Americas Best Value Inn Tucumcari

For a night on the I-40 drive, this was a great place to stop. Rooms are very big, the beds are comfortable, and breakfast is free. The front desk also has toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and makeup wipes to give out. A room with two queen beds usually costs around $75 to $80.

The room and front desk were both great, but the so-called free hot breakfast was a letdown. The manager said there were no breakfast sausages because of a freezer problem, though the empty tray and tongs were greasy. Another guest said they were told they only put out a limited amount, and when it's gone, that's it. I don't know what was in the orange juice, but even the kids thought it tasted awful. We travel with our dogs and cat, and maybe I missed the arbitrary $25 pet fee when I saw the pet-friendly label. Motel 6 had the same room rate, coffee in the lobby, and no pet charge, while $25 bought an actual breakfast there. We wish you the best, but breakfast and pet fees made this a poor fit for us.

We won't be back. The sheets had gritty black specks and dirt in several places, and the carpet hadn't been vacuumed. I saw dead moths by the bathroom, plus a bread tie and other bits of debris near the beds. The shower was gross too, with hair on the walls, old soap still in the dish, a filthy curtain, and even a spider by the drain. The smoke detector was chirping, and unplugging it didn't stop the beeping. I put it outside, but nobody came to help, even though I'd just seen three employees sitting around in the lobby. The TV didn't work either. When I called the desk, they offered a room change, but our 3-year-old was already asleep, so we didn't want to wake her and move. We arrived to check in and found three workers in the lobby and a woman at the desk; she was rude and seemed dismissive. With two sleeping babies or toddlers and loads of luggage, we were then told there was no elevator. Just a terrible stay, with lazy staff and poor service. I don't recommend it.

The room was fresh, clean, and had soft beds that seemed new and free of critters. We felt safe, even though the surrounding area wasn't the best. The front desk was kind and very accommodating, and there was no surprise security deposit like we'd encountered in Albuquerque. My family was visiting from Texas and we stayed one night. I'd come back.