Gold Pan Motel

A tiny gem in Quesnel I went to Quesnel for a few days to meet with local government officials and stayed 4 nights at the Gold Pan Motel. I booked it because it was among the lowest priced options on Booking.com, so frankly, my expectations were modest. I expected an average budget motel. Was I surprised. The room was exceptionally clean, neat and comfortable. The heating worked perfectly, everything was exactly where and how it should be, and the location is excellent, perhaps a 10 minute walk from the city centre and right beside the water. For the price, the value is genuinely difficult to beat. But rooms, beds and heating systems do not create memories. People do. Baljinder and his wife were extraordinary hosts. They treated me less like a customer and more like a family member. They brought me food, looked after me with genuine concern, and even dropped me at the bus station when I was leaving. That kind of hospitality cannot be manufactured by a corporate training manual. I have stayed in 5 star hotels around the world, as well as virtually every category below them, and this little motel reminded me of something the hospitality industry occasionally forgets. The most important star in any hotel is the human being behind the counter. You can have marble floors, chandeliers and an international logo, but if the people serving you have forgotten kindness, respect and concern, the stars on the building become rather decorative. Gold Pan Motel had something much more valuable: homeliness and heart. It is not pretending to be a luxury resort. It is a clean, comfortable, inexpensive little place run by people who actually seem to care whether their guest is comfortable. I arrived expecting very little and left feeling that this had been one of the most memorable stays of my life. Quesnel itself surprised me too. It is a tiny town surrounded by historically fascinating and breathtakingly beautiful country, with stretches that still feel wonderfully untouched.

Nothing

Super clean, friendly staff. Comfortable beds. Tasteful decor, reasonable rates.

It was quite difficult to park a crew cab pickup truck. But we arrived fairly late and the parking lot was rather full. Otherwise it probably wouldn’t be an issue.

The host’s were very gracious. Our room was spotless and very tastefully decorated, and very comfortable.

Comfy bed

Older motel. Needs a Reno.