I paired a recent trip to Hindman, Kentucky with a stay at the Ramada by Wyndham in Paintsville Hotel & Conference Center.
Ramada Can be a Hub for Southeastern Kentucky
With this trip, I aimed to show off the charms of southeastern Kentucky to a friend. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visiting my mother’s family cemetery and the Hindman Settlement School was on our must-see list. After meeting a family member at Jenny Wiley State Park for dinner, we headed to Paintsville for more Kentucky hospitality. This Ramada delivered. This hotel is another option for a place to stay while taking in southeastern Kentucky’s offerings. In the Appalachian Mountains, this is a gorgeous part of the United States.
This Ramada, styled inside to look a bit like a town square, is a community event hub. Proms, parties, meetings, and reunions are common. It’s also a fitting stopover for travelers like us who are passing through but want to feel at home. For those traveling with children, in a group or with teens, there is an assortment of game room type games like ping pong, pool and checkers in one of the spacious atriums. Another atrium area has places to visit, a fountain and access to the Honey Be Restaurant. Streetlamps with park benches, and awnings over the restaurant windows adds to the town square ambiance.
We arrived on a Sunday night when the hotel’s Honey B Restaurant and the bar Honey B Lounge aren’t open. During the week, Mon.-Sat., the restaurant serves lunch and dinner. The lounge is open those evenings until 10 pm. When traveling in southeastern Kentucky, it’s a good idea to check on Sunday hours. Many businesses are closed. At Jenny Wiley State Park, for example, we were able to get a light dinner in the bar, but the restaurant was closed.
At the Ramada’s check in counter, the receptionist was warm and welcoming. She gave us the rundown on how to access the free Wi-Fi, when breakfast is served and directions to our room. The lobby’s furnishings including the lighting and an area rug are what one might find in an American classic style living room.
Ramada Guest Room
While the hotel’s lobby and restaurant areas had a locally owned touch, our two-queen room fit the tastes of a typical Ramada guest room. Modern furnishings in dark toned, polished wood and table lamps are tasteful and geared towards anyone’s tastes. After a busy day of traveling, the room was settle-in comfortable. A refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker were situated in an alcove and a small hallway led to the bathroom. I like this set up since it gives a separate space to add in privacy, particularly when people may need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and don’t want to disturb those who are sleeping.
Since my friend and I both needed to plug in phones, the well-placed outlets by each bed served that purpose. Although we planned to get an early start, we were so comfortable hanging out that we dawdled. If I stay here again, I’d head down to the Ramada’s cafe to order breakfast to go. I wandered down after 10 am when it was closed and missed out on the reasonable priced biscuits and gravy.
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Before leaving to make our way westward to Hindman, I headed to the pool to scope it out. Part of the spacious pool is indoors, and part is outdoors with large windows letting in light. There is an indoor hot tub. If I lived in the Paintsville area, this Ramada would be a splendid place for a staycation.
A hotel feature that pays tribute to the area is the small gift shop with locally made jams and jellies and figurines made out of coal. This is coal mining country. One place to go nearby is Loretta Lynn’s birthplace. I’ve been there several times. It’s worth a stop.
I booked our room through Hotels.com. Book through the hotel’s website for deals. On this page you’ll find a link to the page touting local attractions along with the descriptions. Room rates start at $125 for Wyndham Rewards members.
Post and photos by Jamie Rhein
