The search for a hotel in Ocilla, GA (pop. 3,270)

Guest Post by Anonymeet

Anonymeet is a business executive based out of Atlanta, Georgia.  Anonymeet also blogs and writes book reviews.

Recently, business brought me to Ocilla, Georgia, about three and a half hours south of Atlanta. Accommodation options in Ocilla are (surprisingly) limited. In fact, the only motel we passed was boarded up tight and obviously had been for some time. Can’t imagine why, since, as its street sign proudly boasted, it offered FREE HBO!

Forced to look outside Ocilla, we turned to the nearby bustling metropolis of Tifton. Tifton offered a number of well-recognized hospitality options, including Rodeway Inn and Motel 6. To our great fortune, the Country Inn & Suites was offering a $70/night special, rendering this ordinarily $100/night hotel affordable on the travel budget set for my five companions and I – if we shared rooms. The Country Inn & Suites afforded a perfect location, too, right off of I75 N.

We arrived late by local standards – around 8 pm – but were still greeted by two receptionists, who displayed customary Southern hospitality while checking us in and informing us that bell service was self-service and a full, hot buffet breakfast would be served in the adjacent room until the remarkable hour of 10 am the following morning.

Our room was delightful, with two Queen beds, a convenient kitchenette and a small but serviceable bathroom, where the hotel helpfully provided three hand-towel-sized bath towels for my roommate and I to share between us. There was also a single washcloth-sized hand towel and two postage-stamp-sized washcloths – all from the hotel’s linen collection, which is undoubtedly woven from the finest terry and ground glass. Pantene hair care products in 3 oz bottles completed the amenities.

Our view – unlike our unfortunate friends across the hall who peered out on the hustle and bustle of I75 all night – displayed the gems on offer in Tifton. Stretching out across the horizon were big box stores as far as the eye could see, including two different dollar stores for all your emergency travel needs. Beware though. By 9 pm, most things looked closed up for the night. If you forgot your toothbrush, I recommend noticing before 8:45.

The following morning, despite the lure of a Waffle House right across the parking lot, we opted to try the hotel breakfast. The buffet featured a broad array of cereals from Fruit Loops® and Raisin Bran® to single-serve packets of instant grits and oatmeal. There were even SunMaid® raisins to spice up the oatmeal. The hot buffet section offered eggs and sausage patties, along with a self-serve Belgian waffle maker and a pitcher of batter sitting right there on the counter since 6 am for complete convenience! No need to wait to enjoy your waffle breakfast here. A generous display of Entemann’s® mini-muffins and Danishes sated those among us with a sweet tooth. Sadly, the Southern staple of sausage gravy and biscuits was missing – too bad! But still, we had a wall-mounted flat screen showing the Weather Channel and a two-day-old USA Today sports section left on our table by a prior patron for entertainment, so who could complain?

All in all, I would recommend the Country Inn & Suites Tifton for all your overnight road trip  needs. I can’t opine about point program at this location, however, since I’m not sure anyone in Tifton has ever heard of points or miles!