Lamp Liter Inn — Hotel in Visalia

The motel bills itself as having “unfussy” rooms. “Unfussy” is a made-up word, that apparently means “No microwave, no refrigerator, no exterminating, bad Wi-Fi, and NO AIR CONDITIONING.” The microwave and fridge we could do without (although the fridge would have been nice since there is no air conditioning). Even the 24” CRT television set and broken-open remote control for it were not a big deal, even though we’re almost two decades into the 21st century now.

My wife booked the room and paid for it in advance at the lower non-refundable rate, unfortunately for us. When we first came into the room on the first 105° day, we called the front desk to find out where the thermostat was. We were told that there’s a fan control in the bathroom, and that it comes on strong when you turn it on high. Apparently it was the desk clerk that was high, because we found the control, and it was already set on high. I couldn’t feel the air unless I put my hand on the vent, and it felt like there was no refrigerant in the system, or the thermostat (wherever it is) was set to about 90. In addition there is no weatherstripping on the bottom of the door, so there’s a 3/4” gap that we put the bed decoration in front of! We ended up purchasing a 20” fan at the K-mart across the freeway to make the room bearable. We needed two, but we were on a budget this trip (which is why we stayed at this place).

Sorry for this review looking ridiculously long and having everything run together, but TripAdvisor doesn’t allow blank lines between paragraphs.

The next issue we had was bugs. My 18-year-old daughter found a daddy-long-legs spider in the bathroom. My wife and I weren’t bothered by it because we know they’re harmless to people and they eat other spiders. However, my 12-year-old daughter is arachnophobic, so I had to kill it (the spider, not my daughter :-D). Later that evening, my wife killed a small cockroach on the nightstand. These issues are not acceptable in the hospitality business.

In addition, the Wi-Fi was useless. I guess one should expect that from a place with a CRT television set.

On the positive side, the pool was nice, and they give you pool towels in the office. Parking is close to all of the rooms. Also, a plus for me personally, is the fact that there is a wall between the the main part of the room and the bathroom sink (privacy when staying with the whole family), and the sink is at a normal height instead of the high ones that many motels and hotels now have. I have partial paralysis due to two spinal cord injuries, and the normal height makes certain things easier. For those minor positives, we gave this Lamp Liter an additional dot to make it a two-dot rating.

Nevertheless, no A/C in Central California in the middle of summer is just plain ludicrous! The franchise owner or CEO of the corporation ought to spend a night here in the middle of July, although I’m sure they would put him or her in a...

Inn: I stayed here for 2 nights on a trip to see the surrounding area and Sequoia National Park. It was convenient and an easy trip for those wanting to do the same. I immediately felt an excited feeling walking into the hotel lobby area to check in due to the cute, "vintage" feel. The man at the desk was super friendly and helpful. There was also really delicious coffee ready. It was affordable for what was in the area. The room was nice at first. I was happy with it, quiet, clean, spacious, great shower, etc. My main complaint comes because it is a very old place. The A/C runs but it has a very musty and humid feeling. The sheets almost felt damp. My brother's allergies were also heightened, due to what I'm assuming is mold as it's one of his main allergies and it makes the most sense for sleeping with the a/c on. Those who are sensitive may want to avoid this place for that reason alone. The room didn't have a refrigerator/microwave which was a bummer. Filling the sink with ice to keep our drinks cold was a bit of a hassle. I'd also avoid eating at their restaurant, at least for breakfast. It wasn't good, very heavy on the grease and led to an upset stomach for a few hours. I'd stay here again because it was convenient and nice enough for the area. I really enjoyed seeing the breweries in Visalia and some of the restaurants as well. It's a cute town and easy access to Sequoia NP and the Fresno Airport. Overall, the Lamp Liter just needs a full on refresh to get up to date.

Restaurant: I admit it was nice to step back in time for about 5 minutes, but my excitement ended there. Once I was over the initial "vintage" feel of the place, I picked up on the reality of the restaurant. I was staying at the Lamp Liter for a trip so this was the closest option for an early breakfast. It was convenient which is a plus. Service was really slow. Some of the ladies were also quite loud shouting at their tables from across the restaurant. I ordered waffles, eggs, bacon, and a side of hash browns. I honestly felt very sick afterward and it took a few hours for my stomach to settle. The food wasn't old or rotten, it was just cooked very heavily in grease. I actually had my server take the hash browns back. The kitchen made "new" ones, which were actually the same order, just crispier. Again, they tasted as if I just swallowed a spoon of oil. Returned a second time. He removed them from my bill which was nice of him. Overall, I would never come back here. I'd rather eat fast food which is a very rare occasion for me. I at least know that a sausage biscuit from McDonald's doesn't leave my stomach hurting. I think this place could use a good refresh and update on...

A lot of the reviews here are about the substandard condition of the rooms but as a (former) frequent guest of the Lamp Liter, I, personally, have never taken issue with the place being a dump. What I loved about the Lamp Liter was the cute, grassy area near the pool and the no frills, chill atmosphere. It had a charm that I gravitated to again and again when traveling to the area for work. Now it is under new ownership by some folks from L.A. striving to make it a boutique motel but, so far, it is NOT improved, in my opinion.

First of all, there were no lounge chairs by the pool which was very disappointing. We were told that the lounge chairs were ordered but had not yet arrived and the old lounge chairs were not usable (not sure I believe this because I’ve lounged in those chairs many times - I think they just didn’t match the new aesthetic they are trying to go for, even though, the place is still a dump). This is unacceptable, in my opinion, as the pool is really the only amenity this place has to offer and it’s the middle of summer. Determined to enjoy some poolside laying out time, I went out and bought myself a portable lounge chair at a local store. Sadly, my time at the pool was cut short because I was approached by the manager and told that my dog could not be in the pool area. I was very frustrated by this news because I was told I could bring a dog (I was traveling with my mom and called ahead to ensure her companion dog would be welcome) but it was not communicated ahead of time that the dog would not be allowed in the pool area at all. The dog was nowhere near the pool. He was on his leash seated next to me by my chair.

I feel the new ownership does not have it’s priorities in order. The place is quite literally a dump (peeling tub, dirty pool, musty smells) and they do have some renovated rooms so I cannot speak to the quality of those (was told AFTER the pool debacle that dogs aren’t allowed in the renovated rooms so I wouldn’t have even had a chance to see them). However, to not have a lounge chair by the pool, for the pool to be dirty, etc. should be taken care of first as that is a common space for all the guests regardless of what room they are in. Overall, very bummed my trip ended up being a bust. Perhaps I’ll give this place another try after all renovations are complete, but for now, they have lost...