Econo Lodge

Owning a franchised motel requires some trust on both sides. The franchisor hopes the franchisee will keep the motel in accordance with their operating contract and up to date, and the motel operator hopes they get the correct support from the parent company. I don’t know for sure, but one would assume the franchisor sends people around to check franchised operations every once and awhile.
All that to say, I can’t imagine that this motel lives up to the contract. Although inexpensive, the rooms are dirty, there is updating needed throughout the motel, and the exterior entrances (and there are a number of them) are unlocked 24 hours.
On the plus side, they have the standard free breakfast offerings, and that room/​operation seemed pretty clean. Waffles, breads, fruits, cereal, coffee, cocoa, oatmeal, and so on.
This motel is off the north frontage road of Highway 13, just off I-​57. If you’re driving around in the dark, in a strange city or pouring rain, good luck locating it, as it is behind the auto parts store pictured below. The motel in the foreground (right) is an «America’s Best Value» Inn, and those can be inconsistent too, from superb to disgusting.
If you;re blowing through Marion, and just want a place to run in, sleep, shower and get out, Econo Lodge might be ideal for you. If you’re traveling with the family or staying an extended length of time, probably not.
This location is also handy if you’re visiting the Marion Federal Prison, just a few miles south of town.

Let’s see, where to start?
I’ll begin by saying I never stayed here myself. A friend of mine came to town to visit family and friends with his girlfriend. He noticed this hotel had a great price on rooms along with an indoor pool, so he rented a room. I picked him up to do some shopping. Maybe 20 minutes after I had picked him up, his girlfriend calls and says the hotel manager was flipping shit over her uncle coming to visit her at the hotel. Since the manager refused to speak with her because it was in my friends name, he calls up to the hotel while still in my car. Obviously confused, he tells the manager that he didn’t know they weren’t allowed visitors (because obviously it’s a hotel, not a prison). I could literally hear her over his phone when she started screaming at him about «not having people come to sleep there» (it was in the middle of the day) and that he didn’t make the rules, she did. She accused him of threatening her because he asked to speak to a supervisor and then hung up on him. When he got back to the hotel, she had called the cops on him. The cop promptly put her in her place (thank you Marion PD!) stating that every time he had taken a call at this hotel (which I’m assuming by the sound of his conversation had been a few), it was the management that had been aggressive, not the customer. Nowhere in the contract my buddy signed did it say he couldn’t have visitors.
I’m assuming these morons rip people off for fun. When he asked for a refund he was told that the «owner’s son» was in India and he would have to wait for him to get back to get a refund.
I don’t usually Unilocal,but this needed to be said. After this happened, I heard quite a few more stories about issues with management at this establishment.

Ewwwwww are you for real. The elevator really smelled & it was like a dry sauna inside. I know the room didn’t cost much, but it had a nasty odor. After driving 6 hrs I wanted to kick back and relax for a few minutes before heading towards Shawnee National Park, but I felt grimy staying in this dump. We stayed 1 night and moved to a different hotel.
The staff was very polite and courteous though & it did have a microwave, refrigerator & freezer

NEVER stay here !!! Very gross !!! Flipped ice buck over to find a cup full of crap… my husband took it to the front desk and all they said was… yes that’s gross… room as dirty… lamp shades cracked and flickering. .beds were aweful with 2 flat pillows. asked for extras and we’re told they didn’t have any… would of left but surrounding hotels sold out… I don’t know how they keep a chain name… one of the worst hotel experiences of my life

To begin I made my reservation through
. I informed them I had a pet and they found me a pet friendly room and said that I was paid in full want to give them a credit card. I show up to the Econolodge and come inside to find no one at the front desk. I wait for several minutes I open the door and shut it several times for the Doorbell to ring, still nothing. And then pulled my phone and call the phone number and call the phone number three times the first time somebody answered cannot say anything second two times no answer. Then I called the cell phone number on the business card at the front desk again no answer. 15 minutes later my sister goes and finds a worker who was somewhere in the back. When he comes to the front he asks if I have a dog to which I say yes and he tells me there will be another $ 20 fee.
This hotel is hot and smells terrible, in addition to the bugs, the lack of service is very unimpressive! There are many many hotels at this exit, I would choose a different one.

Do not ever stay here .: (((dirty. stinks ., all night, bitten bedbugs … Shit!!!

As mentioned by other reviewers, the place could use some remodeling. The wallpaper in the bathroom is peeling in spots, there are cigarette burns on the sink in this nonsmoking room, the draperies are very wrinkled, etc. So why did I give it more stars than others? Because my room was clean and did not have a bad odor. Also their continental breakfast included hard boiled eggs which is something my husband with his many food allergies can eat. This isn’t an issue for us but many would not like that there’s no coffee pot in the room. On the plus side there is an iron and ironing board and the mini fridge is about 4′ tall with a separate freezer section. While it’s not the place to stay for a luxury vacation, I would stay here again while on my way somewhere else. Oh! Also there is an indoor pool; I didn’t go look at it but people seemed to be using it.

No thanks, not again. I guess I’ve stayed in worse but… the A/​C in rooms doesn’t really cool to a hot summer night. The sauna is «out of order», the gym was an absolute joke. They obviously don’t believe in A/​C throughout the hotel common areas either. WiFi doesn’t work properly. I managed to connect to someone who’s nearby. Definitely needs updating! I’m not even going to attempt the «breakfast». Service was friendly, but I certainly don’t recommend this hotel.