The Billy Motel & Bar
1080 William Ave
Davis, WV
Hillbilly Fabulous at the entrance to Blackwater Falls State Park.
About The Billy Motel & Bar
Joy Malinowski opened The Billy in 2016 after more than 30 years in Philadelphia hospitality. She grew up near Morgantown and returned to West Virginia around 2012, drawn by what she saw happening in Tucker County's small mountain towns. Her first project was Cooper House, a bed and cocktail bar in Thomas, the artsy revitalized railroad town two miles north. The Billy followed as a fuller expression of the same vision: a gathering place that serves the community as much as it serves the traveler. The renovation was supported by the Woodlands Development Group and the Monongahela National Forest Small Business Initiative. The staff call it Hillbilly Fabulous: their own phrase, coined by the people who work here. The property sits directly across Route 32 from the entrance to Blackwater Falls State Park, whose 57-foot falls and gorge overlooks are five minutes on foot from the lobby.
What The Billy Motel & Bar Is Known For
Joy Malinowski came back to West Virginia to build something for this specific community, not to serve an outside idea of what an Appalachian mountain motel should look like. Hillbilly Fabulous is the staff's own description, unself-conscious, specific, and entirely theirs. ISH Kitchen's globally rotating tapas menu in a motor court at the entrance to Blackwater Falls is the kind of thing that only exists because one person with strong opinions about both food and place decided to build it. The two complimentary cocktails on arrival, the gear dressing parlor for skis and bikes, the three fenced acres for your dog, the French press in the morning, every detail is the decision of an owner building the place she wanted to stay in. That is what earns the designation.
Amenities
- Pets Welcome
- WiFi
- Two complimentary cocktails at check-in
- The Billy Bar (craft cocktails, regional beer, mocktails)
- ISH Kitchen globally rotating tapas
- Complimentary morning French press coffee
- Gear dressing parlor for skis, bikes, and hiking equipment
- 3 fenced acres for dogs
- Chromecast streaming on all SmartTVs
- Down comforters and pillows
- Lobby fireplace
What Guests Love
- Two complimentary cocktails at check-in. Not a minibar credit, actual drinks at the bar when you arrive, which is a specific and generous gesture that signals how the place is run.
- ISH Kitchen's globally rotating tapas menu draws from up to 10 cuisines per week. That it operates in a motor court at Blackwater Falls is the detail that makes The Billy a Boutel rather than just a well-run small motel.
- Blackwater Falls State Park entrance is directly across Route 32. The 57-foot falls and gorge overlooks are a five-minute walk from your room door.
- Hillbilly Fabulous is the staff's own phrase for the aesthetic, coined by the people who work here, not a design agency. Self-aware, specific, and entirely theirs.
- Joy Malinowski is a 30-year Philadelphia hospitality veteran who returned to West Virginia to build something for this community. That backstory shows in every decision in the operation.
- The gear dressing parlor, dedicated on-site storage for skis, bikes, and hiking equipment, is a practical detail that most mountain motels skip. The Billy built it because its guests arrive with gear.
- Three fenced acres and a dedicated Pet Friendly Room with direct outside access. If you are traveling with a dog and heading to Tucker County, this is the place.
Worth Knowing
- Guests in adjacent rooms may be audible; a quiet room request at booking is worth making if you're a light sleeper. The property provides earplugs.
- No mini-fridge or microwave in rooms. Plan meals around ISH Kitchen and the Davis and Thomas dining options nearby.
- ISH Kitchen and The Billy Bar are open five nights a week. Check the current schedule when booking if on-site dinner is part of your plan.
- No EV charging on-site. If you are arriving in an electric vehicle, plan your charge stop before reaching Davis, charging infrastructure in Tucker County is limited.
- Davis sits at approximately 3,100 feet elevation. Winters are genuine mountain winters: snow, road closures, and cold. Check conditions before driving WV Route 32 in winter months.
- The Billy Bar and ISH Kitchen are a community gathering point; guests near the bar area may hear lively evenings on Friday and Saturday nights. It is worth knowing before you book.
- Pets are welcome. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
The Room
Rooms across three configurations: King Room, two-bed room, and Pet Friendly Room, which has direct outside access to the three fenced acres. Every room has a TV with Chromecast streaming (no cable), down comforter and pillows, and the Hillbilly Fabulous treatment: patterned wallpapers, vintage-style furnishings, wall art, string lights. No mini-fridge, no microwave, the property expects guests to eat at ISH Kitchen and the surrounding Davis and Thomas dining options, which is the right expectation for this corner of Tucker County. The rooms are motor court proportions in a mountain town, which means compact and considered. You are here to spend your days in Blackwater Falls Gorge, on Canaan Valley's trails, or out in Dolly Sods, and you need a clean, comfortable base to come back to. That is what The Billy provides.
The Grounds
Single-story, front-of-room parking on Route 32. The property is directly across the highway from the Blackwater Falls State Park entrance, the park's 57-foot falls and gorge overlooks are a five-minute walk from your room door. Three fenced acres at the back of the property for dogs. The Billy Bar and ISH Kitchen are in the common building at the front. Complimentary French press coffee is available in the lobby each morning for motel guests. The surrounding landscape is Allegheny highlands: dense second-growth forest, steep gorges, mountain meadows, and trail networks that extend from the motel's immediate neighborhood into hundreds of miles of hiking, biking, and backcountry terrain. Davis is a small mountain town at 3,100 feet elevation, and the air and the quiet that come with that elevation are present from the moment you step out of your room.
