I paid $90 per night, and I was a little nervous that I would be staying in a dive. Nothing could be further from the truth. The rooms in the Olentangy Motor Inn were renovated in 2023. While it is not an elegant hotel, it was an excellent place to stay. The rooms are comfortable. The shower was particularly impressive: adjustable water pressure that could be made high and plenty of hot water. The staff was excellent. I received two texts from management over my four night stay asking about my experience and whether I needed anything. They were very responsive and friendly. This motel is a short drive (about 6 minutes) from the heart of OSU.
The only odd thing was that the office is not labeled as such. You check in at the coffee shop. The hotel desk clerks are also the baristas! I wandered around the building before I entered the coffee shop to ask for guidance.
There is a train track that runs immediately behind the motel. My room was about five from the end and I could hear the train from my room. This did not bother me. Other than the engines, the trains were not very loud. I only noticed them during the day. There are several other hotels in the area and the tracks are close to those hotels too.