Trade Winds Motel
1009 US-20
Valentine, NE
A spotless little motor court where the Sandhills meet the Cowboy Trail
This property is an Honorable Mention. It has been vetted and approved for our highest standards of cleanliness, safety, and operational excellence. While it is still evolving toward our full design-led designation, it is a proven, reliable anchor for any road trip. We recommend it with confidence.
About Trade Winds Motel
Trade Winds has been a fixture on Valentine's highway strip for years, and it has built its reputation the slow way, one spotless room and one friendly check-in at a time. Guests return again and again for the same reasons: it is consistently the cleanest and best-maintained motel in the area, and the front desk treats travelers with real hometown hospitality.
What Trade Winds Motel Is Known For
In a stretch of Nebraska where good, clean rooms are scarce, Trade Winds has quietly been the most dependable stop for years. It earns its place by doing the fundamentals better than anyone around: clean, kind, and honest.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- Breakfast Included
- WiFi
- Free breakfast
- In-room coffee maker
- In-room microwave and refrigerator
- Cable TV
- Picnic area
- Pet-friendly rooms
What Guests Love
- Consistently the cleanest, best-kept motel in the area
- Warm, hometown front-desk service
- Free breakfast and in-room coffee, with no resort fees
- An easy base for the Sandhills, the Niobrara, and the Cowboy Trail
Worth Knowing
- This is an old-fashioned, no-frills motor court, not a designed or themed stay
- Rooms open to the outdoors and you park at your door
- Pet rooms are limited and carry a fee, so call ahead
The Room
Rooms are simple, smoke-free, and kept meticulously clean, each with a comfortable bed, a microwave and refrigerator, in-room coffee, and cable TV. They open to the outdoors in classic motor-court style, so you park at your door and settle in.
The Grounds
The grounds are quiet and easy, with a picnic area and room to walk after a long day of driving. There is no pool or fancy common space here, just a clean, well-tended lot and the wide Nebraska sky overhead.
The Experience
Valentine sits at the heart of the Sandhills, with the spring-fed Niobrara River just north for canoeing and tubing, the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge and Merritt Reservoir to the south, and the Cowboy Trail, a long rail-trail, running right out of town. It is ranching country and river country both, and Trade Winds makes an easy, restful base between the two.
Details
Valentine, NE 69201
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Trade Winds Motel pet friendly?
Yes, Trade Winds Motel is pet friendly.
Does Trade Winds Motel serve breakfast?
Yes, Trade Winds Motel includes breakfast.
Does Trade Winds Motel have WiFi?
Yes, Trade Winds Motel has WiFi.
What is there to do near Trade Winds Motel?
Niobrara National Scenic River: 15 miles, about a 30 minute drive. Cowboy Trail: 1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area: 26 miles, about a 50 minute drive.
How far is Trade Winds Motel from Niobrara National Scenic River?
15 miles, about a 30 minute drive.
How far is Trade Winds Motel from Cowboy Trail?
1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Trade Winds Motel from Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area?
26 miles, about a 50 minute drive.
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Things to Do Near Cowboy Trail and the Niobrara River
Niobrara National Scenic River
15 miles, about a 30 minute drive.
A spring-fed river of waterfalls and sandbars that draws canoers and tubers all summer long.
Cowboy Trail
1 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
A long converted rail-trail for walking and cycling that runs right out of Valentine across the Sandhills.
Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area
26 miles, about a 50 minute drive.
A clear Sandhills reservoir known for fishing, boating, and some of the darkest night skies in the region.