Escape to El Paso: Your Dream Stay Awaits at La Quinta Inn & Suites!
Escape to El Paso: My Dream Stay (Maybe?) at La Quinta Inn & Suites - A Rambling Review
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because this ain't your average, sterile hotel review. We're diving headfirst into my recent El Paso escapade at La Quinta Inn & Suites, and trust me, it was a trip. This isn't just about checking boxes; it's about the vibe, the little things, the… well, you'll see.
SEO & Metadata Stuff Ahead (Just to Get it Out of the Way):
- Keywords: El Paso hotels, La Quinta Inn & Suites review, Accessibility, Wheelchair accessible, Free Wi-Fi, Swimming pool, Fitness center, Breakfast, Cleanliness, Safety, Dining, Room amenities, Airport transfer, Pet-friendly (sort of!), Family-friendly.
- Meta Description: Unfiltered look at La Quinta Inn & Suites in El Paso. Read about my experience with accessibility, the pool, breakfast, cleanliness, and whether it really was a "dream stay." Honest, funny, and a little bit messy.
First Impressions (and a Little Panic):
So, El Paso. Beautiful desert landscape, history oozing from every adobe brick… and me, suddenly realizing I hadn't actually planned anything beyond "book a hotel." My panic started to rise as I remembered the heat, my need for a wheelchair-accessible room, and the general chaos of travel in this current world situation. Luckily, La Quinta, with its promise of a "dream stay" and "Escape to El Paso," seemed to be offering a haven.
Accessibility: The Good, the Almost Good, and the "Hmm…"
First things first: accessibility. Crucial for me. The website promised it, and thankfully, they delivered mostly. The elevator was a godsend, the hallways wide enough for me and my trusty (and increasingly temperamental) wheelchair. My room was a good size, with enough space to maneuver. The bathroom… well, it was accessible. The handles were there, the roll-in shower was there. But I ran into a minor (but frustrating) issue: the shower head. It was a fixed height, way too high for me to comfortably use. Seriously? You get almost everything right, and then… that? I ended up having to use the hand-held shower head which I almost forgot to take with me which was a different story altogether.
On-Site Grub & the Hungry Wanderer:
Now, let's talk food. My inner foodie was craving some authentic Tex-Mex, but the hotel itself… not so much. There was a restaurant, or rather, a breakfast area. The signage wasn't clear if the place was open to the public or not! Asian breakfasts were supposed to be on offer, too, but I just wanted some eggs and bacon. I wasn't feeling brave enough to try the buffet at the time because of the hygiene protocols. I'm sure it was there. On-site restaurants are a major plus when you're tired and just want to collapse. I did, however, take advantage of the 24-hour room service and was pleased with the speed and efficiency with which the food was delivered.
Cleanliness (Amidst the Chaos):
Okay, big points here. Given the current climate, they were trying hard. Hand sanitizer stations were everywhere (thank goodness), and I saw staff diligently wiping down surfaces. My room seemed clean enough, maybe even too clean. Did they miss a spot? Nope, I'm sure they didn't.
Amenities: Poolside Bliss (or at Least Attempted Bliss):
The outdoor pool was a selling point. It looked inviting, sparkling under the El Paso sun. I managed to convince myself to lounge by it once and spent some time looking at the mountains and enjoying the warm air. Pure relaxation, right? Wrong. My attempts at swimming (not a graceful process in my case) were interrupted by a surprisingly boisterous group of kids. Maybe I should have visited the indoor venue for special events instead.
Internet: The Lifeline of the Modern Traveler (and the Source of Infinite Frustration):
Free Wi-Fi in all rooms! Woohoo! Until it didn't work. I spent a frustrating hour trying to connect my laptop, battling dropped signals and buffering videos. I had to call the front desk twice. In the end, I think I needed to just restart everything. Ugh.
The Room Itself: A Sanctuary (Mostly):
My room was… fine. The air conditioning worked (essential!), the bed was comfortable, and the blackout curtains were a lifesaver. I liked the view from the window, and the mini fridge was great for storing drinks. I had a separate shower from the bathtub, which I love. I even tried the bathrobe. I just had to laugh at the reading light. So unnecessary. And the lack of slippers. It wasn't all sunshine and roses because the interconnecting room was noisy at times. And I noticed some marks on the walls. But hey, it could have been worse.
