Holiday Inn Express Altus

Our room was clean, and the iron and hair dryer were both really nice. The furnishings were a little worn but worked fine. We spent one night in a King suite, and the young man who checked us in was friendly and professional. The hallway outside our fourth-floor room smelled amazing. Breakfast was good, though not great. We'd stay again.

Breakfast was very nice both mornings, and everything looked good. We had no issues with the staff. The room itself was mostly quiet, though the elevator next door woke us up a few times. The WiFi never worked, which was annoying, especially since my husband had trouble loading videos. It wasn't a big issue for me, as I mostly read. We stayed two nights in room 307. The website showed 10 king rooms available, but when we arrived they only had double beds. The woman at the desk said they were completely full and the website wasn't accurate. Call ahead if you need a particular room. The daytime front desk staff were nice, but the woman working at night wasn't very friendly. She gave my husband the key without asking for ID. Other hotels check ID and verify the credit card, so that felt a little sketchy. I always check for bed bugs and wipe down the room. Both beds and pillows seemed clean, with no odd stains. The bathroom tile was uneven and cracked, but not a big deal. Curtains had stains from what looked like a bad leak. There was also crusty mud on the luggage rack, so I hope it was mud. It made me think they don't wipe it down after each use. The bigger problem was the hot water. It was only warm, then turned freezing cold after a minute in the shower. It never warmed back up for my husband's shower or the next day's showers. The stay wasn't horrible, and I'd come back, but I'd ask for a different room away from the elevator.

The kid on the night shift at the front desk is amazing and very professional. The morning crew was another story. Breakfast quality has definitely gone downhill, and the older woman serving it kept sharing her political opinions. At 7 in the morning, that's the last thing I want to hear while trying to eat a very mediocre breakfast. I ended up throwing it all away. This used to be one of my favorite stops over the past two years.

I stay here every few months for work. My first visits came with staff and service problems, but they've been great over the last year and a half. It's also possibly the only hotel in Altus without bed bugs. It's close to base, which makes getting there for TDY convenient. Restaurants are somewhat nearby, but not close enough to walk to like at the other hotels. For food, I'd recommend the burger at "Bait Shop," a nice sandwich-bistro meal at "Second Breakfast," chicken fried steak at Fred's, or a decent steak at The Backdoor. The Backdoor costs a bit much, but it's the only nice place around. Trader Tom's is good for karaoke on Saturdays. Breakfast is decent, with good service and a dollar pancake maker. No waffles.