JR Inn — Hotel in Soda Springs

I was really impressed with the JR Inn in Soda Springs, Idaho for several reasons:|1. Old school motor hotel from the 1950s/60s - check.|2. Retro architecture outside and in that screams 1950s/60s - check.|3. Awesome old school light up sign out front that is great for photos - check.|4. A mom-and-pop (non-chain) operation - check.|5. Clean and well-maintained inside and out - check. |6. Friendly and attentive customer service - check.|7. Located in a small town along an old historic US highway - check.|Yes, the JR Inn is like a trip back in time to the simpler days of road trips and highway travel. It's a beacon out of yesteryear. My wife and I stayed here for a night in mid-August 2025 while on vacation in Idaho and Wyoming. We were on our way to Fossil Butte National Monument the next day in southwestern Wyoming and the JR Inn was a wonderful stop for the night along the way. This place for sure rates in my top ten favorite motels of all time. Beyond what has already been mentioned above, here are some other perks to the motel: The room was clean and well-kept furnished with a microwave, small refrigerator and modern flat screen TV with satellite channels. The bathroom was in good working order in all facets (tub, shower, hot water, sink, toilet, etc.). The air-conditioner blew cold air all night long being more than powerful enough to keep the room cool on an August summer evening. The little courtyard area in the middle of the property with grass, trees and a picnic table was relaxing after a long day on the road. I don't know for sure, but this area looks like it might have been a swimming pool in earlier days. Check-in was quick and painless and Roxy, the friendly motel host dog, greeted us in the front lobby as we came in. The pleasant lady who checked us in stated that the motel has been family owned for over 60 years and the website states that it has been in operation since 1965. Alot of history here and in the quaint little town of Soda Springs. For your dining convenience in Soda Springs, there is an Arctic Circle Burger, Subway, Taco Time and A&W (both inside a service station), Golden China Chinese restaurant, a snack bar inside the local bowling alley and also a diner and a pub up on Main Street. We chose the Arctic Circle Burger which was delicious. There are also gas and groceries in town. In summary and back to the motel, we enjoyed our quiet and relaxing one night stay here. The JR Inn will definitely be first on the list of places to stay if we are ever in this area of southeastern Idaho again at some point...

Soda Springs apparently has 4 hotels/motels total - 2 budget motels, 1 upper-middle hotel (that should be a budget hotel), & 1 high-end historic hotel. THIS budget hotel seemed the better of the 2 in its class. Our primary consideration in a hotel/motel is that it be dog friendly, & this place is. Check-in was fabulous; the woman at the counter was hysterical & very friendly. The property is horseshoe-shaped, & our room was at the back center. When we parked directly in front of our room, we found 2 men drinking beer, sitting in patio chairs flanking our room's window - one of them was actually between our door & our window - & neither made any effort to move as we made our way into our room. It felt odd. It wasn't threatening; it was just odd. The room itself was small but very clean (although I must admit I was concerned about the dark brown carpet) & at no time did we regret our choice to stay there. The WiFi was great. The water pressure in the shower was great, but the shower head was about 5 inches too low. My husband, who is 6' tall, didn't even bother to shower after he witnessed my contortionist act under the shower head. This place is certainly nothing to recommend, but we didn't run screaming. It is definitely overpriced for what you get (appx. $85 for the night), but it was still cheaper than 2 of the 4 places in town. Personally, if there ever is a next time, I would bypass Soda Springs altogether & choose a town with more, better lodging options. But this was our only viable option in this town; it met our needs for the one night, & we're none the worse for having...

Right on the highway. Not any Brand Name places in town, so take what is available. Ours was room #7. Front door fit like it hadn't been looked at since new. No safety locks. Even the 'dead bolt' was 'dead' (not working). SLAM hard and it shuts. Carpet could use a cleaning. Bedspread had a hole in the center. Overall it was fairly clean and smelled good. Heat was good. Shower water hot and nice. Flat screen TV with BOOCOO channels. Light switches are placed so that you need to get out of bed to turn off ANY light. No clock. No A/C (winter anyway). Winter rate $50. Bed is soft, but not saggy. We slept well, but this is NOT Hilton by any stretch. I suppose it is as good as Soda Springs has, as not all were open in January. OK, but plan on a rural motel and don't get your wife's hopes up. Stay away from the motels by the...