Frequently Asked Questions

We're glad you asked! And we're proud that since opening in mid 2020 after a long renovation, our guests have made us the highest rated hotel in the greater Sandpoint area, on all major ratings engines including Google, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and Expedia/Hotels.com. We attribute this success to our wonderful (and if we're being honest, quirky) staff, and our uniquely styled, hand-made, mountain-modern rooms. We tried to think of just about everything, and we're still making adjustments as we get feedback from guests. A special shout goes out to our head housekeeper and assistant manager, Samantha, whose OCD truly shines in this context -- we are also rated the cleanest hotel in the area. Meanwhile, our onsite night manager, Eric, is always smiling and ready to help. So too, is his dog, Dog, who has become our de facto mascot. Our little motel is not for everyone -- we're on a highway, after all, and due to our size (just 12 rooms), we lack the amenities of chain hotels -- but if you have an adventurous spirit and appreciate mom-and-pop-(boutique)-motels, give us a shot!

Yup. And there's train noise, too: there are traintracks on the other side of the 2-lane highway. We soundproofed as best we could during our remodel, and most guests aren't bothered by the road noise (and many find the rumble of the train soothing, when they notice it at all). But if you are sensivitive to ambient noise and require silence to sleep, we are probably not the place for you. Sigh.

We always prefer to welcome our guests personally, but with only 12 rooms, we found that it just isn't feasible -- nor, as it turns out, thanks to modern technology, necessary -- to have a full-time front desk (though we do have a live-in, onsite night manager.) That means there may be an hour here or a couple of hours there where we are not on site. Therefore, we will text your self check-in information -- which includes your room number, door code, and other good-to-know info -- to the phone number on file on the day of your arrival. That means you can arrive whenever you like, bypass the office, and go directly to your room! Please be sure to provide your MOBILE phone number -- not your home phone -- when booking your reservation. If you will not have a mobile phone with you when traveling, please call us before your arrival date to make arrangements. And don't worry: Eric, our trusty onsite, live-in night manager will be there and ready to help with any of your middle-of-the-night needs. And a member of our wee team is never more than five minutes away -- just give us a call on our main line or super-secret, guest-only hotline, and we'll get you what you need.

YES, there is always a staff member to assist you, BUT... We are a small hotel -- only 12 rooms! -- so a full-time front desk is not feasible or necessary. There is always someone available to help, including an on-site night manager who lives at the motel, but there are times during the day when there is no staff physically present on site. Therefore, we frequently use a self-check-in system that allows guests to bypass the office and go directly to their assigned rooms. If self-check-in is enabled for you, you will receive a text message on the day of arrival with pertinent details and instructions, as well as a "hotline" for in-house guests. To ensure that self-check-in goes smoothly, we require a valid mobile phone number with texting capabilities. If you will not have a phone with you while traveling, please contact us before your visit to make arrangements. In cases when you need assistance but no staff is on site, please be patient while one of our staff gets to the motel to help. This usually takes no more than 10 minutes.

YES! Enthusiastically. We do ask, however, that you don't leave pets unattended in rooms.

Sorry -- only dogs are allowed. We initially welcomed cats and other non-human friends, but sadly, after several poor experiences, we made the difficult decision to allow only dogs.

We are an honest bunch, so here's the truth: we have no pool, no gym, no room service, no breakfast. Put simply, we are a small, roadside motel that happens to have the nicest rooms in town, as well as these features: all new everything, park-outside-your-door convenience, super cozy mattresses, 100% cotton sheets and towels, blazing fast free WIFI, smart TVs on which you can stream your favorites shows, Evans Brothers Coffee, and Ozzy Osprey (and his lovely wife Harriet) for your bird-watching pleasure.

We don't want to crowd your room with stuff you may not need, but chances are we have what you're looking for. Just ask us for... Ice: We don't have an ice machine but we have ready-to-go ice in trays and small coolers with bagged ice available. Extra chairs: Just ask. Card table: Because cards are fun. Cots: Because they're sorta like camping, and this is the Outdoors Inn. Laptop tables: We have small computer tables available if you need them. Iron, ironing board, and clothes steamer: Getting fancy? These can help. Full-length mirror: Over-the-door mirrors available upon request Kitchen kits (large rooms only): Fully stocked with extra-large toaster oven, induction hot plate, pots and pans, cooking utensils, plates and bowls, silverware, etc. Wine opener and wine bucket: Because wine is important. Regular coffee pot and filters: We have awesome locally-brewed coffee, but if steeped coffee isn't your thing, we have pots. (Sorry, ground coffee not provided.)

Yes! Our rooms with jetted tubs are totally pet-free. And just to note: all our rooms have hard-surface floors and we have the best darn housekeeping staff in town (truly.) So if you require a larger room, just let us know and we'll be sure to make it super-duper dog free.

Glad you like it! But no: please don't take it. We are trying to avoid single-use plastics, and so have full-size shampoo, conditioner, soap, and body wash (these might look like little bottles, but we refill them). Should you choose to take these home, please be prepared to pay $10 per bottle. You can find our

Yes! We have two rooms with extra-larger, 2-person jetted tubs -- perfect for an apres ski soak. Please look for "Queen with Jetted Tub" when reserving. PLEASE NOTE: these tubs are REALLY big. To access the tub/shower, you have to step over the wall of the tub which is about 24" high. As such, the rooms may not be suitable for guests with mobility issues PLEASE ALSO NOTE! No bath bombs or bath oils permitted in our tubs. They are a nightmare for our housekeepers. Sorry, pets are not permitted in these rooms.

