La Quinta Inn & Suites By Wyndham Centralia

I thought the communal bathrooms might bother me, but they didn't, and there were several near my room. The room itself and the bathrooms were clean each time I used them. The staff were very nice, and the restaurant downstairs is good, I'd recommend it. There's also a movie theater. It was cheap and interesting, and I thought it was worth the money. I was working nearby for two days, and it was five minutes from the job. I live near the McMenimans Anderson School and have visited several of its restaurants and bars a number of times. This hotel is a historic building, definitely cool, but creaky, with all the quirks of an old place. My room had no TV, which I hadn't thought about, though I'm sure it was advertised. The train tracks nearby were my main complaint. Horns sounded loudly several times overnight and in the morning because there's a crossing near the hotel. Earplugs were in the side table, but I didn't want to miss my alarm.

The place has a rustic feel and an interesting history, and the bar areas are cool. The men's bathroom is pretty unique. They do warn you about the trains, but horns going through the night made it hard to sleep. Breakfast was the letdown. There were only about six people there, four just drinking coffee, so it wasn't busy. Still, my coffee came without milk or sugar, and I had to get those myself. The fruit bowl and chicken fried steak we wanted were out of stock. We changed our order, then had to find our own silverware when it arrived. We also waited about five minutes for water and hot sauce before going to get them ourselves because the waiter had forgotten. I had biscuits and gravy, which was forgettable at best. The voucher isn't worth it: with the high prices, it only covers one person and keeps you from choosing one of the many other breakfast spots nearby.

Food took quite a while to arrive, and I wouldn't spend money here again. The prices are wild for the portions, even by today's standards. My El Diablo chicken sandwich wasn't hot at all and had a tiny piece of chicken. The hamburger was mediocre, and the fries were overcooked, dry, and barely warm. An extra patty costs $6.50. The corned beef sandwich was soggy and light on meat, though they did replace it.

Really nice atmosphere and service, and the food was great. The burgers were tasty, and the Cajun tots were right on point. Everything we wanted.