We reserved a 3 night stay at the Tip Top Motel, Cafe, and Bakery in Lihue, Kauai, HI -- for $165 per night plus taxes and fees -- because we liked its location, rates, non-smoking rooms, and favorable ratings of their restaurant and bakery.

Two out of four were correct.

We got a phone call at 1:30 pm on Sunday, October 23, while we were waiting in Honolulu airport for our connecting flight to Kauai, saying that their office was closing at 1:45 pm, and that a room key would be left for us. We knew that the office and cafe would also be closed on Mondays.

We got to our room a few minutes after 6 pm, to discover that despite "no smoking" signs, the room had a strong smell of cigarettes.

My partner is allergic to nicotine; both of us are non-smokers. We immediately called the office number, but could only leave a message. We never got a return call.

My partner ended up getting sick, with sinusitis and phlegm and coughing all night and itchy skin for 2 nights. We cancelled the third night and we were promised a refund of that night, which we got 2 days later.

The room itself reminded me of a cross between an old Motel 6 and a Roger Miller song:

No phone No pool No pets Don't smoke your cigarettes

(except guests before us did)

Also, no mini-fridge, no kitchen or kitchen items like a coffee maker, no luggage rack, and it had a small open closet with 5 plastic hangers. (The closet made little difference to us, as we refrained from unpacking clothes to avoid them absorbing smoke odors.)

There was WiFi (free, unsecured, with slow Internet).

There were few electrical outlets, most in use -- so I recommend bringing a power strip along.

There was a small, noisy window air conditioner. We ran it day & night, but the room was only cool, not cold.

There were good blackout pull down blinds for the front and back windows.

There was a TV with Spectrum cable, but with an odd assortment of 22 channels: TCM, SyFy, TruID, Lifetime, Hallmark, Disney, LMN, ESPN, ESPN2, a Surfing Channel, Freeform, etc. -- but no standard channels (no ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, FOX, CNN, nor Weather Channel).

There was no bathtub, though the shower appeared to have been recently remodeled with tiles. It had a nice shower head, but no wand, and water pressure and temperature were good when I showered, but a few minutes later my partner found it low by half.

There was no housekeeping on Monday, nor was there an emergency number posted. (I wonder what would happen if there was a water leak or fire?)

On Tuesday, I was at the cafe/office door at 6:45 am. A sign on the window next to the door said the office was open daily from 6:30 am to 3 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm -- with cafe hours of 6:30 am to 1:30 pm -- obviously no longer accurate. Painted on the door were office hours of 7:30 am to 3 pm (not true, the office closes at 1:45 pm) and cafe hours from 7 am to 1:30 pm, closed Mondays. (I suggest that you call for their current hours.) There is no "office" -- the motel duties are handled by the cafe cashier. The cafe was similar to a Denny's (with a limited menu) -- but much larger in size, with 6 servers plus a busser and kitchen staff and a cashier. Typically orders were served very quickly, around 10-15 minutes. (Sign on wall said Help Wanted -- Cashier and Kitchen Help.) The menu was typical of a breakfast and lunch place, and the cafe seems to be a favorite of locals, who fill the place as soon as it opens at 7 am. Prices were reasonable -- example: two eggs with choice of meat and toast or rice for $10.79, with Kona coffee at $2.39.

There is no longer a bakery. There was a glass display case, but instead of baked goods, touristy things like wood carvings are displayed for sale.

Their location is excellent, with McDonald's and Walmart only blocks away, and a short drive to many beach areas and restaurants.

My 2 star rating is based on its location and price, though I recommend that non-smokers give this a pass. The odd hours are troublesome, and I suggest you don't arrive on Monday or after 1:30 pm Tuesday through Sunday.