Staff: The Human Element (and a Few Minor Mishaps):
The staff. They were trying. Some were fantastic, friendly, and helpful. Others… well, let’s just say there were a few communication issues. But hey, they were always polite, and that counts for a lot. The check-in/out process was swift.
Little Quirks and Random Thoughts:
- The Ironing Board: Why is it always a struggle to set up an ironing board? Physics, I tell you, physics.
- The "Do Not Disturb" Sign: Did it actually work? I had a suspicion that I might have been bothered now and again.
- The Coffee Maker: Ah, the humble coffee maker. A lifeline some mornings, a watery disappointment on others.
- Pets?: Didn't see any, but I secretly wished I had brought my furry friend along. Pet-friendly hotels, anyone?
Overall Impression: A Mixed Bag, with a Dash of Charm
So, did I have my "dream stay?" Hmmm, not exactly. It had its hiccups. But the La Quinta Inn & Suites in El Paso was a good place to be. Sometimes. It was clean, generally accessible, and had some decent amenities. It wasn't perfect, but it was real. The staff might need a little more training to keep up, the bathroom's shower head situation was irritating, and the Wi-Fi could be a touch more reliable. But hey, I'm not complaining too much. I'd probably stay there again. Especially after a few more trips. And that free breakfast? Maybe next time.
Catalina Island Escape: Luxurious Avalon Hotel Awaits!
Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because we're about to dive headfirst into the…well, not-so-glamorous, but definitely real world of a stay at the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham El Paso East. Prepare for a rollercoaster of mildly disappointing complimentary breakfasts and questionable carpet choices. Here's my (very) unofficial, and probably-going-to-be-late-on-some-things, schedule:
Day 1: Arrival, Mild Disappointment, and the Quest for Coffee (and Civilization)
- 1:30 PM (ish): Land at El Paso International Airport. Sun's blasting. Already sweating. Texas, you are not messing around. Grab my rental car – praying it's not a lemon. I'm picturing something old and beat-up, but you know, reliable? Praying for reliability. (Note to self: Check the air conditioning immediately).
- 2:30 PM: Arrive at La Quinta. The exterior…it's…beige. Very beige. Like, "blends-into-the-desert-landscape" beige. Check-in is a breeze. The front desk person seems relatively cheerful, which is a win. Room key given, bags dragged…
- 2:45 PM: The room! Okay. Clean-ish. Bedspread is…a pattern. A bold, possibly floral pattern. Okay, moving on. The air conditioning? Mighty fine. Thank you, sweet baby Jesus.
- 3:00 PM (or thereabouts): The Quest for Coffee. This is serious business, folks. I'm a caffeine addict. They have a coffee machine in the lobby, bless their hearts, but it's that "pot-of-death" kind of coffee. The kind that’s been sitting there since dawn and tastes faintly of sadness. Gotta find a real coffee shop. Google Maps informs me there’s a Starbucks a mile down the road. Decision made.
- 3:15 PM: Starbucks run. Okay, El Paso, you have Starbucks down. Got my iced latte (double shot, obviously) and a blueberry scone (because I’m treating myself, dammit). Feeling human again.
- 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Unpack. Stare blankly at the television. Contemplate the meaning of life (or at least the meaning of this trip). Scroll through Instagram, feeling a mixture of envy and relief that I’m not currently on a tropical beach.
- 6:00 PM: Dinner. Okay, this is where it gets tricky. I’m thinking…Mexican food. El Paso, you better deliver on the tacos. Considering an Uber to a highly-rated local joint I found on Yelp. Hoping it’s not filled with tourists. Hoping the food is amazing. Praying I don't get food poisoning. Deep breaths.
