Shady Oak Motel

This hotel is always clean and the people at the front desk are always welcoming. We travel a lot and stay in a lot of different hotels. I can’t stand dirty hotels — this is not a dirty hotel. This isn’t a new hotel by any means, but the family that owns it always keeps it clean. Sure, it’s not a Hilton… but I always feel safe here.

Be warned, this place is a super crazy dive motel. It is rough with a capital «R» but it feels reasonably safe, on par with Motel 6 and other lodges where you enter from the parking lot. It has an excellent location close to almost anything on the Branson strip. Ask to stay on the front which faces the main drag; there are a lot of workers living in the back of this motel facing the pool (weekly rates). This is the go-​to place if you are looking for a CHEAP room in Branson for whatever reason. The beds are not uncomfortable, it’s ratty looking but always pretty darn clean, the A/​C is cold and the hot water is plentiful. My mother and I are big enough cheapskates to stay here and spend what we save on something else (like outlet shopping or IMAX).