Fortunately, I did not have the issues that others had, that look like genuine problems. My…read moreovernight stay was good. But, yes, I travel extensively & Indian owned hotels always smell like curry in the lobby & the owners are strict, dismissive and/or quite rude, so I believe the poster who said her brother had to leave early & they wouldn't allow him to wait in the lobby & the other who said the Gen Mngr yelled at her. I don't get why... they're in the hospitality biz, but this is par for the course with budget hotels. If you want to avoid the aforementioned, bump up 1* to the $90+/nt hotels, which are corporate owned.
Pros:
* Clean, large, modern room with a comfy king mattress & 5 bed pillows.
* Lots of lighting, lots.
* Desk with chair, table with 2 chairs, 2 bedside tables, bureau, place to hang clothing, iron/board, hairdryer.
* New fridge & m/w, coffee pot.
* Nice towels, 6 paper cups, a few toiletries.
* Smaller, clean pool, but it's in front of the hotel, down a very steep hill & you can be seen from the road. Still, good for kids, but I don't know that I want the entire 'hood driving by & watching me lounging. Older folks who are unstable on their feet might have a bit of trouble navigating the steep slope.
* Quiet, safe, somewhat upscale 'hood, just off Hwy 10W, but easy to access from 10E, as well. Lots of stores/food/gas around, but also lots of traffic & lines everywhere... traffic often carries into the street waiting to turn into HEB Market & gas stations are usually full, so you have to wait 5-10 min for a pump... Texans usually leave their cars at the pump to go inside convenience stores, unlike the rest of America... just take a deep breath & get used to it. Can't get away with that in NYC, but... when it Rome.
* WiFi is free, stable & screaming fast.
* Quiet, newer a/c-heating wall unit.
* Pets are allowed with a $20 deposit.
* Morning breakfast (6-9am), but I always decline, so don't know if it's hot or cold or both... but, it's there if you want it. Morning lobby coffee only.
Good to know:
* This place is stupid hard to get to... follow your GPS. Basically, when you get off the exit ramp from Hwy 10, go straight through the light (it doesn't look like you can go straight, but drive towards the gas station straight ahead), then bear slightly left to take a sharp right into the steep driveway. It's only 75' at best, but crazy hard to see signage.
There's currently construction all over the area, which adds a bit of confusion. Also, don't look for the sign above the bldg. It's smaller than most & hidden behind others from certain angles, so just follow your GPS. I missed the turn & drove around the area 4 times before I finally saw the awkward straight-left-sharp right turn into the driveway.
Note: It's the cheapest in the area, but good quality, so worth the aggravation of finding it.
* Parking is in front of the rooms, which I often prefer, rather than navigating a lobby/elevator/hallways with a dolly. I'm one of those coffee snobs who travels with my own espresso maker & water pitcher... so I've usually got a lot of gear to drag in.
* They accept AAA, AARP & military discounts ($5), so ask for it as TX hotel tax is $9 on a $69/nt stay, so it will help defray costs. This hotel is a bit more than Motel 6 & ALL the M6's have terrible reviews from here to San Antonio... so, it's worth the extra $10-15, imho, cuz it's a better clientele & QUIET.
* Disregard the Guide on Ch 12... you won't get 90% of those channels. There is 1 HBO channel & it's channel 60. You won't know that unless you call the front desk or read this, cuz channels aren't always accessible & you won't reach them all by up-channeling... you must press in a lot of channel #'s to reach them. There's also no CC... if it is available, they sure hide it.
Cons:
* My room smelled like Indian food from 5-7pm. Since I was on the other side of the hotel from the lobby, I'm guessing one of the owner's family members had an adjoining room & was cooking? It's unpleasant, but again, you've gotta stay away from foreign owned budget hotels, if it's a big deal for you. For an overnight stay, it's tolerable.
* Chair seats were broken & stained & uncomfortable.
Despite the food smells, it's still a 4* out of 5 for me. As an extensive traveler, I'm mainly interested in a safe, quiet 'hood & comfy mattress, so I get a good rest/sleep & some decent WiFi/cable, so I can work.
I'd stay again, if ever in the area.