Fossil Motel & RV Park — Hotel in Fossil

Motel is easily found. The office building sits between and back from a few cottage units and a separate building with a strip of rooms. There was no one at the desk when we went in, and we didn’t see the doorbell on the wall to the left of desk so called one of the numbers clearly posted on the entrance door. Tim answered right away, talking to us on his phone as he rounded the corner of the building only a few feet away. He was friendly and very helpful to two drop-in travelers.||||We stayed two nights in duplex unit #3 . It appeared to be recently painted. Everything was clean. There were sanitizer wipes in the room for guests. A small refer, coffee maker, a few utensils and dishes, and an old Montgomery Ward convection/microwave furnished the kitchenette. We couldn’t figure out the microwave part and couldn’t find instructions but not a big deal to us. After a long day’s drive, a baked frozen pizza and chilled brew purchased from the fascinating Fossil Mercantile (go there!) hit the spot. Our unit's old floor tiles were clean and mostly covered with an attractive rug (new flooring to come). A cushy love seat just fit in the room. The new bed was comfortable, medium firm. We slept well. Though the door locks, a security latch on the inside would be a nice addition.||||Despite difficulties related to pandemic, the new owners are making progress with upgrades. New sink, toilet, and a good new shower graced our not quite finished bathroom. Air conditioning and baseboard heat worked well. The windows open when those aren't needed. A small table provided enough space for meals for two. TV and wi-fi are included. Good cell service with Verizon phone. We enjoyed looking out the windows at the horse and goat in the pasture across the road, with desert hills rising behind. ||||The Fossil Motel is convenient to area attractions - Painted Hills, Paleo Lands Institute, John Day River and associated activities. You can dig for leaf fossils on the hill behind the high school though it’s been a dig site for decades and takes some work and perseverance to find them.||||The Fossil Motel isn’t the Ritz. It’s not for fussy types. It IS clean and comfortable, everything works, and its owners are pleasant and helpful. We liked the vintage '50s roadside motel vibe. Thank you, Tim and Sharen, for a pleasant stay. Good luck in your new venture! We hope to...

Motel is easily found. The office building sits between and back from a few cottage units and a separate building with a strip of rooms. There was no one at the desk when we went in, and we didn’t see the doorbell on the wall to the left of desk so called one of the numbers clearly posted on the entrance door. Tim answered right away, talking to us on his phone as he rounded the corner of the building only a few feet away. He was friendly and very helpful to two drop-in travelers.||||We stayed two nights in duplex unit #3 . It appeared to be recently painted. Everything was clean. There were sanitizer wipes in the room for guests. A small refer, coffee maker, a few utensils and dishes, and an old Montgomery Ward convection/microwave furnished the kitchenette. We couldn’t figure out the microwave part and couldn’t find instructions but not a big deal to us. After a long day’s drive, a baked frozen pizza and chilled brew purchased from the fascinating Fossil Mercantile (go there!) hit the spot. Our unit's old floor tiles were clean and mostly covered with an attractive rug (new flooring to come). A cushy love seat just fit in the room. The new bed was comfortable, medium firm. We slept well. Though the door locks, a security latch on the inside would be a nice addition.||||Despite difficulties related to pandemic, the new owners are making progress with upgrades. New sink, toilet, and a good new shower graced our not quite finished bathroom. Air conditioning and baseboard heat worked well. The windows open when those aren't needed. A small table provided enough space for meals for two. TV and wi-fi are included. Good cell service with Verizon phone. We enjoyed looking out the windows at the horse and goat in the pasture across the road, with desert hills rising behind. ||||The Fossil Motel is convenient to area attractions - Painted Hills, Paleo Lands Institute, John Day River and associated activities. You can dig for leaf fossils on the hill behind the high school though it’s been a dig site for decades and takes some work and perseverance to find them.||||The Fossil Motel isn’t the Ritz. It’s not for fussy types. It IS clean and comfortable, everything works, and its owners are pleasant and helpful. We liked the vintage '50s roadside motel vibe. Thank you, Tim and Sharen, for a pleasant stay. Good luck in your new venture! We hope to...

The interior has nice flooring and is spacious. The bed was quite comfortable with soft (if worn) bedding. The wifi, shower, TV worked well. There was a microwave, fridge, and table. I loved the horses next door and the rural setting. I liked that there were chairs for us to sit on outside of our unit. The owner was pretty friendly, always being followed by her crowd of dogs & cats 😊 The main office offered snacks, which is useful because there are no restaurants in Fossil and Mitchell is one hour away (Condon doesn’t offer much either). Although, the Fossil grocery store (Mercantile) is nice, fun, interesting. My main comment would be that the place is disconcerting upon arrival – maybe it was because I was tired but it was not a welcoming site – 4 white brick buildings that had the look of a prison/work camp – no attempt to beautify (plants, window hangings). She said they started this venture just before the pandemic which seriously impacted their decisions on investment. She also said she’s working on a ‘motel book’ which I think is a great idea – if I’d known the history of the place beforehand I’d have been more prepared to accept it as a fun quirky place to stay. They could also do more with the window covers inside – the summer Oregon sun is brutal with its longevity. Overall, though, we had a great stay – everything was completely acceptable in terms of functionality (clean, no smells) and it’s in beautiful country. Fossil even has its own radio station and apparently a new restaurant on the horizon. I hope this...