
Windsor's BEST Kept Secret? This Super 8 Will SHOCK You!
Windsor's BEST Kept Secret? Oh, This Super 8… Buckle Up! (A Messy, Honest Review)
Okay, so they said it was a secret. They promised I'd be shocked. And listen, after my experience at this Windsor Super 8… well, let's just say "shocked" is one way to put it. Strap in, because this ain't your average travel review. This is going to be… well, honest. And maybe a little bit messy.
(SEO & Metadata Stuff - Don't worry, I'll get back to the messy part. Promise.)
- Keywords: Windsor Hotel, Super 8, Budget Hotel, Accessible Hotel, Free Wi-Fi, Swimming Pool, On-Site Parking, Cleanliness, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Affordable Accommodation, Near Airport, Family-Friendly, Restaurants, Spa, Fitness Center, Meeting Rooms, Business Travel, Accessible Rooms, Non-Smoking Rooms.
- Meta Description: A brutally honest review of a Windsor Super 8, revealing its secrets (and its quirks!). From accessibility to the questionable "spa" (okay, maybe it wasn’t a spa) and the free Wi-Fi that almost worked, prepare for a rollercoaster of emotions. Discover if this budget-friendly option lives up to the hype (or the lack thereof).
(Okay, now for the REAL review. LET'S GO.)
First off, accessibility. Now, that was surprisingly decent. They actually had accessible rooms, and the website was pretty clear about what they offered.
- Accessibility: (Wheelchair accessible) - The elevators worked, and there were ramps. (Facilities for disabled guests) - It wasn’t perfect, mind you, but they tried. There was a sense of genuine effort. That's a win right off the bat.
(Now, the Room… oh, the Room…)
(Available in all rooms): They promised a "comfortable stay." (And yes, I double-checked the 'Available in all rooms' section to make sure I wasn't missing anything). The list is long: Air conditioning (thank GOD), Alarm clock (pointless, because I use my phone), Bathrobes (nope), Bathroom phone (WHAT YEAR IS IT?), Bathtub (yes, but I’m not sure I wanted to get in it), Blackout curtains (bless!), Carpeting (shag-tastic, but definitely seen better days), Closet (yay storage!), Coffee/tea maker (definitely appreciated), Complimentary tea (it was Lipton. Fine.), Daily housekeeping (more on that later), Desk (functional), Extra long bed (needed!), Free bottled water (hallelujah!), Hair dryer (worked, but just barely), High floor (I think they just made me feel good about it), In-room safe box (probably safer than my wallet), Interconnecting room(s) available (good for families!), Internet access – LAN (do people still use this?), Internet access – wireless (thank you, sweet baby Jesus), Ironing facilities (rusty iron, but it's a win!), Laptop workspace (on the desk), Linens (cleanish), Mini bar (nonexistent, but I wasn't expecting one), Mirror (mirrored wall, okay), Non-smoking (thank god!), On-demand movies (ha!), Private bathroom (essential), Reading light (thank you!), Refrigerator (needed for the beer I bought), Safety/security feature (smoke detector was there), Satellite/cable channels (a lot of channels, mostly static), Scale (seriously?), Seating area (meh), Separate shower/bathtub (luxury!), Shower (ran out of hot water) , Slippers (nope), Smoke detector (there!), Socket near the bed (yes!), Sofa (definitely seen better days), Soundproofing (laughed out loud), Telephone (who uses dial-up anymore?) , Toiletries (the bare minimum), Towels (fluffy-ish), Umbrella (where was it raining indoors?), Visual alarm (should have brought a siren), Wake-up service (useless with my phone), Wi-Fi [free] (let's just say, it was working from time to time), Window that opens (needed!)
So, yeah, the room. It was… a room. Not horrible, not fantastic. Functionally adequate, but definitely not "shocking". My first impression? A strong whiff of "hotel room". You know, that generic, faintly musty smell that all hotel rooms seem to have.
(Cleanliness and Safety - This is going to take a while.)
Right. I'm a germaphobe at heart, so this was a major concern. The website blasted about their commitment to cleanliness. They bragged:
- Cleanliness and safety:
- Anti-viral cleaning products: They claimed to use them. I couldn’t confirm, but I’m choosing to believe!!
- Breakfast in room: (This was for the "VIP" guests of course)
- Breakfast takeaway service: (This was a lie. I will get into that later).
- Cashless payment service: A plus!
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Seemed… plausible.
- Doctor/nurse on call: Good to know, I guess?
- First aid kit: Yes.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere. They wanted to make sure I knew where to find them.
