I paid $137 to spend a night in a steamboat-themed hotel, and it added some whimsy to my Pennsylvania vacation

• I spent $137 to stay at a steamboat-themed hotel in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

• The hotel was clean and cheap, and the common areas and rooms had a fun steamboat theme.

• I loved the hotel's outdoor spaces, which provided incredible views of the nearby farmlands.

Instead of booking a standard hotel room on a recent trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, I decided to spend a night in the steamboat-themed Fulton Steamboat Inn.

Hotel prices have been on a seemingly never-ending rise since last year, so I'd rather spend my money on unique lodging experiences.

The cute hotel was a 15-minute drive from downtown Lancaster and the nearby Amish communities, which made it a great home base for an overnight stay.

Here's what it was like staying at the adorable inn for $137 for one night.

The building looked just like a turn-of-the-century steamboat.

After parking at Fulton Steamboat Inn, I noticed it looked just like a turn-of-the-century steamboat, complete with plenty of red, white, and blue bunting.

The bright-white balconies really popped against the lovely light-gray building. And I appreciated that the roof featured a black smoke stack adorned with a shiny gold crown.

My room was clean and cozy.

I loved my two-queen room at Fulton Steamboat Inn.

The first thing I noticed was how clean it looked. It had two very comfortable beds, a small sitting area, and plenty of storage for two people.

The TV stand held a large mini-fridge, a microwave, and a DVD player. Guests could rent DVDs from the store near the main lobby and watch them in their rooms.

There were lots of cute, vintage details.

Between the beds was a small table with a nautical-themed lamp, a vintage-style rotary phone, and an alarm clock with USB plugs.

The bathroom was bigger than I expected.

A pocket door divided the bathroom into two main sections. The first small area featured a single sink, and the room past the door had another sink, a toilet, and a tub with a shower head.

I was pleasantly surprised by the rubber duck.

My favorite bathroom feature was the rubber duck sitting on the complimentary toiletry tray.

The kitschy but fun touch helped the hotel stand out from nearby competitors.

The hotel has a room dedicated to local attractions.

There's a lot to do in Lancaster and the surrounding areas, so I loved that the hotel had a room dedicated to tourism.

An entire wall was filled with maps and brochures highlighting different activities and restaurants.

I picked up a brochure for an Amish-style buffet restaurant called Miller's Smorgasbord and ended up eating dinner there.

There were also two dining options inside the hotel.

The first is Huck's Tavern, a nautically-themed bar with a rotating cocktail menu and simple bar bites like nachos and chicken wings.

The other is Huckleberry's Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It looked fairly full every time I walked by and smelled great at dinnertime.

Outside, there are plenty of covered pavilions and benches.

There were a few covered pavilions and seating areas around the hotel. I loved that most of these outdoor spaces faced the on-site duck ponds or the nearby farmlands so I could take in the views.

They were a nice place to watch the sunset and hear the birds singing in the evening. But they also proved popular in the morning — I saw plenty of people get complimentary coffee from the hotel lobby and take it outside to enjoy the fresh air.

Families with kids will love the playground.

I wasn't traveling with kids, but there was a large on-site playground for youngsters. It featured a sailboat-themed jungle gym and a large wooden train.

I also appreciated that the playground was fenced in since it was located just off the parking lot.

There was a small indoor pool that seemed perfect for the hotel.

Even though the hotel's indoor pool wasn't huge, it was plenty big for the number of guests.

It seemed especially popular with kids after dinnertime.

The pool area also had a hot tub for guests.

I'd stay at Fulton Steamboat Inn again.

I had a great experience staying at Fulton Steamboat Inn.

The hotel had all the basics I needed for a short stay, and it was in the perfect location. At $137 a night, it was also fairly affordable.

I loved that there were lots of outdoor common spaces to enjoy and that the rooms were clean. Plus, I could see it being a great spot for families passing through Lancaster.

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