Days Inn by Wyndham Fort Stockton

After a 500-mile drive from El Paso, I wanted a clean bed and a hot shower at the Days Inn by Wyndham Fort Stockton, off Exit 257. Instead, room 212 felt neglected. The carpet was worn and stained, and under a flickering fluorescent light I noticed dark spots that made me worry about bedbugs. I didn't see any bugs, but the worry kept me awake for half the night, searching online for ways to sleep in jeans without itching. The bed sagged, and the sheets smelled faintly of stale cigarettes. The shower only dribbled lukewarm water, then turned freezing on the second morning, with no hot water at all. Noise upstairs was the worst part. Six or seven rowdy workers played loud country-rap until 2 a.m., pounded the floor, laughed, and slammed doors. I called the front desk twice for help. The night clerk apologized and mumbled about policies, but nothing changed. I didn't see roaches, though the place gave me that kind of vibe. By dawn I was exhausted, drinking cheap lobby coffee that tasted like pool dishwater. The pool was closed for maintenance in the 100-degree heat. The daytime woman at check-in was polite and gave me a keycard, but that didn't make up for a broken AC unit wheezing away or vending machines full of expired snacks. I skipped the soggy breakfast with waxy cereal and rubbery eggs and went to the gas station across the highway. Pet-friendly is a plus, though even a dog might object. At $90 a night plus taxes, it didn't feel like value. The walls were thin, and the free WiFi kept dropping. Wyndham should deal with the manager, fumigate the place, and improve the soundproofing. Travelers should skip it and try the Hampton Inn down the road or sleep in their car. Fort Stockton deserves better than this roach motel reject.

Get to breakfast early. Once the food runs out, staff won't bring more, if you can even find them to ask. I had to beg for plates and spoons after they seemed to abandon the breakfast nook. Until then, people were rummaging through cabinets and fending for themselves.

The bed was comfortable, the sheets were clean, and the room was quiet. Still, there was a little dirt behind the toilet and in the corners, plus hair and crumbs between the mattress and headboard.

The hotel is under renovation. Checkout is at 11:00 am, but the door cards stop working around 9 am. If you leave before 9 and plan to come back to the room before checkout, that's inconvenient.