- 8:00 PM (or whenever I get back): Back at the hotel. Regret my dinner choices (kidding! I hope!). Watch some TV. Read a book. Try to ignore the faint hum of the air conditioning unit. Maybe order room service? (If they have it. Probably not.) Important Note: Must check the bed for potential bed bugs. (Yes, I'm paranoid. Sue me.)
Day 2: Breakfast Blues, Border Town Buzz, and That Damn Air Conditioner
- 7:00 AM (or when my internal alarm clock decides to cooperate): The dreaded complimentary breakfast. Here we go. This is always a gamble. Waffles? Dry cereal? Questionable yogurt? Pray for fruit. Pray for something edible. (Update: The waffles were…meh. The yogurt was okay. The coffee…still tasted of sadness.)
- 8:00 AM: Shower. Then get dressed and plan the day's activities.
- 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Explore El Paso! Thinking about checking out the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Sounds interesting. Also, maybe a drive through the Mission Trail. I want to soak in the history. And I want to buy some souvenirs. (Gotta get a "I Heart El Paso" t-shirt. It's a must.)
- 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Lunch. Definitely going for Mexican food again. There's this place I've heard of…
- 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Back to the hotel for a break. (Needed some time to process everything). Refuel.
- 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Downtown El Paso.
- 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Pre-dinner rest/relaxation. Time to charge the phone again.
- 7:00 PM (ish): Dinner. Maybe try somewhere new? Maybe get one of those massive chimichangas I've heard so much about.
- 8:00 PM - onward: Back at the hotel. The AC unit still hums. Starting to get used to it. Contemplate another early night to power-through the whole trip.
Day 3: Departure, Reflection, and a Final Farewell (To That Beige)**
- 6:00 AM (or when the sun decides to torture me with its presence): The end is near. Check-out time looms. Breakfast is a blur. Actually, the whole breakfast situation is a blur of lukewarm scrambled eggs and questionable sausage.
- 7:00 AM: Double-check the room for forgotten items. (Always happens.)
- 7:30 AM: Check out. The front desk person is still cheerful. Impressive.
- 7:45 AM: One last look at the beige façade. Farewell, La Quinta. You were…an experience.
- 8:00 AM: Drive to the airport. Reflect on the trip. Did it live up to my expectations? Honestly… it was something. The good, the bad, and the beige.
- 10:00 AM: Fly Home.
- 11:00 AM: Planning my next grand adventure.
Final Thoughts:
Okay, so the La Quinta wasn't the Ritz. But it was clean enough. The staff was friendly. And the air conditioning worked. And, more importantly, El Paso was amazing. The food was incredible. The history was fascinating. And the desert sunsets… the sunsets were worth the entire trip alone. I leave with a slightly lighter wallet, a slightly fuller stomach, and a whole lot of memories. Would I stay at this La Quinta again? Maybe. Depends on how the coffee is. But hey, that's travel, right? Always a little messy, always a little unpredictable, and always… unforgettable. Now, time to unpack all the souvenirs and contemplate my next grand adventure.
Phoenix's BEST Kept Secret: Dunlap Ave Studio Apartments!
Okay, so, La Quinta Inn & Suites in El Paso... Dream Stay? Seriously?
Listen, "dream stay" might be a *touch* hyperbolic. Let's be real, I’m not talking about a champagne-soaked penthouse suite. But for a road weary traveler needing a comfy pitstop in El Paso? Yeah, La Quinta delivered. The "dream" part maybe comes from the contrast: after a brutal drive through the desert, walking into a lobby that *wasn’t* a sweltering, dust-caked portal to hell (like some other places I've stayed)? That's a win. The free breakfast was, admittedly, the kind of dream that involves a waffle maker… and that, my friends, is pretty damn close to paradise at 6 AM. But don’t go expecting a Michelin star experience, okay? Just, you know, a clean room, a decent shower, and free waffles. And for the price? Absolutely.
Is the breakfast really *that* good? I'm a breakfast snob.
