THRU-HIKER ALERT: In Pearisburg, VA, don’t expect any kind of service with the Happy Day Motor Lodge. My hotel room did not have any hot water and I called the office to let them know. They told me to try again in a 1/2 hour and told me the section of the hotel that they put thru-hikers in didn’t have a large enough hot water heater for the capacity of the rooms. I called them back in 1/2 hour and no one was at the front desk to answer the phone. The next morning I went down to talk to someone about the incident on the way out and asked for a refund, not only was the water freezing cold but there was noise all night from the heavy drinking & party “construction worker” section of the motel. I was told by the hotel attendant at the front desk, “You’re a thru-hiker right? What do you expect, that’s just the way it goes here. You’re out of luck.”
I ended up filing a complaint with the BBB in Virginia, but the hotel still refused to offer any amends for their terrible service.
On the other hand, I stayed at the Rendezous Hotel and received excellent service the night before. Free drinks, lower hotel rate than what was posted in your book, free shuttles up the road into town and to Wal-Mart, all by the owner of the hotel.
Matthew McKinney