22 years ago I had the misfortune of staying at "The Inn" and clearly nothing has changed. In 1989 we were booked into the inn and were showed a room in the 'family' section of the grounds, where we found lines of coolers on the rotting balconies and laundry hanging over the railings. The tiny bar, offering "Continental Breakfast" (more on this momentarily) had dirty floors and glasses, but none of that would compare to the suite. Broken locks, moldy bathroom tiles, outside plants growing into the rooms via the broken windows, rickety and terrrifying sprial staircase leading to an upstairs bedroom resplendant in filthy linens and sticky pillows. Even a smoker would have been offended by the odor clinging to the walls. The real terror began after dark, when fighting and glass-breaking noises would have been enough to keep one awake, but the police presence needed to calm the rowdies did the opposite for us. The swan-song of our stay was the aforementioned 'continental breakfast' served in the also aforementioned tiny bar. 3 small cake doughnuts on a tinfoil plate (one for each of us. they saw us coming) and a jug of recently-blended tapwater Tang to wash it down. It has become the trip of family legend.
Needless to say, when we found we would be returning to Jackson, 22 years later, we decided to see if fate had run it's course. Or at least if the divine hand of god had intervened on behalf of any poor, sober soul who might wander in the Inn's direction. From the reviews we've read the answer is clear: there is no justice for the long-ago, nor the recently-had, sucker. Someone, please, call the health department! Or, at least, light a match!
- Colonial Hotel Jackson
