The Stevens Motel - Motel in State College - 1275 N Atherton St, USA

This is a beloved State College motel that has been in existence in Happy Valley since I was a boy growing up there in the 1970s. It's always had a very solid reputation and I recently decided to stay there for a night. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: The receptionist was very warm and welcoming. The room-price was very low. The location is awesome, right next to my favorite State College restaurant (Waffle Shop North). Parking is easy. The room was quiet (except for the roar of the vintage air conditioner). Cons: Extremely dated rooms. But I've read that they may be remodeling. I will return if and when they do. Please guys, bring this motel into the 21st century - it deserves it.

I've driven past this motel countless times over the past 30+ years. Always well kept outside. Never heard anything bad about it so we decided to stay for a night. The staff was very friendly. The room was very dated but we knew that. However, the room reeked of smoke! The rooms are labeled non-smoking. As it was late when we arrived on a very busy weekend, I thought it would be better by morning. The smell was worse. In defense of the hotel, the front desk staff seemed very surprised that we had an issue. I had to wash everything when we got home as my luggage, coat, even my makeup bag still smelled. I am excited for the remodel & will consider staying again after that. Until then, I need to pass due to the smoke smell.

It is a quaint place. The room was very clean. People in the office are the kindest. It is a no-frill place, but much cheaper than other hotels. The room had a microwave oven and a small fridge. Free parking and free coffee in the morning. It is 1.5 miles from downtown, and there is the Waffle Shop right next to it.

This place is very nice. The staff is excellent. The service was great. I was here for graduation and booked this place because it was 7 mins from the venue. This was the best decision I made. It is close to a shopping mall, and many different supermarkets. If I am in the area again I will stay here.

I booked this place because I needed a cheap place to stay near Penn State for the night, and I was optimistic because of all the positive reviews. But this place had some glaring negatives. I’ll start with the pros: -Location is very convenient. 5 minute drive to PSU and right next to the Waffle Shop. -Even though the rooms are very dated, they’re clean and pretty quiet (save for a somewhat noisy fridge). -Wifi is fast and reliable. -Check-in was extremely quick and the front desk worker was friendly. Cons: -The pillows are extremely firm, even for someone like me who prefers a firmer pillow. I like to sleep with two pillows and that was too much, while one was too little. My sleeping was somewhat affected because I couldn’t get as comfortable as I’d like. -The shower drain was clogged and I ran out of hot water pretty quickly. -The towels they provide are very small. I’m not a big guy but I struggled keeping it wrapped around myself while brushing my teeth. -There are virtually no amenities available other than a fridge and microwave. No hair dryer, no soap, no shampoo, no breakfast. I know it’s not a Hampton Inn but it’s rare that I stay somewhere that has none of that. Despite all this, I’d give this place a second chance. It’s a cheap motel but it’s not a shady one by any means and the employee who checked me in was really nice. It seems to be a well-run place for the most part, too. I come to State College a couple times per year and I’ll probably stay here again at some point.

Support people not corporations. Do they have a fancy waffle maker? No but it's more realistic to enjoy the valley simplistically.

The 1970s called! We needed a place to stay during a busy time period at Penn State and fortunately got the last room here. Overall, it was clean and in a great location (not far from PSU and next door to The Waffle House and The Greek). Those were the pluses. So, what was wrong? I can live with the outdated furniture and decor for a night as I believe they're working on updating rooms. However, how difficult is it to get rid of the junk outside? Our friends who were staying elsewhere thought it was hysterical that a random bureau was just sitting right outside the motel. Also, we had an easy chair parked directly under our window along with a laundry basket and dirty linens. The basket and linens were there at least one whole day and were still there when we returned around midnight. Out the back window was a kiddie pool that looked like it hadn't been drained in 3 years along with all kinds of junk. Updating gets expensive. I get it. But throwing away junk like old furniture should be easy. This place needs Anthony from "Hotel Impossible" as it has potential.

We enjoy The Stevens Motel. Its clean, the beds are comfortable and the staff is friendly and accommodating. It's all we need in a place to put our heads down when we come this way to visit family. It's close by and the price is right.