We are a super dog-friendly motel. Sorry -- we have and love cats, but they make poor hotel guests. Ditto for other critters. So while we welcome your hounds, we ask that you leave your other pets home. As for fees, we have the most generous fee schedule in the area: we charge $25 per stay* for your first dog. Each additional pup is $10 per stay. So, whether you stay with us for one or five days, we ask you to chip in $25+ towards cleaning, depending on your number of dogs. Our most up-to-date pet policy can be found here, but here's a snapshot: Sorry, no pets are allowed in our rooms with jetted tubs. No exceptions! If your dog is more than 75lbs, please call us to discuss If you have more than 2 dogs, please call us to discuss Under NO circumstances can pets be left unattended in rooms. We've been burned by this before, so please be sure you're set up to take your dog with you when you go out. If your dog disturbs other guests -- by barking, being aggressive, etc. -- then sorry: you'll be asked to go elsewhere. We're so small that disruptive dogs disrupt everyone. Please be careful of our linens: if your dog goes on the bed, tell us so we can provide you with a less expensive blanket. We spend a lot on our linens and will charge you for excessive damage to linens, including pet damage. We require a $250 pet deposit at check-in. This will be returned within 24 hours of checkout. Thinking about sneaking your dog in? Please don't. We can always tell. And we'll charge you double the rate for being sneaky. *For stays up to 7 days. If you stay with us longer, please be prepared to chip in another fee.

We ask for 48 hours -- we're a small hotel and last-minute cancellations can sting. That said, if you cancel within this timeframe, we won't charge you if we can fill your room. Scout's honor. You can find our cancellation policy, and all of our policies, here.

You can geek out on our complete policies here, but here are the highlights: NO SMOKING, VAPING, CANDLES, INCENSE, EVER! We are dead serious on this one. If you smoke in a room, you WILL be charged $250, no exceptions. Also, please move at least 20 feet away from the building to smoke. DOGS CANNOT BE LEFT UNATTENDED IN ROOMS. We'll call you and harangue you if you do, then ask you nicely to go elsewhere. AVOID EXTRA CLEANING AND DAMAGE FEES. While we expect normal wear, tear, and staining, excessive damage to our rooms -- including to towels and bed linens (e.g., due to spills, using towels as work towels, pet stains, etc.) -- will incur a damage and/or extra-cleaning fee. NO BATH BOMBS OR OILS IN ROOMS WITH TUBS. We know. Booo. They're fun. But they're a nightmare for our cleaning staff. IN-ROOM AMENITIES SHOULD STAY THERE. Please expect to pay $10 per bottle of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, or soap. LOVE OUR MUGS? TAKE 'EM! (BUT EXPECT A $10 CHARGE). We just charge the cost and tax, and love it when guests take them as souvenirs! Please know that regardless of specific policies, we reserve the right refuse service, ask guests to vacate, or otherwise change our minds at any time.

YES! We are a small outfit with a small crew and the best damn housekeepers in North Idaho. Seriously. They work hard and we, as the owners, want to do our part to make their lives easier... and that means rewarding guests who make their jobs easier. Details: at our housekeepers' sole discretion, our especially-tidy guests will be rewarded with a discount to be applied to a future visit with us. We'll send you an email with details if you qualify. So: please avoid eating on our beds, gather up the towels in a pile, etc. And enjoy your stay!

We're a very small, independent motel and can't qualify for the bulk-pricing deals that the big chains can get. We also insist on quality: all of our sheets are 100% long-staple cotton. Same thing for our towels. So, replacing towels and sheets is a big deal for us. While we completely expect normal wear, tear, and staining, we reserve the right to charge you for excessive damage to towels and linens. So please: if you need towels to, say, dry off your dog or clean your car, do NOT use our good towels! Ask us, and we'll provide you with rags/utility towels. And if you spill something on the bed, bummer: we get it but please be prepared to chip in for replacements. Same goes for other damage. If other damages occur, please expect to be charged for it. Finally: if you are especially messy (we get it -- sometimes when you're on vacation, you just wanna be free to be a slob), we reserve the right to charge you for any excessive time that it takes us to clean your room, anywhere from $15 - $100. For the sanity of our housekeepers and the integrity of your wallet, please keep this in mind. On the flip side, if you're especially clean, we'll reward you for that! See related FAQ. You can find our

Per our reservation policy, we always charge a deposit to the card we have on file. The charge will be equivalent to the first night's stay + tax. The deposit is fully refundable if you cancel 48 hours or more prior to your arrival date. If you make your reservation directly with us, either by phone or through our website, the deposit will be charged immediately. If, however, you book your reservation through a third-party, like Expedia or Booking.com, there will be a delay between when you make a reservation and when you are charged the deposit. Here's why: while third-party booking engines collect your credit card information, they don't actually charge it. They pass it along to us with your reservation details, and leave it to us to make the appropriate deposit charge. Because of the way we receive reservation notifications from third-party booking engines, we don't always see your reservation right away, particularly if your reservation is a long way off. Thus the delay. We charge the balance due on the day of your arrival, before check-in time. Any additional charges incurred during your stay will be charged during or after your stay. If you have any questions about charges to your card, just give us a call.

We dedicated a page to this. See here.