Penn Wells Lodge — Hotel in Wellsboro

Staying at the Penn Wells Hotel is just like time-traveling back to the Victorian era -- something I'd always wished I could do and I finally had my wish granted in Wellsboro!!! Checking out after a three-night stay, I booked a room for the near future -- that's how much I enjoyed my stay. Within steps of the hotel are some of my favorite things in life: an art deco movie theater with first-run films plus occasional live stage shows; a World War II-era diner that was shipped to Wellsboro from Massachusetts as soon as it was built; the quaint, fourth-generation-family-owned Dunham's Department Store with a charming cafe inside; a town square (locals call it the green) complete with a captivating sculpture of Wynken, Blynken & Nod; and lots of little shops and restaurants. The town is lit with gas lamps! I kept expecting a horse and carriage to come around the bend. Cars and trucks seemed out of place here, as though they couldn't have been invented yet. Nineteenth-century hospitality reigns here. The entire hotel staff and the staff at the nearby lodge (both of which, I was told, the Dunham family also owns) couldn't be friendlier or more helpful. (Since I was there off-season, my excellent, buffet-style breakfast was served at the lodge, where the indoor pool and hot tub also are available to hotel guests.) On Sunday morning, I got to attend the Methodist (my own religion) church just down the street and everyone there was so warm and welcoming that I felt right at home. This is a classy town with classy people. It doesn't feel at all like a tourist town, just a lovely, fun place to visit. Oh, and the reason people have been visiting the Penn Wells Hotel for years (like Groucho Marx in 1928 and Joan Crawford in 1943) is the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, a short drive away. I spent a full day hiking there, awed by the wildlife (I glimpsed a black bear, among other animals), the many waterfalls, the canyon's magnificence, the wildflowers, and the rustic beauty. I'm counting the days until I return to Wellsboro and the hotel -- I'm anxious to explore the other side of Pennsylvania's own Grand Canyon. A profoundly grateful shout-out to Ben, a teacher at Wellsboro High School, who rescued me at the end of my hike, when I had no idea where I was or how to return to my car. I'd probably still be somewhere in the canyon without Ben's compassionate help, as cell phones don't work in that area and I get around with a walker. Yes, I hike with my walker -- don't let that stop you if you use one! And be sure to take a trail map with you so you're more...

We came up for the weekend to do some cycling in the PA Grand Canyon with friends. It is a nice hotel with a decent breakfast and the staff is very friendly. They all smiled at us laughed at my dumb jokes. One cm over and spoke to us during breakfast and made the time feel like we were part of the family. We could use more of that in the world!|The rooms are somewhat dated as the Trip Advisor overview shows but in addition, they look a bit run down with paint being chipped around the doors and the bathroom fixtures exposing the hardware behind the chrome. Everything worked it just looked like it need some tightening up to make it that much worth the price.|Our room lacked outlets but there was a multi-outlet strip. There were no USB outlets anywhere. Up to date hotels have them on the lamps, clock and sometimes on the regular outlets. They could have a multi-outlet USB charging station that would not cost much for the convenience of charging phones, tablets and other peripherals that are so common these days.|The room was small. As mentioned above, we had bikes with us and kept them in the room for safety. There was not a place outside under cover to lock them up if we wanted. It was a bit of a squeeze to fit the bikes in the room and get around comfortably. There were only two of us in a room with two double beds. If we had even one more person in our room with one more bike, I am not sure how we would have managed. I would think this would have been considered given the proximity to the Grand Canyon - a major cycling destination in this area.|Another criticism is the Wi-Fi. This may be only true in the block of rooms along the back of the property. Our room was 170. We could get into the Wi-Fi if we stood in the doorway but we were clearly on the edge of the coverage. Two steps in and the signal was lost. Keep this in mind if you need reliable Wi-Fi when visiting. Book rooms in the main building where the reception desk and pool are located and you may not have a problem.|The room was clean and the reception/breakfast area was nice. There was plenty of room for everyone to sit at a table. The breakfast was kept stocked and the selections, though limited, were good and kept fresh.|In general, I expect more from hotels at this price range. I have seen "budget" hotels in better shape. My issues are easily remedied with a bit of attention to detail and an eye for quality. It was a clean, comfortable room with an acceptable...

First, this is not a hotel, it’s a motel that also has some hotel rooms…but they don’t make that clear to you when booking. You would assume from the price that this would be nicer than a motel 6 or similar property…it is not. Here are a few of the problems we encountered:

The door wasn’t sealed and we could not only feel air and see light coming through, the gaps around the edges were big enough that we could have received mail through the sides of the locked door!

The toilet flushed like my grandparents farmhouse and made me think it was going to break every time I sat down. Clearly the bathroom hasn’t been updated in decades.

The beds are small and extremely worn in with springs leaning to one side or the other.

There was a cockroach in the room when we arrived.

The wifi would only work in certain parts of the room, not while sitting in the bed further from the door.

Our keycards reset every day or two and so we continued to be locked out. The reception staff were not all trained in how to reset the cards, meaning we had to wait around for someone who knew how to do get us a key to unlock our room.

The staff didn’t refill body wash during our stay, but they did refill shampoo and conditioner once.

There is no central AC, but a window unit that runs constantly to keep up with the old building, cracks in the doors, etc. This isn’t too surprising for the Northeast, but it’s clear that they are doing the minimum they can for the maximum price.

Some positives: Location is right on the Main Street and close to everything. The indoor pool seemed nice. The continental breakfast with hot eggs and sausage was basic but what you’d expect from a basic motel breakfast.

The “outdoor room” was priced like a Fairfield / Hampton / Residence Inn and turned out to be one of the worst properties in U.S. we’ve stayed at. Definitely not worth the price.

Overall I will not stay here again and I would encourage anyone considering the property to set their expectations at a roadside motel level, not a hotel / lodge unless you pay a premium for indoor rooms (which is not clear from the online booking platforms) or do like I will and consider a trusted brand where you know what you’ll get, like the Days Inn or Hampton Inn 15-20 minutes...