The Barfield, Autograph Collection

The Barfield is beautifully designed and presented, and the hotel itself was clean. But the noise outside at night made it hard to feel safe or relax. Motorcycles and loud vehicles raced through the streets, people were yelling, and we clearly heard about 9-10 gunshots followed by police sirens. The next morning, other guests talked about the same incident, so we knew we hadn’t misheard. The second-floor bar was full, with only one person working. Around 20 guests were waiting, but we never got service and had to leave. For a hotel at this price, staffing like that is unacceptable. The property is stunning, but the safety concerns and understaffed bar made the stay disappointing.

The 100 year old building looks unassuming outside, but inside feels high end without seeming out of place. The crossed pistols inlays in parts of the floor are a cool detail. Our family stopped in Amarillo, and the hotel exceeded what we expected. The front desk and doorman were friendly and helpful. Staff brought chocolates to my wife and me, and gave our dog a milk bone and branded bandana. We had excellent cocktails at a fair price at the main bar beside the restaurant, and dinner there was great too. The steaks were good, and the corn chowder was some of the best I’ve had. Breakfast was decent, though a bit understaffed. I also went down to the basement speakeasy, which has a real hidden entrance with no doorknob and good drinks. We had a great time and plan to stay again if we’re ever in Amarillo.

The hotel is beautiful, the location is great, and getting around is surprisingly convenient. There are lots of good restaurants nearby, and the staff are super helpful and friendly. Our room was lovely and laid out well. My only gripe is the use of flat sheets instead of fitted ones. They came loose and got all wrinkled underneath us. Everything else was great.

The room was quiet, and the view from the 10th floor was great. I really liked the lobby decor and the cattle themed Wild West style, including the speakeasy bar concept. It feels like an iconic downtown Amarillo hotel, and a lot of thought went into the decorations. There were several problems during our one night in late December. The heater stayed on “STANDBY” and only kicked in about 10% of the time, even when the room was much colder than the setting. I spent over an hour trying to get it to work. The bathroom exhaust fan was also out, and our robe had brown coffee stains. The shower and sink water got medium hot, though I wished it could be hotter in winter. One morning, the shower stopped producing hot water while I let it run, and I had to switch to cold and back to hot to get it flowing again. The bathroom had no tub, and there’s no pool or jacuzzi. The toilet worked fine and toiletries were well stocked. Valet parking costs $20, and there aren't visitor parking spaces. You can park on public downtown streets instead. The street by the hotel allows two-hour parking from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday, with no meter payment needed. Outside those hours, parking is unlimited. During work hours, you need to check on the car and move it or you may have problems.