Blue Star Inn Odessa

My aunt and uncle opened and ran the Desert Inn, once a grand motel, in 1958. Their apartment was upstairs above the main lobby. We used to vacation there, and I remember it so well. It had a pool and a coffee shop. What a destination for a 10-year-old kid!

We only ended up here because everything else was sold out. You get what you pay for, I guess. Paint was peeling, the walls and mirrors were dirty, and the yellow sheets were stained. The pillows were stained and so flat they may as well not have been there. The AC barely seemed to work; it felt better outside. There was a dead cockroach in the restroom and a dirty used fork on the microwave. Pretty much everything looked dirty, like the room had only been half-cleaned. The woman at the front desk was rude and judgmental too.

I've stayed here a few times over the years because it's one of the cheapest places in town. The front desk service is terrible. Paint flakes off, light fixtures are missing, switch plates are cracked or gone, and the door doesn't lock all the way. The windows don't lock either. I've been woken in the middle of the night by drug deals and angry prostitutes. There are more cockroaches here than in Joe's apartment. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone faint of heart, though if you can handle this place, you can stay anywhere. Management makes a huge deal out of complaints, and don't ask for a plastic cup.

It's an inexpensive, nice place to stay. I've been here a month without any issues. The room gets cleaned every day, the management are good people, and the people are friendly. Good cable, hot showers, and a nice bed. I'll definitely stay here whenever I'm in town.