The town’s name showed in red on my AAA map, which means that – somewhere – there’s lodging that the auto folks have listed in their trip book. Only one motel, however, admitted to accepting pets, and I wasn’t interested in trying to sneak a kitty (and her food, water, and – most important – litter box) into a room. That left me either the Drury Inn and Suites Hayti¹, Missouri, or driving another twenty miles into Arkansas. The Drury won, and frankly, I’m glad it did.


A quick glance at the Drury Inns website will convince you that the Drury people aren’t into the cookie-cutter mold when it comes to hotel design. This one turned out to be a three-story mockup of a Tudor castle, with a stucco-and-timber façade decorating the exterior. The inside turned out to be quite modern, however, with a cheery open design and plenty of light oak and soft carpet. The desk clerk gave me a cheery welcome and informed me that, indeed, Drury properties are pet-friendly; and they had truck parking, too (for my twenty-two-foot Penske pulling a car carrier). Kitty and I had a room for the night…

Our room – conveniently located on the ground floor nearest the truck parking – was a double queen. We had ample room to play chase the yarn toy (even if kitty was more interested in hiding); for the room’s furnishings – two beds and a nightstand, a desk and chair, a chest of drawers, and an overstuffed chair – still leave lots of open space. Furnishings are vaguely Mission style in oak, well- made and –designed. The desk rolls out from the wall, leaving a wall-hung shelf behind for the lamp, telephone, and a rack of brochures for local attractions and hotel amenities. The room itself was bland – industrial carpet, two walls with textured wallpaper, and one white wall – except for the exterior wall, which was bare brick.

Travelers will find two telephones, a better-than-average clock radio, a conventional television with 40 or so channels (including a couple of HBOs), iron and board, coffee service, and a hair dryer. Climate control, is provided by a window unit that’s adjusted at a wall thermostat. Towel count was four (medium to large, medium thickness); pillow count three per bed of assorted firmness. The bathroom was nothing special, except perhaps for a decidedly odd shape…

The room proved both clean and quiet, with almost no sound leaking in from the hallway. Of course, I was dead tired anyway, so who am I to say?


Hotel guests get a HOT breakfast, which Drury proudly states is quite different from a toaster and some waffles. There were eggs, biscuits and gravy, and sausages; a (staffed) waffle bar, and all of the usual breakfast goodies – all in a large and open space that somewhat deadened the usual crop of screaming children’s cries. Plenty of coffee; plenty of juice.

The hotel offers a large indoor pool that’s in a separate building, connected to the main building’s two wings by an enclosed hall. A small business center is also available, as is a fitness center and a guest laundry. Other amenities include an hour’s free long distance telephone service (continental US only, I suspect). Guests who are around during the week are treated to a happy hour in the lobby from 5:00-7:00; and there’s also complimentary popcorn and soda from 7:00-10:00 PM.


Guests who are up for more than Drury food will find three restaurants within easy walking distance: one, a family restaurant (meaning that it doesn’t serve alcohol), the Apple Barrel, shares the Drury’s parking lot. A Mexican restaurant is only a few hundred feet away (right next to a package liquor store) and Patti’s, a burger joint, is across the street. If you try dining at the Apple Barrel, may I suggest the patty melt? almost no one messes those up…

The major draw in the Hayti-Carruthersville area appears to be riverboat casinos in a big meander bend on the Mississippi. Casino Aztar (which appears to have drifted down from Evansville on the Ohio River) is but four or five miles away. Or, you could be just like me – powering along I-55 with another day or two of driving ahead of you, and in need of a good night’s rest. Either way, you’ll find the hotel just off Exit 19 of I-55, about 100 miles north of Memphis. It’s on the southwest corner of the interchange.


The friendly clerk who checked me in was back at the front desk when I left the next morning – she’d worked until midnight and was back again at eight AM, and still chipper and smiling. That sealed the deal for me: no surly desk clerk at this hotel!

Kitty and I give it two thumbs up. Way to go, Drury Inns!



¹ the desk clerk informed me that the town’s name is not pronounced “HAY-tee,“ like the country; instead it’s pronounced “HAY-tie.” And here I thought Texas is the shibboleth state.


Recommended: Yes