Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Raton

The only good part was the kind young woman at the desk. She tried hard to help and understand. We were exhausted and arrived late, so we stayed only because we needed sleep. Our first room had pubic hair in the bed, dirty sheets that hadn't been changed, stained towels, and floors that hadn't been properly swept or mopped. The next room had dog hair everywhere and hair in the tub. I asked the front desk girl to check the third room with me. The beds at least seemed clean and free of hair, so we took it, tired as we were. We were glad to get the hell out of New Mexico, because there weren't even towels in that room, and the toilet smelled a little of urine. We couldn't have showered even if we'd wanted to. I can't understand how this hotel is still operating. It's disgusting.

The window seat was a standout, a comfortable place to sit and look outside. The rooms had been remodeled in a kid-like style, with little colored pegs for clothes and lots of small wooden shelves for towels, Kleenex, and other things. There were six pillows on each bed, I think, which we liked, and the beds themselves were comfortable. Two front desk staff we met were friendly and helpful. One shower dispenser was empty, and a courteous employee brought up a full bottle. Breakfast was sparse compared with many continental spreads, mostly apples, cereal, and a waffle maker, without much hot food. We were just trying to get as far as possible on a quick stop, so we stayed in Raton rather than Trinidad, Colorado. If you need a place here, this hotel is fine.

The front desk woman was super friendly, and I couldn't tell whether another Raton hotel might be any better. Maybe this is the best the town has to offer. We had kids with us, it was late, and they just wanted to sleep, so I didn't go down to complain. But I've rarely stayed somewhere this dirty. The comforters had stains, the air conditioner was filthy, the bathroom ceiling and shower curtain had mold, and stains ran down the bathroom wall. The beds were really noisy too. The mattresses sat on a rickety spring setup that sounded like a trampoline with every movement. I'd booked because the reviews looked good. When we first arrived I saw spackle and missing paint on the walls and thought it was no big deal since they were renovating. That was before seeing the room.

There was plenty of free parking, and breakfast was included. It was continental, but waffles were available. We needed a place for one night on our drive to Phoenix, and Microtel did the job. The room was a little bare, though it had what we needed. It was clean, with comfortable beds and pillows, and a newer, large TV.