The Orchid Hotel

Norma at the front desk is the reason I'll be back. Her personality, hospitality, and initiative made the experience a great one, and the front desk staff deserve all four of my stars. Housekeeping kept trying to enter before 11 a.m., multiple times during my stay, even after I mentioned it the first time. Guests shouldn't be bothered before 11. Thankfully Norma more than made up for that, and I'll return very soon.

We've come here at the same time each year for the local festival for seven years, and I wouldn't stay anywhere else. It's close to HEB for groceries, and the freeway makes it easy to find somewhere to eat. Rooms are always clean, staff courteous, and breakfast good. This year the young woman at check-in, whose name I forgot to get, was especially nice and helpful. When I called because my TV wouldn't turn on, she came up, found the issue, and fixed it. My granddaughter loves using the suite's couch area as her own little room. She missed the hot tub when it was removed, but the pool was heated this year, so she's happy again.

Joe, the facilities manager, went out of his way to help arrange a ride to the Austin Airport. The staff were very friendly and helpful throughout. The place felt fairly new and clean, was easy to reach off I-35, and we had a good stay for a fair price.

The location was ideal, and the staff were really great, friendly, helpful, and as nice as can be. The room, though, had so many bugs, alive and dead. There was no counter space by the bathroom sink for toiletries, and breakfast was awful. Even the boiled eggs weren't edible, and the pastries were still frozen. By day three I was ready for McDonald's breakfast.