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Hotel Review: Quality Inn Historic 66 Barstow

Quality Inn on the Historic Route 66 in Barstow, CA

Tale of  Two Completely Different Visits

On one hand, we have an oasis in the middle of the desert.  On the other...well, it’s less so much an oasis and much more a dump.  How can this be?  Well, follow along for the story of the good and bad of the Quality Inn in Barstow, CA. 

Why stay in Barstow and why at this motel?

When traveling through the desert, usually for business, I look forward to a shower and rest.  A glass of wine doesn’t hurt either.  That said, why would I choose dry, windy Barstow?

Barstow is the only in-between spot to stay when traveling to Arizona from our home in Northern California.  It is also the only town for over a hundred miles—if staying on highway 40—with a Starbucks.  Gotta have my afternoon mochas.  In addition, lodging choices are slim in this part of California.  Finding a clean, quiet hotel/motel is difficult. 

Lastly, we stay at this particular Quality Inn because our rooms in the past have been adequate and the free breakfast exemplary—a proper breakfast.


Sleepless in Barstow

With our three coffee and restroom stops, our driving time was just over seven hours when we pulled up to the Quality Inn.  I was exhausted and couldn’t wait to get into our cozy room.   The receptionist was bright and cheery, as usual, while selecting a ground-floor room around the back of the motel facing the parking lot for us. This typically is not an issue for us since we are not there for the view.  Our focus is on showering and sleeping.  Thankfully, the shower worked and I had plenty of hot water. 

The room itself was your typical roadside motel, complete with a comfortable bed, desk, drawers, television, and small bathroom.   However, everything in this room seemed old, tired, and perfumed.  The deodorizer used when cleaning the room was overpowering.  Still, I wasn’t disappointed.  I just wanted my glass of wine and our deli dinner we brought from home.  There is no way I wanted to leave this room after driving all day.  

This part of the evening went well, since all I wanted to do was munch, sip and watch HGTV.  Perfect.  It wasn’t until we decided to slip into bed that it all went south.  We hadn’t paid much attention when we walked to our room, but we were directly next to a walkway leading to the onsite restaurant.  This restaurant also has a bar.  Sigh.  Consequently, loud arguments, conversations and vehicles coming and going interrupted what should have been a restful sleep. 

Avoid this area of this motel!

Play it again... only quieter

With our business finished in Arizona, we had to rush home for our next client.  Thus, we had no choice but to duplicate our previous driving trip—Barstow again.  However, knowing how noisy the front end of the motel can be, I requested something in the back stating how little sleep we had with our last visit.  Typically, at this point in a conversation with a lodging receptionist, she would mention an upgrade or some sort of compensation, especially since we have stayed here several times.  But no.  There was only an apology and hope for a more pleasant evening this time around.  Uh... Okay, I sincerely hope so too. 

The room was nearly the same, only less tired and old.  It didn’t seem as perfumed either.  The best part of this room choice was the silence.  It was quiet and less traveled.  We heard nothing and had the best sleep of the previous three days.  Priceless.

A hot breakfast, please.

In my opinion, the best part of staying in this Quality Inn is the hot breakfast.  The onsite restaurant offers Quality Inn guests free breakfast.  The choices are limited but excellent.  My favorite is the two eggs any style, with sausage or bacon and hash browns.   There is also fruit, yogurt, and cereal or pancakes.  Beginning another long day of driving is even better with a full belly.

Will I stay again?

I hope to be able to take a different route for my next trip.  If not, I will try Quality Inn Historic 66 Barstow again.  I now know what to avoid, so I should be able to get a good night’s sleep.

Please Read

Motel Review: Quality Inn, Flagstaff, AZ

Hotel Review: Comfort Inn Williams, AZ

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