Al & Sally's Motel — Hotel in Town of Pines

Overall, a great time was had . My husband and I stayed for two nights as a short trip from Ohio to see Lake Michigan. Never been to the area before, so I had a few random questions and the owners answered quickly via text with any feedback or suggestions. Made a comfortable stay with having an open line of communication. The town this motel is in seemed kinda dead but it’s a short distance to all the main attractions and beaches and such. With that said I liked the location because it was more intimate and now just packed with people. I met one other guest the entire 3 days and heard no one else.

easy check in and check out . Don’t have to stop into an office which I liked that and find it to be an added benefit for keyless entry. Just had to write the code down because my phone usually dies . No biggie communication with owners via text free parking right at your motel door extras : nice fire pit area we enjoyed that for a short fire and s’more’s after a trip to the lake. also a bball hoop, some kind of tennis court, kid’s playground and picnic tables with a grill all outside behind motel. Nice amenities but not when it’s 105 degrees outside. room kept cool AC works Nicely great shower and water pressure. Stayed hot the entire shower. Also forgot my shampoo and the shower included shampoo, conditioner and body wash ** microwave, fridge and nice Keurig machine included pods, sugar, creamer, stirring sticks and nice foam dixie cups with lids for to go coffee. room is just the basics perfect for a couple traveling together for a romantic getaway. best part of the room is that it was clean . I felt comfortable taking off my crocs and walking around barefoot etc. I usually change sheets and put my own on. I did not hear at Al’s . Everything was clean. all hard floors *lots of lakes and beach access within 10 miles or so. We went to the Dunes one day and then Long Beach another day . Chicago is about an hour and a half away with traffic driving not sure on the train

CONS *no swimming pool. When I google this place an outdoor pool comes up . So that was part of why we chose this place. It’s so hot and there’s no outside activities or anything walkable nearby. Unless you drive to it, so this is definitely a sleeping area not a hang out in the hotel type of place. *no ice. A counter ice machine would be a good addition or even one to use as needed if you had a lobby.

*price - I really want to justify the price with the fact that this hotel Is clean and BUG FREE. However, for the amount paid here there is a couple higher tier hotels with pools, ice and free breakfast . Definitely have to decide what is most important for your...

Al & Sally's is adorable. This vintage-style mom 'n pop motel is close to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, just a few miles from the cute South Shore Line train-stop town of Beverly Shores to the southwest. Michigan City, a bigger town, is about 4 miles the other direction. For us it was also convenient to our return flight home departing from Chicago Midway, about 60 miles away. ||Check-in process was easy-- a self-serve door code was emailed to us prior to arrival. Besides the lure of vintage cuteness, another reason we chose Al & Sally's is their pet-friendliness. We arranged for a pet-friendly room ahead of time and appreciated the option. ||The staff on property was helpful, cheerful and friendly whenever we encountered them.||Old time family-resort feel, with tall trees, nice lawn and picnic/BBQ areas. |Fire pit with adirondack chairs (firewood available at nearby Beach Stop shop). No matches though, so bring your own. We had to buy a lighter in town. ||Faded tennis court and basketball court in back and what appears to be a pool being built or restored. Train tracks run behind the property but we weren't startled by any train noise or horns. In fact, the immediate vicinity was very quiet, which also means there were no shops, groceries or dining options. The closest was a gas station/mini-mart/liquor store down the road a mile or so.||Nice bathroom with tub. Clean room with quality beds/bedding. A dining table, some dressers, a wall-mounted TV. Cool light fixtures. Small Keurig coffee maker in the room, with k-cups, creamer, etc., microwave and small fridge. There were also four s'mores kits awaiting us, which we thought were a really nice welcome for our two-night stay, but later wondered if they were for free or cost $4 each. There was a card indicating the cost, but it was initially hidden below the tray the s'mores kits were on. ||Al & Sally's is just a short few miles from some amazing beaches. We really enjoyed our stay and hope to be back some day! The Beach Stop near the Beverly Shores train depot rents bicycles, so you could actually take the South Shore Line from Chicago, rent bikes in Beverly Shores and ride a few miles to the motel! (We talked about ways we could get there without a rental car). They also have an EV charging station called the "Juice Box" at the motel. ||All in all, a fun mix of vintage...

This is a renovated roadside motel on Hwy 12 outside of Michigan City. It's super close to beaches, downtown and lakeside eateries, and the national park.

The motel is a classic 20 room, road facing design with a very cool retro sign. You can tell they've put a lot of effort into it's update: vinyl plank flooring is very pet friendly, updated paint, ceilings, crown moulding and bathrooms. It's cost competes with mid range hotels in the area - we spent $500 for two rooms on one Saturday night. It is peak beach season, but still very pricey considering the austere amenities. Don't leave home without your toothbrush or razor, and maybe not so much expect a hair dryer or ironing board (or a place to hang clothes in our room.) Good news, there's a Dollar General very close by for that toothbrush run. Don't forget the sunscreen.

Another kinda cool, unique feature: remote check in. There's no clerk or office, but a text that includes your door lock code. They communicated via text: pretty easy to manage.

Beds are pretty standard, good linens that are really comfy. No thin, scratchy sheets. I appreciated the white bedding, it felt very clean and welcoming. A quick bed bug check showed ZERO sign of the terrifying little things.

They've added horseshoes on the back, and several newer grills to give you a reason to use the four seat table in room. I appreciated the in room mini Kureig with coffee real people drink. Ours was the same brand we drink from Costco, yay! There's a fire pit in the front, with comfy chairs. It was too close to the road for us to partake, but still very well done. Newer asphalt gave the exterior a boost to it's already clean image.

Our only tangible concern lay with the hollow core doors leading into the room from outside. They're definitely not what I'd want in an exterior door. Still, we had no issues with them. The walls are cinder block, and cut down on the noise from the road.

Overall, a good experience for me. I've never been to a motel before, so it was a...