The Inn at Alamo / Riverwalk / Convention Center

The staff made this old, simple hotel worth staying at. From check-in through the end of my week there, everyone was welcoming, flexible, friendly, and caring. I’ve stayed in everything from five-star to two-star hotels, and this may have been my best customer service experience. Management deserves kudos too. Their kindness made up for the broken elevator, one machine being down, and the mediocre breakfast.

The location was convenient for the Alamo and The Riverwalk, but the room was awful. It smelled of cigarettes and onions, and I saw the cleaners smoking in the rooms. The pillows were flat, stained, and nasty, and I didn’t trust that the towels were clean. There was dust on the window sills, and I couldn’t bring myself to look under the bed. We stayed three nights, and nobody came in to clean or bring fresh linens. We had to keep going to the front desk to ask for more towels.

When it was a Travelodge a few years ago, this place was horrible. More than $103 for one night felt like a rip-off for such a basic motel. The carpet was very dirty and the room was noisy even with every window shut. Breakfast was about as cheap as it gets, and they tried to add a charge for a safe. I caught the extra fee and had them remove it. It’s the worst hotel I’ve stayed in, though motel is probably a more accurate description. I’d never recommend it.

For a tight budget, it’s a decent downtown option. The rooms are clean and get daily cleaning, and the service was very good. My access card gave me trouble the first night, but at 1 am they showed me the trick for opening the door. The room looks old because of the TV screens, but everything worked: climate control, Wi-Fi, lights, mini fridge, cable TV, and outlets. The bed, desk, and other furniture were comfortable, though nothing special. Breakfast was fine. I couldn’t try the pool because of the weather, but it looked clean and small, and seemed well cared for.