Northern Traveler Motel
Full view
View all photos(7)7
View prices for your travel dates
Contact accommodation for availability.
There are similar hotels available.
View allDid you already book this hotel?
Tell us so we can help you plan.
About
#1 of 4 motels in Oscoda
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Family owned, operated and oriented. Park like setting, Gas/charcoal grilles. Boat & trailer parking. Pet friendly (additional fee). WI-FI ! Open year 'round. Approximately 1 mile from Wurtsmith's Main Entrance. In room phones w/ voice messaging system / incoming, direct dial extension (auto attendant), drip coffee-makers, microwaves and refrigerators. Free local calls, HBO/Cable TV. Extended stay pricing available. STS and contractor friendly!
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Non-smoking hotel
Room features
Air conditioning
Refrigerator
Room types
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Quaint
Location
5493 N US Highway 23, Oscoda, MI 48750-9701
Getting there
Alpena County Regional Airport
73.7 km•
See all flights
Bishop Airport
167.2 km•
See all flights
Car Hire
23 Restaurants
within 10 kilometers
Reviews
Traveller rating
- 8
- 5
- 2
- 1
- 1
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Detailed Reviews
We were desperate to find a room at 9PM on a Saturday night because our plans to leave a family wedding and head back to Fenton didn't fit the moment. Oscoda was booked up. The folks at Northern Traveler went out of their way to set up a room being planned for renovation. My wife and I thought it was fine in the current condition. The owners were great, we had a comfortable night in a clean room and fresh coffee from the pot in our room. Would visit here again...
Read more
Date of stay: October 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â End room was very quiet and pleasant
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Compared to the riptide motel in tawas this motel was clean the people who run it were really nice the beds were actually comfortable the bathroom was good size spacious rooms i would stay there again
Read more
Date of stay: July 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at the Northern Traveler on the same weekend as the Au Sable Canoe Race and were really suprised that we were able to get a room. The room price couldn't be beat: $58! The rooms are simple, but clean; older, but maintained. This isn't a place to stay if you need luxury. It's a really simple mom-n-pop.
We had a few items in our room that made me wonder if the motel was for sale because it was becoming difficult for the current owners to keep it up. Our room's faucet had one of the handles that was easy to pull off. The faucet still worked, it was just missing the screw that held the faucet on. The knob on the air conditioner/fan combo also was "broke" in that you weren't quite sure if it was on low a/c or just fan; you had to judge by the temp of the air coming out and whether the compressor had kicked in.
The bathroom was all tiled and had the oddest (but cool) shower I've ever seen. It had a ceramic shower pan about 6-10" deep, like a mini-foot bath. Funny, but efficient. I'm a sucker for an old tiled bathroom, so make of that what you will. Towels and sheets were clean, as well as the carpet, which is a huge thing for me.
We were on the end unit and it was very quiet; everything worked like it should. Nothing fancy. Had the usual microwave/mini-fridge/coffee maker combos you see, which is nice to have available.
We'd stay here; the price couldn't be beat.
We had a few items in our room that made me wonder if the motel was for sale because it was becoming difficult for the current owners to keep it up. Our room's faucet had one of the handles that was easy to pull off. The faucet still worked, it was just missing the screw that held the faucet on. The knob on the air conditioner/fan combo also was "broke" in that you weren't quite sure if it was on low a/c or just fan; you had to judge by the temp of the air coming out and whether the compressor had kicked in.
The bathroom was all tiled and had the oddest (but cool) shower I've ever seen. It had a ceramic shower pan about 6-10" deep, like a mini-foot bath. Funny, but efficient. I'm a sucker for an old tiled bathroom, so make of that what you will. Towels and sheets were clean, as well as the carpet, which is a huge thing for me.
We were on the end unit and it was very quiet; everything worked like it should. Nothing fancy. Had the usual microwave/mini-fridge/coffee maker combos you see, which is nice to have available.
We'd stay here; the price couldn't be beat.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2011Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Cleanliness
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Prior to arriving at the Northern Traveler Motel I had checked out their website and read user reviews on this site. I have stayed at mom and pop places before so I was expecting a clean, no frills room in desperate need of renovation. However, there were a few things I wasn't expecting.
For example, their website reads, "beach access". The beach access in question, is the public beach access across a four lane highway and down the road.
Second, their website claims, "You won't even have to unhook your boat." This is the kind of motel where you park your car in front of your room. That leaves enough space in the parking lot for two cars to get past each other. Maybe if you parked your boat all the way at the end, but other than that if you didn't unhook it you would be blocking access to the rest of the narrow lot.
As far as the room goes, it was your standard (albeit considerably smaller) motel room with a bed, 19 inch tv, table and two chairs. It was clean, however had an overpowering musty smell as though it had been closed up for quite some time. The mattress was low to the ground, hard and thin, and no matter what position I laid in it made my back hurt. (No, I don't normally have back problems.) My husband is 6'4" and his feet hung off the end of the bed. There was no bathtub, only a standing shower.
The room our friends were staying in was larger and more like a standard hotel room with two beds, etc. However, you had to squeeze between the sink and the toilet to use the facilities and when you were sitting on the toilet the sink was practically in your lap.
There were gas cans, a bottle of lighter fluid, numerous five gallon buckets all stacked up outside the rooms which should've been put away in a utility shed, and I'm assuming the other guests were more like long term residents since we got the last two rooms they had available.
If you're planning on spending much time at the motel doing anything other than sleeping, this isn't the place. We were there on a motorcycle trip with two other couples, and it was raining so we needed some place that had a little room for us to sit comfortably and chat, perhaps have a drink and play cards. This was not the place for us.
For example, their website reads, "beach access". The beach access in question, is the public beach access across a four lane highway and down the road.
