Avola Mountain Lodge

I booked a room for one night for a friend, but the hotel was far away from Clearwater town.

I don't know what was upstairs but... It was loud and may have been a **** head dragging furniture the whole night. They should have opted for a zoo.

The woman who checked us in was kind. I didn’t have high expectations based on the ratings and photos, but I picked this hotel because of its location, price and availability at short notice in the middle of a long weekend. The reviews I read were all positive and made it seem like it was a good place to stay if you have young children. While I do agree that the room layout works well (kitchenette, separate bedroom), I was disappointed in the level of cleanliness. One review that I read said it was “impeccably clean”, and I would say that it was fairly clean - there were hairs in the shower and on the bedding, there was a smooshed, bloody mosquito stuck to one of the walls, the corners and perimeter of the rooms needed sweeping, and there were smudges all over the floor that I first assumed were permanent, however after cleaning up a spill with a baby wipe, I removed the smudges with a little bit of elbow grease. I want to acknowledge that it seems like a family-run business in a very small, remote town, and it must be challenging to do that. I would just expect to see a more thorough cleaning of a room and better supplied kitchenette and bedding for a hotel with this star rating and price (e.g., the beds had a fitted sheet, comforter, and two pillows with the matching shams; the dish soap in the kitchenette had been watered down). I think this hotel could do really well if it upped the ante on cleanliness because it has friendly staff and a beautiful location already.

The room was very spacious and clean. The mini kitchen was very handy especially since there is no breakfast option at the hotel. Front desk staff are not very friendly. Air conditioner was only in one room and not turned on prior to our arrival so the room was very hot throughout the night. Only two bath towels and 1 hand towel were provided for 4 guests. The beds were extremely soft and not very comfortable. Overall a decent place to spend the night if you need a place to spend the night while on your way to your destination.