- Hot water linen and laundry washing: Excellent
- Hygiene certification: Not sure what that means, but okay
- Individually-wrapped food options: (the breakfast was a joke, but the individually wrapped items were everywhere).
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: They tried.
- Professional-grade sanitizing services: This they seemed to emphasize.
- Room sanitization opt-out available: Didn't see an option, but great!
- Rooms sanitized between stays: I hope so?
- Safe dining setup: There was a (mediocre) breakfast area set up.
- Sanitized kitchen and tableware items: Seem to be clean.
- Shared stationery removed: All good.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Seemed like they knew some things.
- Sterilizing equipment: Okay.
I have to say, on first inspection, the room seemed clean. But as I dug deeper (literally, with my Clorox wipes - yes, I'm that person), I found… evidence of life from previous guests. A stray (long) hair in the shower. A mysterious smudge on the mirror. Nothing horrific, mind you, but enough to make me slightly uneasy.
The "Daily Housekeeping" wasn’t exactly the Ritz. More like a quick once-over. The bed was made haphazardly, and that mysterious smudge on the mirror remained. So, while they said they were prioritizing cleanliness, the execution was… well, a little shaky.
(Dining, Drinking, and Snacking - The Breakfast Debacle)
This is where things started to unravel.
- Dining, drinking, and snacking:
- A la carte in restaurant: Nope.
- Alternative meal arrangement: None suggested.
- Asian breakfast: Nope.
- Asian cuisine in restaurant: Nope.
- Bar: Nope.
- Bottle of water: Yes, only one.
- Breakfast [buffet]: Kind of, but it was limited.
- Breakfast service: Yes.
- Buffet in restaurant: Very, very limited.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant: Yep.
- Coffee shop: Nope.
- Desserts in restaurant: Maybe if you consider a stale muffin a dessert.
- Happy hour: Negative
- International cuisine in restaurant: Nope.
- Poolside bar: Not a chance.
- Restaurants: Very limited.
- Room service [24-hour]: Are you serious?
- Salad in restaurant: Nope.
- Snack bar: Nope.
- Soup in restaurant: Hah, no.
- Vegetarian restaurant: Nope.
- Western breakfast: Yes, that’s what's available.
- Western cuisine in restaurant: Yes, that’s what’s available.
The website boasted about a "complimentary breakfast" that would "delight your taste buds." Lies. All lies. It was a sad affair. Think pre-packaged muffins, lukewarm coffee, and the saddest selection of cereal you've ever seen. They did have individually-wrapped things, which was a plus, but the whole experience felt…deflated. I took one bite of a muffin and decided to go hungry.
The lack of options was a killer. No happy hour, no poolside bar, not even a decent coffee shop. If you're a foodie, you're going to be seriously disappointed.
(Things to Do, Ways to Relax - The "Spa" (ahem))
- **Things to do, ways to

Alright, buckle up, buttercup, because we’re about to get messy in Windsor, Ontario. This isn't your perfectly curated Pinterest travel guide. This is the real deal, Super 8 edition. And trust me, the real deal is… well, it’s something.
Windsor, Ontario: Super 8 (and Soul-Searching) Edition
Day 1: Arrival, Anxiety, and the Ambience of Acrylic Paint
- 1:00 PM: Arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW). The drive to Windsor across the Ambassador Bridge felt… surprisingly significant. Maybe it was the weight of the border crossing, or the sheer scale of that bridge. It's a behemoth! I kept checking my passport like I was going to forget how to exist on the other side.
- 1:30 PM: Border crossed! (Relief.) Finding Super 8. The GPS played games, and I was sure I was in the middle of a dodgy industrial park. Finally, I see the glorious neon sign. It's like a beacon of… budget-friendly existentialism.
- 2:00 PM: Check-in. The lobby smells vaguely of chlorine and regret. Okay, not regret, maybe just… old carpet. The clerk, bless her heart, looks like she’s seen things. This is gonna be interesting.
- 2:30 PM: Room assessment. Hey, the bed looks… surprisingly inviting. The art on the walls, though? Let’s just say Abstract Expressionism definitely got a run for its money. Think… a singular, enormous blob of, what looks like, acrylic paint. It could be a statement piece! Or maybe they just had a surplus of orange. I'm leaning towards the latter.
- 3:00 PM: Settling in. I’ve got my travel mug (essential), my snacks (equally essential), and a crippling fear that I forgot something vital. Sunscreen? Phone charger? My sanity? (Check, check, check… maybe.) Time to decompress. I turn on the TV… and it's all the same channels as back home. Ugh.
