like downtown, $76-$84 for rooms that have fridges, microwaves and wireless Internet. It's friendly and quiet and has picnic tables and places for children to play, 906-387-4574, www.sunsetmotelonthebay.com.

Guest House Motel in La Crosse, Wis. I stayed at this 39-room older but tidy motel in downtown La Crosse when I had be on the riverfront for an early-morning departure of the Julia Belle Swain. It's only three blocks from the river but half the cost of riverfront hotels — $62.50 to $75.50 in summer, including taxes, and 10 percent less than that with an AAA card. It's also three blocks from City Brewery's tour center, and it has a coffee shop that serves English breakfasts; longtime proprietors Robin and Carole Gibb are British. 800-274-6873, www.guesthousemotel.com.

Great River Amish Inn in Pepin, Wis. I stayed here when it was the Lake Pepin Inn and I was in town for Laura Ingalls Wilder Days. Clean and tidy, with quilts and Amish furniture, this motel feels like a B&B at half the cost. It's along Wisconsin 35, less than a block from Great River Roasters Cafe and walking distance to the Harbor View Cafe and Mississippi River. The seven rooms are $65-$75, and each has a microwave and refrigerator. Call proprietor Ruth Holdcraft at 715-442-5400, www.greatriveramishinn.com.

Let me know if you know of other good motels. Below are some that come recommended:

Bluffside Motel in Sister Bay, Wis. Rooms with small fridges and two full beds or a queen are $69-$85 in peak season and $55-$70 from mid-August to late September, which I think is the best time to visit Door County. Rates include coffee and doughnuts. There's also a suite with a full kitchen and two bedrooms, one with twin beds, 920-854-2530, www.bluffside.com.

Julie's Park Motel in Fish Creek, Wis. This motel is near shops and the entrance to Peninsula State Park, and it has a cafe and a carryout counter for baked goods and espresso drinks. Rooms start at $79 in peak summer, 920-868-2999, www.juliesmotel.com.

Last updated on October 26, 2008