Super 8 Show Low

For the past 15 years, we have made occasional weekend trips to the White Mountains of Arizona. Most times we have stayed at the Sleep Inn in Show Low. Granted, a cabin in Pinetop-​Lakeside or Greer would be more bucolic. But we rarely plan our trips in advance, so we usually opt for the predictability of a chain hotel. The Sleep Inn fit the bill, and the most important aspect of any chain hotel experience, the free breakfast bar, was fabulous.
By the way, «bucolic» was a vocabulary word in my high-​school English class and on college entrance exams. I have always wanted to use it in a sentence. Now I have. But back to the review.
The last time we went to the White Mountains, we were surprised to learn that our favorite Sleep Inn is now a Super 8. It was a bit of a letdown, but we kept an open mind and booked a room for two nights.
The owners, a young couple, and their right-​hand man, who was omnipresent during our stay, are hard-​working people who will be successful in the hotel business. But this hotel is clearly a Super 8, not a Sleep Inn.
The hotel is undergoing a complete renovation. But in an apparent effort to stay true to the Super 8 brand, the owners are spending a huge amount of money to make the hotel look cheaper. It’s bizarre.
The semi-​classy patterned carpeting is being replaced with dark-​gray industrial-​looking carpeting, installed sloppily in places. The walls are now cream with garish baby blue accents. The paint is semi-​gloss for easy maintenance. All pictures have been taken down, and I am willing to bet they will not be replaced.
In each room, the furniture is attached to the walls. Apparently, they’ve had a problem with guests walking off with it. There are no lamps on the tiny nightstands – only two blindingly bright can lights above the bed. The headboard looks like a horizontal 2″ x 8″ that was painted black and attached to the wall. The first time I jumped into bed I nearly broke my back. The bed was, well, firm. My back hurt even more when I woke up.
The bath towels were thin and tiny – not even big enough to wrap around an average-​sized adult. One of the towels had a hair on it that didn’t belong to either of us. Anyone inclined to steal bath towels would never steal these.
One unnerving aspect of our room was that part of the door lock mechanism – the flip latch above the lock – wasn’t working. The lock itself worked fine, but I prefer that my hotel rooms be as secure as possible.
The battery-​operated alarm clock didn’t work either.
The curtains had a missing hook.
On the plus side, the room had a full-​size ironing board and iron. The large TV, also attached to the wall, came with a generous assortment of Dish Network channels. The room key cards conveniently were adorned with ads for local pizza places. And the view of the pine trees from our third-​floor room was as gorgeous as ever. I sure hope they don’t chop down the trees because they exceed Super 8 standards for window views.
The layout of the lobby has changed completely. Before, when you walked in the front doors, you were immediately greeted by someone at the reception desk. Now you walk directly into the breakfast bar. The reception desk, curiously, is beyond the breakfast bar, behind a closed door. Not very welcoming.
The breakfast bar area was pleasantly decorated, but the food offerings were sparse. They consisted of do-​it-​yourself waffles, bagels, dry cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, apple juice, orange juice, and coffee. We were disappointed that hard-​boiled eggs and peanut butter were no longer anywhere to be found. There was only one kind of coffee: plain caffeinated. My wife said that the butter tasted «off» and urged me not to try it. The omnipresent gentlemen who helps run the place was pleasant and visited with us during the meal. He suggested that we try the yogurt because it was nearing its expiration date. He also regaled us with stories from his military days. For example, did you know that you can stab someone in a way that makes it impossible for them to scream? We didn’t, but it’s a fun fact we learned while eating breakfast.
The Super 8 notepad in our room was very small and had only four pages. I am guessing this is because they don’t want people taking copious notes and writing long Unilocal reviews. Luckily for you, Unilocal reader, I have a good memory.
Although my review may sound negative overall, the hotel is perfectly fine if you are looking for a Super 8. If you want something similar to the old Sleep Inn, there are other options in the area that might be more suitable. Next time we probably will stay at the Quality Inn or Holiday Inn Express in Pinetop-​Lakeside. Or a bucolic cabin in the woods.

Stayed here one night and it is a nice hotel. The rooms were clean and the staff was very nice and friendly. Apparently they have an indoor pool but I didn’t get the chance to see it. I like the complimentary breakfast they give you as well. Would definitely stay here again.