The Experience
The Billy Bar is open five nights a week and functions as a real community gathering point, the distinction between locals and guests dissolves quickly at the bar. ISH Kitchen's rotating weekly menu is adventurous enough that regular guests plan return trips around it; sample weeks have included Spanish roasted potatoes with garlic aioli, Vietnamese grape leaf rolls, French creme brulee, and Korean kimchi and mung bean pancakes, all in the same sitting. Two complimentary cocktails at check-in sets the tone for the stay. The Tucker County outdoor recreation season runs almost year-round: Blackwater Falls trails in spring and fall, Canaan Valley skiing in winter, mountain biking across Dolly Sods in summer. The motel's position at the park entrance makes it the natural base for all of it. Google rates it ; top major review platforms rating out of 5 . What comes up most consistently is the cocktails, the food, and the warmth of the operation, a combination that is easy to describe and hard to find.
Details
Davis, WV 26260
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does The Billy Motel & Bar have EV charging?
No, The Billy Motel & Bar does not have EV charging.
Does The Billy Motel & Bar have WiFi?
Yes, The Billy Motel & Bar has WiFi.
What is there to do near The Billy Motel & Bar?
Blackwater Falls State Park: 0.25 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Downtown Thomas, WV: 2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there. Canaan Valley Resort and State Park: 8 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
How far is The Billy Motel & Bar from Blackwater Falls State Park?
0.25 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is The Billy Motel & Bar from Downtown Thomas, WV?
2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is The Billy Motel & Bar from Canaan Valley Resort and State Park?
8 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
Is The Billy Motel & Bar pet friendly?
Yes. The Billy Motel & Bar welcomes pets. A pet fee applies; contact the property directly to confirm current amounts and any restrictions before booking.
What is ISH Kitchen at The Billy Motel?
ISH Kitchen is an on-site restaurant at The Billy Motel & Bar serving a rotating globally-inspired tapas menu that draws from up to ten different cuisines each week. Sample dishes have included Japanese spicy noodles with pickled vegetables, Korean kimchi and mung bean pancakes, Persian salt-roasted beet salad, Spanish roasted potatoes with garlic aioli, and French creme brulee. The menu rotates weekly. ISH Kitchen is open alongside The Billy Bar, five nights a week.
What is The Billy Bar?
The Billy Bar is the on-site cocktail lounge at The Billy Motel & Bar, open five nights a week with craft cocktails, regional beers, and mocktails. All adult motel guests receive two complimentary drinks at check-in. The bar functions as a genuine community gathering point where locals and motel guests share the same space.
How close is The Billy Motel to Blackwater Falls?
The Billy Motel & Bar is directly across Route 32 from the entrance to Blackwater Falls State Park, approximately a five-minute walk from the park gate. The 57-foot Blackwater Falls and gorge overlooks are within the park.
What is there to do near The Billy Motel in Davis, WV?
Blackwater Falls State Park is directly across the street: 57-foot falls, gorge overlooks, and 20 miles of trails. Canaan Valley Resort and State Park is approximately 8 miles south with skiing in winter and mountain biking and hiking in summer. Dolly Sods Wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest is 10 to 15 miles away, one of the most distinctive high-altitude wilderness areas in the eastern United States. Downtown Thomas, a revitalized Appalachian railroad town with independent restaurants and the Purple Fiddle music venue, is 2 miles north.
How far is The Billy Motel from Seneca Rocks?
Seneca Rocks is approximately 35 miles southeast of Davis, about 45 minutes by car through the Monongahela National Forest. The twin quartzite fins rising 900 feet above the North Fork Valley are one of the most dramatic rock formations east of the Rockies and a landmark of technical climbing in the mid-Atlantic states.
Does The Billy Motel & Bar have a pool?
The Billy Motel & Bar does not have a pool. The Billy Motel & Bar is a mountain destination property, most guests are here for the trails and outdoor recreation surrounding the area.
Is parking available at The Billy Motel & Bar?
Yes. Free on-site parking is available at The Billy Motel & Bar.
Does The Billy Motel & Bar include breakfast?
No. Breakfast is not included at The Billy Motel & Bar.
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Things to Do Near Davis, West Virginia
Blackwater Falls State Park
0.25 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
One of West Virginia's most visited state parks, with a 57-foot amber-colored waterfall dropping into a narrow sandstone gorge. Accessible boardwalk to the falls viewpoint, plus 20 miles of trails through hemlock and red spruce forest, gorge rim overlooks, and an adjacent lake. The park entrance is directly across Route 32 from The Billy.
Downtown Thomas, WV
2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can bike there.
A revitalized Appalachian railroad town two miles north of Davis with a concentration of independent restaurants, galleries, and the Purple Fiddle -- a beloved live music venue that draws bluegrass, Americana, and folk acts from across the region. Thomas's Main Street has become one of the most unexpected and genuinely good small town corridors in the mid-Atlantic.
Canaan Valley Resort and State Park
8 miles, about a 15 minute drive.
West Virginia's largest state park, at 6,000 acres in a high-altitude valley at 3,400 feet. Downhill skiing and snowboarding in winter at the adjacent Timberline and Canaan Valley resorts; 150-plus miles of hiking and mountain biking trails in summer and fall; and a wetland ecosystem designated as a National Wildlife Refuge -- the southernmost boreal wetland in the eastern United States.