The Pines Country Inn — Hotel in Newcastle

I never leave public reviews but would like to provide this courtesy to anyone planning on making a reservation. I had initially booked 3 nights. I was coming in from Yellowstone NPS, but left early due to flooding, so I figured I would add an additional night. I checked in the staff was courteous. I mentioned I had an additional reservation for 3 nights during check in & he said he had not realized I had made 2 separate reservations. He then went on to say that my secondary reservation/room was being worked on due to water damage but that it would be ready tomorrow evening as long as I did not check in early and if the room was not going to be ready a reservation would be made for me at a nearby hotel. I asked by when I would be notified if the room would be ready or not the staff stated he would call me at noon. (This place has a cancelation policy of 2 days but I had not been notified via email or phone that this room was being worked on and may not be available at any time prior to my arrival.) The accommodations for this 1st reservation happened to be the cottage #22. This place was creepy, dingy, and had bugs. There were a couple of air fresheners around the living area on the bottom level. The stairs to the loft area seemed unsafe since there was no railing. The bed sheets had stains. There were a couple of signs about extra charges for towels if you used them for cleaning makeup. Overall thumbs down. Fast forward to the next day we checked out at 8am again discussed that the room was not ready and I would receive a phone call at noon. The so-called breakfast that was being provided in the very small office consists of one small table for 2 that was taken. Packaged cream cheese and peanut butter were provided in small containers and were not the prepackaged kind. Bread was placed in sandwich bags for guests. Needless to say we skipped on breakfast. Lastly I did not receive a phone call at noon. I called after 12 and was told the room still was not ready but that it might be ready by check in. At this point I felt that I had been more then patient and said that this was unacceptable. The staff offered to make me a reservation at a nearby hotel. I requested that my reservation be cancelled and that I would make my own reservation. I hope this long review is...

As I was on my way to South Dakota -coming from Denver- I started feeling tired. I stopped in the nice little town of Newcastle, Wyoming and decided to look for a place to stay the night. I had no internet connection whatsoever, so I did not know where to start looking. All of a sudden I noticed a road sign pointing towards 'The Pines Motel'. I drove down to the place, it is quite hidden uproad. Arriving on the driveway, I immediately felt a positive vibe. The motel seemed welcoming and there was a peaceful atmosphere. And I was right. There was only one room left and I was warmly welcomed at the reception by Rachel. My room was clean, very cosy and the bed was great. Rachel answered every question I had and also recommended some nice restaurants. Then I met Jins, Rachels husband and manager of the motel. We started talking and it was if we had met before. Jins explained me about the area, about hunting and we talked about a lot of matters. This place feels like a home, far away from home. So I decided to stay for a second day. It was late August and the weather was still very nice. So the second evening I had a nice little barbecue (there is a bbq for use of all in the garden!) . After that I relaxed on the patio in the garden. The Pines Motel is one of those rare places that have that exceptional extra 'something'. It is very hard to describe, but one feels peaceful and in balance, staying here. If ever I get back to Wyoming, I will for sure stay here again. I would love to share this place with my wife and daughter. Jins and Rachel are a wonderful, warm and helpful couple. Without them the place would not be the same. One more thing: try Rachel's Banana Bread in the early morning! Tijs Synaeve,...

I felt bamboozled by the 5 "STAR" rating on this property. I am retired and travel frequently, and this is the first time I felt a Tripadvisor rating was way off. The night before staying at The Pines, I stayed in a motel in Bowman, ND that enjoyed a 4.5 "star"rating. The room was recently completely renovated - furniture, fixtures, HVAC, etc. The rating was perfect. The night after staying at The Pines, I stayed in a motel in Golden, Colorado, that had a 3 "star" rating. It was a spacious suite with a king bed and everything worked and the rating was fair. In my opinion, there is now way The Pines should have 5 "stars." The carpet was fairly new, but that is the end of the good stuff. Very small room with an old window AC and a heat system that has to be turned on by the owner if desired. Outdated wiring with no ground plug. Three or four power strips to handle appliance needs of the room. My wife commented that the furnishings and decorations looked like they came from thrift shops. I would have taken a shower, but the curtain was 3" off the bottom of the stall. Very nice and courteous staff showed us...