Rocket Motel

Don was an amazing host, we thoroughly enjoyed interacting with him and our conversations. The pride of ownership is evident in this motel, the property is extremely well taken care of and the rooms were spotless and very clean. The rooms were well equipped as well with a decent sized mini-fridge and microwave. The location is central to many great restaurants and shops. The coffee and tea in the morning was excellent as well. Highly recommend this local gem when staying in Custer, you won't be disappointed!

Nothing comes to mind, we had a very positive experience staying at the Rocket Motel.

This renovated motel shows that the owners, Don and Brenda, really paid extra attention to the details of the “retro” look. The room was done in black and white with red accents and had old-fashioned tiles in the shower, end tables and desk with spotless white grout, even in the shower. There was a red wall phone and red analog clock. The exterior had that 1950s vibe and walking into the office, you really felt like you stepped back into time, right down to a toy airplane carousel from that time period. Super clean and those white towels and bedspread were vivid white but did not reek of bleach. The room is equipped with a small microwave, refrigerator, little Al over with suitcase stand and shelf and plenty of floor space for luggage and a second suitcase stand that can fit in another space. Red/white mints were waiting on the pillows and in the office there were “rocket” logo candies. Such a fun place to stay. Potential guests do need to be aware that there isn’t a breakfast, only a coffee/tea bar in the mornings, however. Also, pets are only allowed in certain rooms and smoking is not allowed inside any building space. For us, those things are a plus and likely add to the clean look of both inside and out. Lots of great eateries nearby and would highly recommend the Purple Pie Palace for great ice cream and pie. Went there twice for dessert only but they do serve lunch/dinner. If you are looking for more upscale food, the Sage Creek Grille is absolutely wonderful and offers dinner only and a menu of unique dishes. We also enjoyed the Begging Burro for Mexican food that equaled what we get back home in Texas.

It would be helpful to at least have an array of pastries for a quick breakfast so an additional stop does not need to be made.

Good, central location to see the Black Hills and Rushmore. It's also close by the animal loop drive where you can see the Buffalo, pronghorn, burros, etc. Parking was easy and free - right in front of the room. The room was comfortable and clean - updated. Pricing was reasonable. If you'll be late checking in, just call and they will accommodate. Owner was friendly. It's located right on the "downtown" strip, so restaurants are close by.

Nothing

Fabulous location and style! It was about 1-2 blocks from downtown - so an easy walk. Our room had 3 beds, 2 in the back room, 1 in the front room, and in between was a short hallway and the bathroom. The beds were comfy. The towels were soft and fluffy. I loved the patio common area. It was shaded with comfortable chairs and several table groupings. Twice during our stay, we brought in our meal and sat outside to eat. It was a welcoming space. The owners were friendly and dedicated to making our stay a positive experience. The rooms were stylishly decorated in the retro 50's theme. Once the front desk even called us on the landline phone in our rooms and using that phone was like a time machine to the 70s (the decade where I used that type of phone all the time)! I recommend this motel!

The shower was small, but that's to be expected for an authentic 50's style motel. We always had hot water when needed. My minifridge didn't work very well, the freezer compartment didn't freeze reliably and the condensation tray was always full of water. I didn't report it until the last day, but the owner was responsive and said that issue would be addressed. All in all, these were minor issues.

Cleanliness was exceptional. The owners (Don and Brenda) were the most accommodating and helpful than any place we have ever stayed. If you are wanting to see the sites in and around the Black Hills, Custer is the place to stay. It is centrally located to most of the tourist sites and only one hour from the Rapid City Airport.

We had to leave and come home

This is the cutest and cleanest motel we've ever seen. The owner has invested time, money, and energy into making this the best motel ever. It is truly a "blast from the past"! It is in a great location, within walking distance of great places to eat and shop and sightsee. The owner and staff are super friendly and helpful, welcoming us with enthusiasm after riding for hours in the rain on bicycles. They provided sheets to help us dry our bikes, and even dried our clothes in their motel dryer!

I loved this cute, old school motel. All the facilities were updated, so it didn’t feel old or unclean. It felt like a motel would’ve felt in the 1950s and 1960s. The people who own this place are very friendly and hospitable. They gave me a lot of good recommendations about the area. I will definitely be back!

There isn’t anything I can honestly think of for them to improve on.

It was super clean and comfortable! The location was perfect for sightseeing all the National Parks and Monuments - the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Jewel Cave and Wind Cave - and the Museum of Geology in Rapid City was fascinating. Brenda has done a great job decorating and works very hard to keep it in top notch shape!

I had stayed at this motel 6 or 7 years ago. It was fine then, but I think since then they have added a covered patio with hot tub and BBQ -- maybe I just didn't explore that area the first time I was there. Breakfast is not available, but there is plenty of hot coffee in the lobby by 7 AM. Our unit had a second bedroom that also contained a kitchen equipped with all the kitchen items we needed to cook some of our own (non-gourmet) meals.

The motel is on the main street in Custer, and (apologies to the motel owner who is also a Harley rider) the noise from Harleys going up and down this street was the only annoying aspect of this location. Otherwise, this location was within reasonable walking distance of most stores -- the main grocery store being the exception. The room was clean and in very good condition.

When I booked this hotel my husband was leery because it was one of "those hotels". But I could tell from the reviews that it seemed to be renovated and wonderful. My husband had to admit that I was right! The walls were nice and thick- we didn't hear a peep from anyone around us! The room was clean, the bed comfortable, the a/c worked well, the owners were friendly and helpful! And the price was unbeatable! Oh, and we enjoyed sitting on the "patio" outside the room each night and reflecting on our day.

It would have been nice to have an additional towel hook in the bathroom. Otherwise I can't think of a thing... this place was great - a wonderful "home" to return to each night after our adventures.