Second, their website claims, "You won't even have to unhook your boat." This is the kind of motel where you park your car in front of your room. That leaves enough space in the parking lot for two cars to get past each other. Maybe if you parked your boat all the way at the end, but other than that if you didn't unhook it you would be blocking access to the rest of the narrow lot.
As far as the room goes, it was your standard (albeit considerably smaller) motel room with a bed, 19 inch tv, table and two chairs. It was clean, however had an overpowering musty smell as though it had been closed up for quite some time. The mattress was low to the ground, hard and thin, and no matter what position I laid in it made my back hurt. (No, I don't normally have back problems.) My husband is 6'4" and his feet hung off the end of the bed. There was no bathtub, only a standing shower.
The room our friends were staying in was larger and more like a standard hotel room with two beds, etc. However, you had to squeeze between the sink and the toilet to use the facilities and when you were sitting on the toilet the sink was practically in your lap.
There were gas cans, a bottle of lighter fluid, numerous five gallon buckets all stacked up outside the rooms which should've been put away in a utility shed, and I'm assuming the other guests were more like long term residents since we got the last two rooms they had available.
If you're planning on spending much time at the motel doing anything other than sleeping, this isn't the place. We were there on a motorcycle trip with two other couples, and it was raining so we needed some place that had a little room for us to sit comfortably and chat, perhaps have a drink and play cards. This was not the place for us.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2014Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Going for a stay of a couple days in Oscoda, MI I asked a friend who lives there to suggest a place. I was directed to the Northern Traveler and was more than pleased. I didn't need fancy just clean, and that is exactly what I got. Comfortable bed, good water pressure, cable TVa couple of chairs, a table & desk, a micro wave, and a small fridge that actually worked.
The innkeepers were great folks and willing to help in every way. Good restaurants and any type of convenience within a short hop.
The innkeepers were great folks and willing to help in every way. Good restaurants and any type of convenience within a short hop.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2014Trip type: Travelled solo
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We headed to East Tawas for their 4th of July celebration. Unfortunately we'd forgotten to call ahead to our favorite motel there (The Bambi), and they were full. We decided to give the Northern Traveler a shot. It's an old style motel. Nothing fancy at all. We had one of the rooms that jut out (you'll see what I'm talking about if you go), I think #12. Huge bathroom, and it was clean. That's always a bonus with old motels. The bed was comfortable. You get a minifridge, microwave (both clean) and a peaceful stay. The place had only one car in the lot when we arrived, but there were about 12 in the morning. I never heard anyone arrive, that's how quiet it was. The management was also very nice, and didn't hesitate to let us check out the room before we signed in.
If you're not a motel snob, or spoiled to the bland chain motels, this old Mom-n-Pop is a comfortable, clean throwback to the old days of family travel and vacations. Enjoy it.
Now if we could just get them to restore their classic neon sign...
If you're not a motel snob, or spoiled to the bland chain motels, this old Mom-n-Pop is a comfortable, clean throwback to the old days of family travel and vacations. Enjoy it.
Now if we could just get them to restore their classic neon sign...
Read more
Date of stay: July 2009Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The room was the size of a postage stamp, hot - with the AC in the bathroom so it took forever to cool down, refrigerator was not plugged in so we couldn't chill anything (and we arrived around 11 PM so it wasn't worth the bother to try plugging it in), the toilet... omg. I'm still traumatized by that whole experience... it ran. And it ran. And ran. And ran. And wouldn't flush. Every time you used it you had to plunge it. And the AC blew all the smell right into the room. There were only 2 pillows on a very uncomfortable bed so I got no sleep and was up and dressed at 5 AM ready to leave the dump. There was no code given for the "free" wifi which was locked. After a long drive to get there it sure was not very welcoming and was horribly uncomfortable :-(
Read more
Date of stay: August 2017Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My family and I stayed for 3 nights t Northern Traveler. Couldn't have asked for more for the money. It wasn't expensive, therefore not a lot of frills but we had ample space and it was clean. It suited our needs very well. I have high standard of cleanliness and I was more than pleased. The owners were friendly and more than willing to assist in any way they could. Mr. Ed. Thanks for being so kind to my son, I know he talked your ear off. Thank you also for helping us to have a wonderful weekend "Up North" We will be back. A. Holzhei
Read more
Date of stay: August 2016Trip type: Travelled with family
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed 4 nights here on my last trip and it was peaceful. good rates for a good room. I'm not moving in or living there so it worked out fine, if your in and out all day it will work out fine. I mean really, I have more to do out of the motel and all I'm doing is changing cloths and sleeping. I'm not the kind of person who wants an expensive room at the Holiday Inn. bed shower and moving around room with a tv, and that's fine with me. if your looking for luxury and to be pampered, look else where, but for a Mom & Pop motel, they have my vote.
just booked my next stay there.
just booked my next stay there.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2015Trip type: Travelled on business
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We spent two night at the Northern Traveler. It's nothing fancy but it was clean, and the bed was comfortable. The price was also right at $58.00 including tax. The owner Ed and staff were very friendly. We slept very well with no noise problems.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2013Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No Not Pet friendly any more. New owners. Extended stay is up to what deal you can work with new owners.
LOCATION
United StatesMichiganOscoda
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingNORTHERN TRAVELER MOTEL: See 17 Reviews and 7 Photos (Oscoda, MI)
Frequently Asked Questions about Northern Traveler Motel
Which popular attractions are close to Northern Traveler Motel?
Nearby attractions include Oscoda Beach Park (2.2 km), Wurtsmith Air Museum (3.0 km), and Hilltop Bar and Grill (2.3 km).
What are some restaurants close to Northern Traveler Motel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Tait's Bill of Fare, G's Pizzeria & Deli, and Office Lounge and Grill.