Travelodge by Wyndham Albuquerque East

I booked two rooms, one for my parents and one for me. Their first room had no shower head, and the front desk clerk asked me to fix a heating unit in another room, where the wall outlet turned out to be dead. They were moved to a room with a shower head, but it had no towels. There was ceiling water damage, torn and stained beds, and no hot water in my room. My curtains were held together with duct tape and cable TV kept cutting out. All in all, the motel seemed to fit New Mexico perfectly.

The room was absolutely filthy. There was rotten tuna on a plate in the fridge, and it smelled awful. The ceiling had what looked like blood splatter, the walls were stained, and the floors looked like they’d never been cleaned. The sheets were dirty and covered in cigar burns, and the mattress was in terrible shape. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were bedbugs. Half the lamps didn’t work, the bathroom door had a hole and wouldn’t close right, there was only half a roll of toilet paper and no trash can. The tub looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in months, the towels were yellowish and stained, and the room smelled of cigars. The TV was dirty, and the curtains were dirty, hanging loose, and hard to close. The grimy, rickety door didn’t feel secure at all. We asked to switch rooms and were told they were full to capacity, so it couldn’t be done. I can’t believe this place is still operating. Do not stay here!

I booked through the Wyndham app, but the listing didn’t match what I found. The indoor pool looked like it had been drained for a long time and was being used for storage. There was also a urine smell by the door. My room had just one bath towel, and getting a washcloth was a whole ordeal. Over three days, nobody serviced the room, and the toilet wouldn’t flush all the way. The location is both the best and worst thing about this place: it’s near the interstate entrance and a 24-hour gas station, so there’s noise and some shady people around the station. I booked because few rooms were available during Balloon Fiesta, but I’m booking a year ahead next time to avoid this problem. I can’t understand how it got licensed as a Wyndham property. It looks like somewhere that rents by the hour.

The room was clean, but it needs small repairs: trim is coming off the tub, the lock is broken, and the smoke alarm is missing. The stairs to the second floor are damaged too. The first section has been fixed, but after the landing several steps still have the whole front edge missing, with rebar exposed. The website lists a pool, but it was drained and dusty, with no sign of work happening. For my three-night stay I was given a bath towel and hand towel to take to the room. There was just one trash can, not in or near the bathroom, and it had no liner. No tissues, bathroom soap, fridge, microwave, hair dryer, or plastic cups either. Those extras weren't advertised, but they're things I usually expect in a room. It's a budget motel, though next time I'll pay more to stay somewhere else.