Aspen Inn

I wish that I had read the reviews on this inn. The pictures were probably taken when the inn was new. Everything about this place is in disrepair. Stained carpet, dirty old wallpaper, torn drapes, dirty stained baseboards, etc. Do not stay here! We felt ripped off! A black eye for Grand Marais!

We had a room in what I think is the old part of the motel. Our room smelled like dirty feet and stale cigarette smoke and very musty. Carpet had cigarette burns in the thin carpet and the carpet felt damp. Pulled a blanket out of a drawer to use in place of the bedspread and it some kind of blood stain on it. In the bathroom the grout around the tub was filthy and coming off. There was a newer pedestal sink but the grout underneath it was hanging down. The wall behind it was not finished. Luckily we had nice weather so was only there to sleep for two nights. Do not recommend!

No cable TV, no in room coffee or pot, no in room microwave and no wash clothes - check in was easy if you did not want to have a cheerful front desk person, the continental breakfast was a joke, went to a local gas station to get something that could be called a breakfast

Coming out of the BWCA . I'm not there to spend my time in a hotel room .Clean sheets, hot high powered hot shower. Too bad the hot side of shower faucet dripped. left the window open vs running the A/C due to the filter needing to be replace. Friendly staff!! Close enough to the downtown. Fair price

Terrible! It had a musty funky smell. The room was not clean. There was no heat. There was dried blood on the boxspring. AND they wouldn't refund my money even though we never stayed. We have been given the run around in trying to get a refund. Horrible place. I do not recommend this place unless you are stuck in a snow storm.

We booked this hotel based on its advertised 2-star rating, but upon arrival, it was immediately clear that something was wrong. The room had a strange odor, holes in the curtains, partially painted areas around the windows, and a damp, moldy smell. The windows were open on July 19, with a supposedly functional air conditioner running. However, the unit was completely non-functional, blowing warm, fetid air. When we approached the front desk about this issue, the clerk curtly stated, "we don't advertise air conditioning," despite the running wall unit. A 1-star hotel provides basic services, but this establishment failed to meet even those minimal standards. The room was in disrepair, the air conditioner was broken, and the overall cleanliness was highly questionable. Believing the false advertising of a 2-star rating, we were penalized and forced to pay for one night, despite the product not matching its description. This is a clear breach of contract. Advertising as a 2-star hotel implies a certain standard of service and amenities that were not delivered. This experience was a total ripoff, characterized by gross misrepresentation and terrible service. Avoid this place at all costs. It is a scam. I don't typically write negative reviews unless there is significant cause, but this hotel's misrepresentation and service failures warrant a strong warning to potential guests. Read my other reviews, and you'll see I am fair in my assessments, but this hotel is an exception due to its unacceptable conditions and service.

Dirty. Bad smell. Dead bugs, hairs and food on the floors. The front desk staff was very friendly, I will give them that, but I was too tired to complain. This the worst place I have ever stayed since my travels in Bolivia. AVOID!!!

This review is complicated as the title and score show average, but this hotel is average in nothing. As others have said, there are deficiencies in that the property is old and well depreciated. As another review said it is tired. It is also kind of creepy. All interaction with staff is via phone and camera and while they said fully booked, I rarely saw another person the 2 nights I was here. With that said, the hotel definitely has pluses. First, the price is very affordable especially when compared to the properties around Grand Marais. This is why it is the number 2 value for the area because at the end of the day, when you are visiting a beautiful place like the Lake Superior shore, the only thing you do at the hotel is sleep. Finally, as others have said, despite being worn, the property and my room were clean. Additionally, while you are not in the heart of Grand Marais, as long as you are in Grand Marais, you are not far from everything which is why if you are planning to stay on the North Shore, Grand Marais is the best place in the middle. If you are considering a stay here before a trip, this is a no frills or amenities step back to the 1980s hotel that is the cheapest and a clean stay in the middle of Minnesota's North Shore. For all those complex reasons, the hotel is adequate.

Overall not what anyone would expect from the website info. Check in is at 4:00 not one minute before. Arrived to our room to find someone else's clothes still in the dresser. Went to office to see if room was double booked the clerk said no and walked to our room and gathered the clothes. I suggested based on the look of the room cleaning was lacking, AC didn't work and could we get a refund she said she could not authorize that. The entire place needs maintenance and repair windows barely shut, door lock difficult. Toilet had a plunger next to it and upon using toilet we found we had to flush with the tank mechanics as it would not flush otherwise. GFI outlet in bathroom didn't work so we had no hairdryer as it was attached to the wall near that outlet. Microwave in the room did not work. Don't stay here!