3.2
out of 5
Good
(25 reviews)
Hotels.com Guest Rating
TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
Yes. This place is located on the extreme western edge of PA, where oil was first discovered in 1859, and where the border between PA and New York is... so transparent that most of the time it's impossible to tell which state you're in. Nearby Oil City is an interesting location, for no reason other than it is the iconic beginning of the oil industry in this country. As we crossed the border into NY, our home state (we're from NYC), the only indication of the change was the familiar NYS Route markers. Here we were, a good 400 miles or so west of home, and we made a little known discovery -- there is a significant Amish presence in this part of New York. And of course there is the small city of Jamestown, NY., which everyone born around 1950 knows is the birthplace of Lucille Ball. You have to feel sorry for the poor folks whose property is adjacent to the oversize sign boasting the city's most famous citizen, as "I Love Lucy" devotees pause to take the obligatory picture to prove they were there. Returning to the Super 8 hotel and the surrounding area, one is impressed by the gentle, kindly nature of the "locals" in BOTH states. Everyone is only too happy to reach out and help. We felt at home in a very different culture from oour own, as people at the hotel and in the community were allways accessible. There is a special warmth here, where people you've just met will strike up a conversation and make you feel accepted and at home. The hotel itself is family owned and operated by a couple who obviousy take pride in running a "tight ship". At first one is put somewhat on guard by Nina, the hotel manager who owns and operates the place with her rarely seen husband. Nina is strictly business; but beneath her rather rigid facade, we found a woman with a warm heart, who extended herself and bent the rules in every way she could to accommadate some of our special needs. Of interest here: we originally booked this place through Hotels.com, and wound up with a one-night price by Daniel S. from New York, NY on 07/24/11
