It's fine for what it is...
Too often people review hotels relative to other hotels not in the same weight class. I see this happen often with these older, quasi-urban hotels. If you have appropriate expectations, and are not expecting to stay in a brand new hotel - this place is fine. Simply put, it is what it is.
First the not so good:
As others have said before - the window situation is a bit tenuous. On the ground floor of a hotel that backs up to a wooded area, there really should be a better locking system on the windows. In my case, the window could not be locked, but there was a piece of wood to act as a sliding lock. So - the window could, in theory, be opened about 4 inches, but then no further. From a security-standpoint, I guess that's fine. From a peace-of-mind standpoint, I'd much rather just have a sealed window, or a metal lock that actually worked.
The room was clean - but old. And really, no matter how much you try to clean furniture, and shower knobs, and trim that is very old and worn out, they will never really look super clean. Obviously the review here is to stay that the hotel needs a refresh, but no kidding. What is really important to remember is that if you are expecting to walk into a Holiday Inn Express that is under 5 years old - this ain't that. It (seemed) clean, but I could see how people might feel differently.
The room smelled, again, fine. They must use some sort of air freshener when they clean or something, which is a good idea probably, but it just smells like they are trying to cover up something like cigarette smoke. I'm not saying they were, but the stuff they use just has that cheap, old hotel room smell that I remember from staying in roadside (smoking) motels as a kid.
The A/C kept the room cool, but did not seem to dehumidify at all, which was a bit strange considering how A/C works... I noticed that the room felt humid when I walked in, and when I woke up, the pillows I wasn't use just a bit the tiniest bit damp. Not wet, just a bit damp. Obviously this has some mold and mildew implications - but I didn't really see any of that around.
There is no elevator in this hotel - so if you can't climb steps, make sure to request a ground floor room.
Lastly - the bed had white sheets, a colored slipcover thing over the end, but then a brown, fuzzy blanket in between the white comforter and white sheets. I'll be honest, when I'm in a hotel room that I "sorta" trust, I'd rather just have everything be white. They are white for a reason - so that I know that they are clean. Probably just need to get rid of that blanket.
Now the good:
As others have said, the staff was very friendly. I did not have much interaction with them, and did not have to resolve any conflicts, but my interactions were positive and friendly when I talked with them.
The location was good - kind of a geographical oddity, 30 minutes to everywhere, and was not right next to an interstate or major highway like many other hotels in the area. If you have issues sleeping with noise, especially road noise, this hotel was very quiet during my stay.
The bed was comfortable, no complaints there. The pillows were good, and not too overly large that you felt like you were putting another mattress under your head, but not flat, either.
All in all, I paid just over $70 for this hotel before taxes, which is above the truly suspect hotels in the area, but below the newer hotels in this class. It really seems to be a bit of a compromise, and honestly I'd stay there again to save a few bucks. I'm not so sure about bringing the family, but just me traveling - I don't see why not. less