Even after several rebrandings, this is by far my favorite hotel in the Ogallala area. Over the…read morelast 25 years, I've travelled across this section of Nebraska perhaps a hundred times. Ogallala or North Platte are my usual places for an overnight stop between Omaha and Denver.
Until recently, the building belonged to Holiday Inn Express. The franchise owners retired, and IHG decided to build a somewhat larger, but soul-less and far more expensive, building across the highway. After a spell under independent ownership, Wynham took over.The new owners are managing the place very well, and they've brought back some of the perks that Holiday Inn had phased out: an expansive breakfast buffet, dog-friendly accommodations, and friendly Western hospitality.
Breakfast: Under the steel fist of AmericInn, the famous biscuits with real sausage gravy and pastries from the local bakery had to go. They still have waffles, bagels, cereal, eggs, sausage, oatmeal, toast, a coffee bar, a juice machine, mini muffins, and probably some other goodies I've forgotten. Don't miss it.
Rooms: Modern, comfortable, and well maintained. The bathroom has a nice massage shower head (thanks to the Holiday Inn heritage) which is mounted very high (wonderful for tall folks).
Lighting: Plenty of lamps, but the bulbs are on the dim side. The bathroom is well lit (which is very unusual for hotels around here, for some reason).
Pets: Pet friendly rooms, plus some standalone hunting cabins for those travelling with a "pack." There are good places to "walk" your dog. Do be aware that there is no swimming (human or canine) allowed in the nice pond out back. Also be aware that if you walk your dog around the pond, there might be patches of poison ivy, so stay alert.
Accessibility: The building is super-accessible for those in wheelchairs. There's an elevator, and the main doors are automatic sliding doors.
Tech: Extra outlets over the desk, but only one by the bed. DirecTV with HBO. Fast WiFi. Business center available. Tesla charging stations in the back parking lot.
Downsides: On a recent visit, housekeeping knocked to enter my room TWICE before I checked out in the morning. They should really keep a list and visit only the rooms that have been vacated. The AmericInn Bamboo Line products (shampoo, soap, etc) look "green" but no ingredient list is available anywhere, even from the manufacturer; I have personally heard reports of people having very bad skin reactions to some of these products.
Extras: There's no on-site fitness facility, but they can provide passes to the local rec center. You can get a coupon for the very good mexican restaurant next door.