Okay, breakfast snob. I get it. I'm a *partial* breakfast snob myself. So, here's the deal: it's the *standard* La Quinta breakfast. Think: the usual suspects. Scrambled eggs (decent, not great), sausage (questionable origin story, probably), pastries of varying levels of sogginess, yogurt, fruit (sometimes looking a little… lonely). But the waffle maker? That's the hero. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and you can drench it in enough syrup to make your dentist weep. The coffee? Well, let's just say it'll wake you up. Maybe not with *joy*, but with caffeine. Honestly, after a long drive, anything edible is a win. Let me tell you, that waffle saved me. Saved my sanity! And maybe, just maybe, made it a "dream" for about 10 glorious minutes.
What about the rooms? Cleanliness is key.
Alright, cleanliness. This is important. And I'm happy to report, the room was... *clean*. Like, not sparkling, surgically sterile clean. But definitely clean enough that I wasn’t afraid to let my head hit the pillow. Which, after a day of driving, is a huge relief. No mystery stains, no questionable smells. Now, I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so trust me on this. I’m the kind of person who *sanitizes* the TV remote (because, ew). And I didn’t feel the need to burn down the room. So, yeah. Clean. And the beds? Comfy. I slept like a log, which is another endorsement in my book. I will say this, the pillows were a little… well, let's just say I've had fluffier. But, hey, you can't have everything. Seriously though, the pillows were like little bricks. Might be the one thing that *wasn't* dreamy.
Is there a pool? Because, pool.
Yes, there is a pool! And it's... a pool. Look, I’m not a huge pool person. I’m more of a "sit in the shade with a book and avoid sunburn" kind of traveler. But it *was* there. I’m pretty sure it was clean, saw some people enjoying it, and I didn’t see any rogue alligators lurking. So, that's a win, right? It certainly looked inviting when the desert sun was beating down. I almost jumped in, but then I remembered how I feel about public pools and large groups of people and decided to stick with the AC. Also, I was a little worried about getting my phone wet. Priorities. The pool is probably a "dream" if you're into that sort of thing.
What's the location like? Easy to get around?
The location was… convenient. It wasn’t in the middle of nowhere, and it wasn’t smack-dab in the crazy downtown chaos. It’s got a decent balance. There were restaurants nearby – fast food, sit-down, you name it. Grocery stores, too, for when you inevitably forget to pack snacks (which is always me). And it seemed easy enough to hop on and off the highway. El Paso’s not *too* huge (thank god), But the important thing? Easy to find the hotel after a long drive. Trust me, it's a lifesaver when you're running on fumes. I'm a terrible navigator, and even *I* didn't get lost. That alone makes it worth it.
Alright, I'm sold! Anything else I should know? Any hidden fees?
Hidden fees? Always a concern, right? I didn't run into anything *too* outrageous. There were the usual taxes, of course (because, capitalism). Parking was free, which is a HUGE bonus. Let's be honest, some places nickel and dime you at *every* turn. The Wi-Fi was free and worked (thank goodness, because I NEED to be connected to the internet). I guess there was the, uh… impulse buy I made at the little snack vending machine by the front desk. I didn’t *need* that bag of chips, but it had been a long day. So, no, not really. Just the usual stuff you generally expect to pay.
What about the staff? Were they friendly?
The staff? They were… fine. They were polite. Efficient. Not overly chatty, which, honestly, I prefer after driving for hours. (I'm not very good at the forced small talk). Check-in was quick and painless. They answered my questions. No complaints. I had a small issue with the TV, and someone came up pretty quickly to fix it. So, yeah, friendly enough. They weren't going to be writing me any love poems, but they got the job done. And when you’re just looking for a place to crash, competent and courteous is all you need.
Would you stay there again? Would you recommend it?
Honestly? Yeah, I’d stay there again. Would I *rave* about it? Nah. But for a clean, comfortable, reasonably priced stopover in El Paso? Absolutely. It’s reliable. It does what it says on the tin. The waffle maker alone is worth the price of admission (I may or may not have gone back for seconds... or thirds). And sometimes, that's all you need. So if you're not expecting the Ritz, and you're looking for a convenient, comfortable, and waffle-filled haven after a long drive, then yeah, I’d recommend it. Just, maybe bring your own pillow. And maybe some extra syrup. You know, for the dream. And the waffles. Mmm, waffles…
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