Triangle Motel
Triangle Motel – Alma, Michigan
17
AUGUST, 2019
The Triangle Motel holds a special place in my heart. It sits on a small, triangular piece of land just west of highway US-127 in Alma, Michigan. Alma is where my family moved in 1965 and I spent my childhood and early adult years growing up there. I’ve now stayed at the Triangle Motel on multiple occasions, though never (yet) in connection with a backpacking trip. It is ‘cute,’ comfortable, immaculately clean, and affordable ($110 per night). If you find yourself in central Michigan looking for a memorable place to spend a night, I recommend you give the Triangle Motel a try. The Triangle Motel website can be found here.
Back Story – a long personal history with the Triangle Motel
My father completed his doctorate at the University of Oregon in Eugene in 1964. Soon after our family made the cross-country trek to Alma, and Alma College, for the start of Dad’s new career. We pulled off the highway very late that first night in Alma, and right into the parking lot of the Triangle Motel. It would be 55 years before I would again spend a night in the Triangle Motel! Over the nearly two decades I lived in Alma I passed the Triangle Motel countless times but never stayed the night. My long-overdue return to the Triangle Motel came in August 2019. I was back for my 40th High School reunion. A lack of lodging options in Alma and the Triangle’s great reviews brought me back.
“Super clean, comfortable, safe, and convenient near Alma College. The Triangle Motel has that old fashioned vibe, yet updated where it counts. The owners are amazing and try their best to make each guest comfortable. This motel was a simple place to relax and enjoy my stay in Alma.” – Guest Review
Great Reviews Attracted me to the Triangle Motel
Alma has few nearby lodging options. I found that out the hard way when I first visited the area after our longtime family home on Falkirk Street was sold. When my Dad lived in Alma, I always had a comfortable and free place to stay. The journey back in August 2019 for my 40th High School graduation reunion was the first time I had to find my own lodging. Alma College has some alumni lodging options for just such occasions, but they were all full. I had driven past the Triangle Motel thousands of times over the years but never thought to stay there. Familiarity seemed to breed some unjustified contempt, I suppose. The great reviews I found during my research frankly surprised me. Booking.com gives the Triangle a 9.1 rating and Tripadvisor a 4.5 rating.
An appropriate name
The origin of the Triangle Motel’s name is quite obvious. The motel is located within a triangle formed by three intersecting roads: (1) Business Route US-127 / Superior Street on the north, (2) State Road on the east, and (3) West Lincoln Road / Cross Road to the southwest. The motel also sits about 1/4 mile west of highway US-127 making it very convenient for anyone traveling to destinations in northern Michigan. When I was growing up in Alma, the road now called ‘Cross Road’ was a high-speed connector between BR US-127 and State Road. Similar to an interstate on-ramp. Nowadays, it is a much lower-speed ‘service road’ providing access to the few businesses residing on the triangle’s hypotenuse.
Narrow, Clean, Comfortable rooms
The rooms at the Triangle Motel are comfortable and spotless. They are also narrow, relatively speaking. I found one of the unique attributes of the motel to be the fact that the rooms are precisely as wide as the entire building! This is not a modern, multi-story chain hotel with an interior hallway and rooms off both sides of the hall. The Triangle Motel is an old Route 66-type single-story motel with an exterior entrance to the rooms on one side only. Access to the rooms is from the south, where the parking lot is located. The parking lot has space for about two vehicles per room. There are windows on each exterior wall. The rooms have a small bathroom with a shower, either one or two beds, and a workspace table and chair. Each room is equipped with a modern TV. A garden-type area is south of the motel.
Garden Area – A nice place to relax
The Triangle Motel building may be constrained width-wise, but there is a generous amount of open, green space to the south of the motel. The area is quiet, shaded, and peaceful. It provides a wonderful place to walk around, sit and read a book or simply relax in a comfortable natural setting. A picnic table on a brick patio was provided for eating or working, and there were multiple well-kept landscaped areas with plants and flowers. I found a couple of quirky metal sculptures on the south side of the parking lot, which added to the cool ‘vibe’ of the motel. The Fire Island Dispensary is about 100 yards south of the Triangle Motel, an easy walk, for those wishing to partake in the ganja scene. The grounds of the motel and adjacent businesses create a comfortable atmosphere to explore and relax during your visit.
Conclusion – Triangle Motel
The Triangle Motel is not going to provide a 5-star luxury lodging experience. It is a 2-star, no-frills, Route 66-type motel. But it is also inexpensive, pristinely clean, comfortable, and ‘cute.’ If you ever find yourself in central Michigan looking for an affordable place to spend the night, I recommend you give the Triangle Motel a shot. While you’re in Alma you should also do yourself a favor and grab a pizza from legendary Pizza Sam. A stay in the Triangle Motel is a unique experience that will harken you back to the bygone days of pre-interstate motel stays.
