Kemptville Motels: The Good, The Bad, and the Barely Functional
There’s no neon gateway ushering drivers into Kemptville. No welcome mural on the side of a grain silo. Just a Tim Hortons beside a Canadian Tire, a slow bend in the 416, and the quiet resignation of a town that’s gotten very used to being passed over. That’s not necessarily a criticism—just context. Because if you're sleeping in Kemptville, you're either stuck, hiding, or trying to avoid paying Ottawa prices.
The motel scene here operates in its own dimension. Think outdated signs that creak when it’s windy, gravel lots doubling as parking and ashtrays, and front desks that close at dusk whether or not someone’s booked. Some properties are family-run in the literal sense (kids doing homework behind reception), while others seem to function without any actual staff in sight. The quality swings hard. A double room might include a working fridge, or it might include a handwritten note warning you not to open the fridge. No guarantees.
Knights Inn
4022 County Rd 43, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
This one’s a franchise in name only. The Knights Inn in Kemptville is what happens when branding outlasts investment. The sign still carries the chain’s medieval typeface, but don’t expect jousting-level service—or even consistent front desk hours. On some days, the reception opens late. On others, not at all. Guests are advised to knock loudly or try calling the number taped to the door. No guarantees anyone answers.
The rooms are straight out of a late-90s motel catalog: patterned bedspreads, yellowing blinds, and a TV bolted to the wall like it's a flight risk. Still, it has one of the more stable Wi-Fi connections in town and doesn’t pretend to be anything it's not. A sign at the front gate reads “No Visitors After 9PM,” which seems less like a policy and more like a warning to stay alert after sundown.
Abbott Road Motel
2867 County Rd 43, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
If you’re the kind of traveler who finds comfort in faded linoleum and door locks that rattle when trucks pass by, this place delivers. Abbott Road Motel sits just east of town, technically on the way to Oxford Mills, surrounded by tall grass and a ditch full of cricket noise in warmer months. It looks like it was built in 1974 and hasn’t been touched since—except for a few DIY improvements that arguably made things worse.
Check-in is handled at the side of the owner's house next door. Payment is cash only. The key comes on a wooden paddle. There’s no ice machine, no vending, and the bathroom light runs on a pull-chain that sparks if you tug too fast. That said, some travelers appreciate the quiet. Mostly because there’s nothing within walking distance that would cause noise in the first place.
Guest House on Asa
15 Asa Street, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
More B&B than motel, but it gets lumped in because out-of-towners keep finding it on travel apps under “affordable stays in Kemptville.” It’s not a motel in structure—it’s literally someone’s house—but two of the upstairs bedrooms are rented out nightly. Guests share a bathroom, and the house rules are strict: no shoes inside, no outside guests, and no use of the kitchen after 9:00 p.m. The walls are thin. The décor is floral. There’s a prominently displayed sign near the coffee maker reading “This Is Not A Hotel.”
Still, for travelers who need a warm bed and nothing else, it’s fine. Quiet neighborhood. Walkable to downtown if you don’t mind cutting through the cemetery. Breakfast is offered but only on weekdays and only if the owner isn’t at her part-time job. Reviews mention strong coffee and one very talkative cat.
Colonial Inn
8425 County Rd 3, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
Misleading name. There’s nothing colonial about it—just a row of low-slung units painted a drab beige that gets dustier each spring. The office is a modified garden shed that doubles as a laundry room. If the door’s locked, there’s a bell. If the bell doesn’t work, a sign suggests you “try again later.” Booking ahead is a gamble; half the time, your reservation will be written on a sticky note by the landline phone.
Rooms are actually larger than average, though the furniture is oddly spaced—one chair in the corner, a table against the wall like it’s being punished. Air conditioning works if you jiggle the controls, and heat is supplied by wall units that hum like industrial fish tanks. Cell reception is decent. Wi-Fi exists in theory but not in practice.
Sunny Acres Motel
7189 County Rd 43, Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
“Sunny” is a stretch. Set on a lot with patchy grass and one sad spruce tree, this motel has five rooms, one of which is permanently rented to a long-term tenant who apparently knows everything about everyone. Guests are advised not to ask too many questions unless they want a full Kemptville family tree.
The rooms are clean-ish. Bedding has been bleached into fragility, and the water pressure fluctuates wildly depending on whether the owner is doing laundry in the back unit. There’s no front desk—check-in is done via a screen door knock and a scribbled receipt. But if all you need is a roof and relative peace, it’ll do. Watch for deer on the road out front at night. Locals call this stretch “windshield roulette.”
Forest Ridge Lodge
2175 County Rd 20, Oxford Station, ON K0G 1T0
A few kilometers outside Kemptville proper, technically Oxford Station, but included here because no one in town draws the line that precisely. Forest Ridge Lodge sounds rustic and looks promising from the turnoff—a cedar sign, gravel path, towering trees. But once on the property, the charm wears off. The rooms are prefab units with peeling trim and mismatched furniture. Some still have CRT televisions with rabbit ears. No streaming, no cable. Just static and hope.
It’s known locally for its odd hours. Open on weekends, closed on Wednesdays, maybe open Thursdays if you call ahead. The owner has a reputation for friendliness and also for disappearing mid-season without notice. Pets allowed. So are raccoons, unofficially. Keep food sealed—one guest last fall woke up to a paw print on their pillow.
About Author
Keirsten left her career in engineering to travel the world. She is a 28 years old girl with some tremendous girl power; she has been traveling for five years now and has been producing awesome content based on her experience.