Usually, if someone recommends to stay away from a certain Route 66 motel, it’s taken with a grain of salt. After all, standards for lodging range as widely as the Mother Road’s topography.
But when that recommendation comes from the commander of a nearby military base, that gets your attention.
A tidbit in the Friday edition of the Waynesville (Mo.) Daily Guide said that the Knights Inn in nearby St. Robert, along with several other properties, has been ordered off-limits to Fort Leonard Wood personnel by Maj. Gen. Bill McCoy. The Knights Inn is on Highway Z, an alignment of Route 66.
A July issue of the Guidon, a newspaper at the base, provided a bit more detail:
The Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board recommended to the commanding general that the Knights Inn be added to the list for health and safety violations and for failing to obtain a current state lodging license, said Army officials.
The lodging had failed three health inspections and a fire code inspection since July 7, 2006. In addition, the inn has not had a valid state lodging permit since Sept. 30, 2006. As a result of the inspections, the motel was placed on a Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services compliance plan. Upon re-inspection, the motel again had failed to meet the minimum standards for passing, officials said.
I once lived near a military base in Illinois, and these off-limits orders from the generals are done only if significant problems are found in these businesses.
There are Knights Inn franchises across the country, and many may be perfectly fine. But if you’re traveling Route 66 in the St. Robert area, it might be advisable to give the local Knights Inn a wide berth and get a night’s lodging somewhere else.
This blog rocks. Adding you to my blog roll under “Outside Of L.A. Blogs”
– Aaron Proctor
Pasadena, CA
That’s unfortunate. I’ve stayed at several Knight Inns in Ohio and nearby states and have actually started looking for them when an inviting independent can’t found. In my experience they’ve all been clean and provided everything I needed (including wi-fi) although they are certainly not candidates for the Luxury Lodging List.
This item is a strong reminder that every motel has to be judged on its own merits and not by the name on the sign.