Spruce Pine Inn — Hotel in Spruce Pine

If it was possible I would leave 0 stars. I would rate the location much higher if it weren’t for the absolutely terrible experience I had with this Motel and its manager, Renae. My partner and I reserved a room as we would be hiking in the area and wanted to have a cheap, dog friendly spot nearby that wasn’t expensive. I called before booking to confirm their pet policy and was not told there was an enormous pet fee at the time. After arriving to the office at 3:30, we found that there was no one around to check us in. After ringing a bell and calling a number for the manager, a resident of the motel walked over and told me she was “just running an errand and would be back shortly.” An hour later, Renae arrives and gets out of the car with a beer in her hand and multiple passengers talking about how drunk they are. I meet Renae in the office and begin to check in. She suddenly tells me that they have a $100 non-refundable pet fee as she is “allergic” and may have to go to the hospital. This fee covers her copay. We are not from the area and we’re too exhausted to drive to another town for another place so I just said fine but noticed on the reservation agreement that the pet fee is only listed as $10. This seems like an unwise decision from a legal standpoint. My partner and I then go to our room dejected but ready to put it past us and just make the best of our weekend. This changed once we got to the room. The door somehow would not close or open at the same time, the lock hardly worked and the room was far worse than just dirty. I was not expecting anything grand but this was exceptionally worse than the pictures they advertise. The bathroom had no door directly across from a window whose curtain did not fully cover it. I sent my partner and our dog out as I did not feel comfortable or safe having them there. I rinsed off quickly, gathered my things and left. We were ready to go have a couple beers, laugh about the terrible management and at least get a little sleep before moving on in the morning. This all changed after we were encouraged passionately by several other locals in town to find other accommodations. They stated the property is notoriously dangerous. It is a known fact in the area that illicit substances are trafficked there and that the manager (Renae) drinks far too much to be able to be of service to her guests. My partner contacted another motel in the area (the Spruce Valley Inn- definitely stay there if you are in town!) went back to the Spruce pine Inn and dropped off the key. I decided not to press for a refund for the pet fee at the time because Renae was already inebriated and we did not feel safe in the situation. I attempted to contact the property the next day to no avail. I did finally get to speak Renae on Monday and she stated she would speak to the owner about issuing one and would follow up within 24 hours. I ended up having to call Renae two days later and she immediately was hostile, rude, unprofessional and immature. Stating that they had no refund policy, that she in fact was the owner and that I would not be the first to threaten legal action. Renae is not the owner of this property, that is Todd Leoni and I suspect she never spoke with him. I never leave a bad review but I felt it my duty to warn any other travelers from staying at this property. Avoid it at all cost. This is a shame because it has so much potential with its location and infrastructure. Perhaps the owners could find better management and do some renovation but until then, do not waste your time here and book at the Spruce...

**Updated Review The new owners of this motel seem to be lovely people, and you can't help but appreciate just how much TLC they have put into turning around this little motel. This was previously a very run-down, and obviously neglected little motel, and the new owners have managed to make it almost unrecognizable! With new owners, a new name, and most importantly a new, and dramatically improved face, I felt it was important that I come back and update my previously 1 star review, and allow this little Inn the new start it truly deserves❤️

**A Run down little motel in the middle of Spruce Pine that still seems expensive even though it is cheap compared to other motels in the area. If you decide to stay here then try to get a room on the top floor on either the left or right side, and not in any of the middle rooms. I stayed in room 209 last week ( not by choice either; it was 3 in the morning and the only place I could find) Although at first glance the room appeared to be clean. I later discovered some truly disgusting sights. One of the worst things I saw was the disgusting desk drawer, I posted a picture to prove that Im not making this up because 5hoigh I've heard of horrors like this, I had never actually experienced it until then. There was a used needle inside the dirty filth ridden drawer that I was about to store my laptop in. It was brown gunk that had clearly been there for awhile. As for the needle I'm not sure how long it had probably been there nor do I wish to know. The next gross thing that I noticed was the burn holes, or as drug users call them "nod holes" on the bed comforter( One of the many reasons I bring my own bed sheets) I could safely assume the person who left the needle there probably also left the burn holes too. The next day, I woke up to banging on the door around 10 am from the owner, which was weird because I didn't remember him telling me what time I had to be check out by, nor did he write it on the receipt he gave me. Anyway, while checking out I tried to tell him about the needle and about how dirty the drawer was but it was obvious he didn't care. So I then told him if housekeeping wasn't doing their job then they should be fired, to which he replied " I'm the only one who does the cleaning around here." Awkward! Next time, I'll pull over to the side of the road. I know that if I did that, I probably.wouldn't end up with a crick in my neck as bad as the one I got from that place Oh and a quick tip: don't ask for extra anything, it won't happen! Even if there are only two...

Overall: Could use some work. I don't want to knock this place down though, I hope nobody takes it that way, it's value for your money in a good small-town setting. Has potential, however, and isn't that far off from being problem-free. If you don't mind having to take a few extra small measures to keep the little things at bay it's a decent place to stay and I may consider this place again if I ever go back up to the mountains (coming from Charlotte). Very good for a small budget. Consider this place if you want to save and get some no-frills but decent accommodation. I went into detail of the little things a lot later in this review, but I genuinely do appreciate the work put into this place, especially when I've heard what it previously was a while ago. Getting into the details of it:

Found dead bug bits on the blanket, two large ant heads, and in the washcloth, two bug legs. Perhaps they should check the mechanisms of their laundry for dead bugs? Overall not that big of a deal because I can just pluck those off with a piece of TP. Toilet was otherwise clean, and the bathroom window was cracked had a hole in it, & could not close it, so I had to leave it open. Had some small spiders in the corners. If the owner(s) read this, look into RAID barrier spray, it works wonders for keeping bugs out. The bed was nice as well as the pillow although the night stands could be a bit taller so I have a place to put my phone/maybe a portable reading light.

This place has a lot of potential and I like the aesthetic of the rooms (it makes the place feel a lot cleaner with the way the rooms are done. It's nice, cozy, and modern) but a few things need touching up. Unlike other budget places I've been this one seems to be making an effort which is good. Rooms could use bigger trash cans, and gaps between inside and outside with the doors and AC units need to be filled. Some caulk should do the trick. And the spiders. The tile ceilings in them have little holes for whatever reason, probably old design, which makes a perfect escape for bugs I'm trying to kill as well as an excellent entry point. Please y'all look into replacing those. I hope they also remodel the shower areas in the future, those seem kind of dated especially compared to the main area of the room, but weren't bad. No...