Best Western Windsor Inn

The room could use an update, but we had a great stay. The man at the front desk was very kind and helpful. We'd forgotten a few things, and he got us everything we needed.

This is my usual stop when I drive from Washington to California. The rooms are a bit outdated, but always clean, and the service is consistently great. I feel comfortable staying here as a woman on my own. I like having a gas station next door for snacks and drinks. I always book a room with an in-room jacuzzi, which is relaxing, and the TV lets me cast my favorite apps instead of settling for the boring regular programming.

The hotel's huge, and its design and landscaping are beautiful. I was impressed. The outdoor pool is nice, and there's a large outdoor hot tub that stayed hot even on a cold day. Breakfast is free each day and good. The indoor gym is okay, though it only has machines and no free weights.

The motel's grounds are pretty and beautifully landscaped, but the rooms need updating, and pet rooms should be clearly specified. Check-in took a while, though there was only one receptionist, so I understood the delay. She asked whether I had a pet and whether I wanted an upper or lower room. I chose lower, but she didn't mention that dogs stay with their owners in those rooms. My husband and I opened our room and nearly gagged from the overwhelming smell. We had to eat before the restaurant closed at nine, so after 8 p.m. I sprayed perfume and hoped the odor would ease while we were out. It didn't. The phone didn't work when I tried to call the desk. The bed smelled like dirty dogs, a smell I know from having dogs myself. At the front desk I reported both problems. The receptionist asked whether the perfume had made it worse, then asked if she'd told me dogs stayed downstairs. She hadn't. We were moved to another room. Two lights there didn't work, and it smelled old and musty, but not like dogs. The next morning, the door of the original room, almost directly below ours, was standing wide open, presumably to air out that awful smell.