The first thing that I noticed upon entering my room was the ancient TV. While surprising, I immediately realized that it would not affect my comfort, as my eyes are typically glued to my phone or another screen that travels with me.
My room was furnished as was typical for a nicer motel of a couple of decades ago, but was immaculately clean, with a solid door. The shower was excellent. The exterior of the building similarly could use some updating, but again, was very clean and well lit.
The only staff member that I encountered was a very friendly and helpful manager by the name of Mel. Her attitude was quite remarkable. Because of her, I left town confident that I will be returning to Thunderbird on future visits to Norman, despite my mild disappointment with the firmness of my mattress.
When I told the friends I was visiting in Norman of my experience, they told me that it was far better that what they heard from another recent guest who stayed at a competing "chain" Inn of a similar tier.