I’m in Penticton for a couple of days, visiting wineries and enjoying the local cuisine.

Last time, I stayed at the Lakeside re Resort. It’s close to all the downtown bars and restaurants, but I came away disappointed. The room was fine, older but decent, just overpriced.

This trip I wanted something cheaper that was still well located, so we booked the Spanish Villa. It’s on Lakeshore Drive, a 15-minute walk from downtown. It looks dated, but at $85 a night it seems like good value.

Somehow I lucked into a suite. The living room has a kitchenette and dining area.

Everything seemed in good working order.

The separate bedroom has two beds. The beds were very comfortable, but the pillows were awful: lumpy and hard. They were easily the worst thing about the place.

The bathroom has a clean tub/shower combo. The old taps took a while to produce hot water, but it eventually came, piping hot. There were plenty of linens for me, though we’d have needed a couple more towels if there were four of us.

Toiletries are provided in case you forget soap, like I did.

My only real complaint is the lock on the door. It’s an electronic, passcode opening modern lock. But there’s no deadbolt on the inside. And if you’re on the inside you can’t tell if it’s locked from the outside without opening the door. It was a little disconcerting.

There’s some wear and tear, but for a building this old, at this price and location, it’s good value.

Just don’t expect the Four Seasons.

7/10