- 4:00 PM: First Windsor mission: find coffee. Not just any coffee. I need a real coffee, not the Super 8 breakfast-bar variety. This takes me to a local café - I grab a coffee and sit outside to watch people passing by. So many different people, so many different lives, all in this same small city. It made me think about my life, my journey, and where I'm going.
- 5:00 PM: Head back the Super8 and relax. I watch some random tv show. Maybe I could watch anything I wanted, but instead, I spend the evening staring at the ceiling.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner. I am really craving some good old fashioned food, and I'm in Canada. I want some comfort food. I decide to go to a restaurant which is a little bit of a drive. It's a bit far, but I am craving this food more than anything. I eat the best meal of my life.
- 9:00 PM: Back at the Super 8. I am exhausted, and I don't know why. It's not like I did anything, really. Perhaps the travel, the anxiety, the "blob art". It all got to me. Time to sleep.
Day 2: Border City Blues and the Art of the Unexpected
- 7:00 AM: Wake up. The sun streams through the curtains, illuminating the acrylic paint blob. I contemplate analyzing the deeper meaning, decide against it. Coffee, hotel-style, kicks in.
- 8:00 AM: Breakfast. (Complimentary, bless their hearts) .The waffle maker is a battleground. I successfully manage to avoid total disaster.
- 9:00 AM: Explore the riverfront. Windsor's got a decent waterfront, even if the Detroit skyline kind of steals the show. I stumble upon a sculpture park. Some of the sculptures are actually… pretty cool. It's a surprisingly pleasant experience to walk around. I start to think about all the other places I could go. Perhaps a trip to South America? Or maybe just the next city over.
- 11:00 AM: The Art Gallery of Windsor. Okay, okay, I was expecting more blob art. It doesn’t have much art that moves me, but there's a couple of paintings that are actually interesting. I appreciate that the gallery is there, existing, and that people can discover things here.
- 1:00 PM: Lunch. Find a deli. The people are friendly. I'm starting to warm to Windsor. Maybe.
- 2:00 PM: A stroll around the area near the Ambassador Bridge. It's a little gritty, a little real. I walk along the sidewalk for a while, thinking about the meaning of life.
- 3:00 PM: I am drawn to the bridge. It's huge, it's impressive, it's a symbol of connections. I feel a sudden, inexplicable urge to walk across the bridge. Yes, I know, it’s not a pedestrian bridge and it’s a terrible idea. But I just keep standing there, feeling the urge grow strong.
- 4:00 PM: Back at the Super 8. I watch more tv, still the same channels. Maybe this is what life is.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner. I go back to the restaurant from yesterday. It was so good.
- 9:00 PM: I can't wait. Time to sleep. Tomorrow, I leave, and it's time to do it again somewhere else.
Day 3: Farewell, Windsor (and the Acrylic Blob)
- 8:00 AM: Another waffle. (Victory!) I'm beginning to master the art of the hotel breakfast hustle.
- 9:00 AM: Check out. Said a somewhat fond farewell to the blob art.
- 9:30 AM: Final drive around Windsor. Trying to hold onto the good parts.
- 10:00 AM: Drive back, crossing the Ambassador Bridge once more. It feels… slower this time. More familiar.
- 11:00 AM: Arrive at the airport. This time, I'm not afraid. Ready for the next adventure.
Lessons Learned:
- Super 8s are an experience. Embrace the quirks.
- Travel is about the journey, but sometimes it’s just about finding decent coffee.
- Never underestimate the power of a good meal.
- Even the acrylic blobs have a certain… je ne sais quoi.
- Always be open to the unexpected. Especially when you're expecting nothing.
And that, my friends, is Windsor in a nutshell. Or a… Super 8 motel room, anyway. It’s not perfect, but it sure is a story.
Escape to Minneapolis: Your Burnsville Oasis Awaits!
1. Wait... The Super 8 in Windsor? REALLY? Is this some kind of joke?
2. Okay, spill it. What makes it so… *shocking*? Are we talking ghosts? Alien abductions?
3. Let's talk specifics. The rooms? Are they… clean? (Please say yes.)
4. THE POOL. Tell me about the pool! You mentioned a smell…
5. What about the breakfast? The holy grail of budget travel!
6. Okay, you had me at ‘waffles’. But seriously, why should I stay here over, say, a… *gasp*… a *better* hotel?
7. Any crazy stories? Any memorable encounters? Don't leave us hanging!
8. The location. How is the location? Is it, you know, safe?
9. Final verdict? Would you recommend it?


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