La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Austin Capitol / Downtown

Check-in went well, and Johnathan was really nice and courteous. But the room was disgusting and smelled awful, with stains on the carpet, bedding, and walls. The floors were so gross we couldn't walk barefoot. The tub faucet kept leaking, the sink had almost no pressure, and neither the fridge nor TV worked. When we came back from a show, our key cards had stopped working. The woman at the desk was extremely rude to everyone, short, and wouldn't give her name. She kept handing us keys that didn't work, which seemed deliberate, so we called 911 to get into our room. With the police's help, we got our things and chose to drive home, more than an hour away, instead of staying.

The pool area looked nice, and I got some work done there, but the pool had too much trash for me to swim. The continental breakfast was gross, and the WiFi didn't work. In both rooms we stayed in, things were broken, some plugs didn't work, the TV wouldn't turn on, and there were stains. The door lock broke every day, and once we were locked out for 30 minutes before getting help. I wouldn't recommend this hotel even for the price or location. 1/10, don't do it!

A welcoming, caring, hard-working staff, singing birds, and plenty of old-school Austin character made this feel like a five-star stay. The location is convenient and accessible to a broader range of incomes. There's a deposit and parking charge if you have a vehicle, which makes sense in the middle of town, and you can make that up in other transportation costs. If you need a glossy, gentrified experience, maybe this isn't for you. Please be kind to the employees and this little pocket of Austin culture and community. Muchas gracias! I look forward to coming back. Special thanks to Jonathan and Damaris for their excellent management.

The staff make you feel at home when you don't have a home, like family when you don't have any. I spent over $699 staying there this week, and these folks were a big part of that experience. The tall man with short gray hair was so helpful at breakfast. The sweet woman with gorgeous pink hair helped me several times on the night shift, and the kind late-night woman in a red shirt with beautiful braids shared a couple of strawberry cheese danishes with me. She deserves it for working so late. God bless them all!