The Leatherock Hotel, Cherryvale, KS

Shame on us for believing an old man.

Shame on us for believing an old man we found on the Internet.

The Splendor of Our Arrival!

Let's compare the outside view, it takes me back to times of old, when men were men and the coal-fired iron-horse roamed the prairie:

Their view of things

The reality:

Although I didn't get any shots of the rubble-strewn streets, with broken pavement and razed structures, these things should have been a bad sign to us, even before we laid eyes on the place. The hotel is located literally at the end of town, under the water tower, and overlooking a feed store.

Oh, and it lacks parking. It's on the narrow street or in the grass.

Click the image for special commentary.

But the porch gives us a view of the sky! Cast your eyes upward toward the heavens and think not of earthly wants or failure! How spacious and relaxing!

Entering Your Private Suite

Let's compare the entry-way:

Route 66 Suite Amenities:

Private outside landscaped entry

The reality:

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Oh, The Comfort

Let's compare the furnishings:

The spacious yet cozy sitting parlor, with its eclectic furniture mixture from the four central states that Route 66 traveled, entice you to relax or curl up with a book after your day's travel or outing.

The unfortunate and eclectic reality:

The reality is that the place was furnished with cast-off furniture, a la Bachelor Pad. Mismatched chairs, one with a collapsing seat made the stiff and ugly couch seem like an oasis. We really think ol' Wayne might have been living here until just before we arrived.

Time To Relax!

Small-town, railroads, old dogs, you have to expect a relaxing porch awaits, right?

Let's compare the rear of the place:

a private back porch and use of the kitchen's dining area.

The reality:

Oh, I can't stop! The view, she grips me; I canna tear me eyes from the resplendent caravan!

Gore-met Dining!

Let's compare the dining options:

Free continental breakfast

The reality:

Now to be totally honest, there were some small boxes of cereal, and two pints of milk, for FOUR PEOPLE. Oh, and three Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies. I hope he found those in the cupboard where I hid them from my children.

Of course, we were at the mercy of the chef, since the only places we found to eat in town were the bowling alley and Sonic. Feh, not even a grocery store.

What Will A Fabulous Place Like This Cost Me?

Let's compare the pricing:

Rates are based upon availability and are subject change without notice.

The reality:

When Ol' Wayne found out that we didn't want to stay two nights (beacuse the place was awful), he jacked the rate up on the spot, trying to gouge us for a bit more. When I called him on it, he claimed it was "for all the extra people" (my children), which of course he never mentioned when we made the reservation.

After receiving the dollop of reality that I dispensed ("awful mess" "misrepresentation" "rotten town"), he came back with "mumble, mumble Pay what you think is fair... mumble mumble..."

Summary

We'll do a better job of researching "quaint" places next time, but I hope this page can be a warning to all those might consider a jaunt to Cherryvale.