We stayed in room 305 --- near the elevator and ice/vending machines, which was convenient and not too noisy. The room was a nice-looking traditional Best Western (two double beds) and passed muster on first arrival. Our view out the front window was to our car, the hills and the train going by. We love trains.
Room had the promised microwave and refrigerator (not used) and other amenities on the list --- wi-fi, office desk, plenty of outlets for charging devices, etc. Pool was obviously closed for the season. Hotel appeared clean overall on first impression.
Several issues concerned us: 1) We had just driven 350 miles and were tired on arrival at 5:30pm. We both wanted to nap but it was impossible as the walls seemed to be paper-thin. We could hear conversations from both next doors as well as in the hallway. Gave up on the naps, but did catch up on email.
2) Lack of observing the Best Western advertised COVID protocols. I had called the hotel twice, prior to our trip, to get additional information as well as to check on how diligently they observed the official BW COVID cleaning and mask protocols. Much to our surprise, on arrival, the desk clerk was only wearing her mask over her mouth. I said to her, "it looks like your mask has slipped down." She sniped back: "It's no problem (with her nose exposed in our direction) --- at least I'm wearing it." Immediate put- off.
A couple hours later, we left for dinner and asked the same desk clerk for walking directions to the restaurant we'd chosen. She was sitting at the desk with NO mask on. Maybe waiting to leave, but still. No mask. Also, there was a group of four young men in the very small lobby, working on their phones. They took up both small couches. No Masks On Any Of Them. Desk clerk did nothing. When we returned from dinner, the young guys were still there. No masks. We had to pass within two feel of them to get around the small couches. In other words, the advertised Best Western protocol was not being observed by either the employee or the four "guests" taking up all the seating space in the small check-in lobby.
3) On getting back to our room, we turned on the TV and pulled down the covers of the beds to relax and I found dark hairs (several) on my pillow. Fortunately, there were 4 pillows, so that one got pitched to the other side of the room. The other three appeared to not have hairs on the pillow case.
It was a comfortable night's sleep (good bedding) but we were not impressed by the other issues. Also, the "breakfast" (during COVID times) was an orange, a bottle of water, a thin breakfast bar and what was called a small "homemade" (that morning) biscuit/egg/sausage sandwich. That was it. I don't eat sausage so I tossed half. At any rate, we didn't expect the traditional continental breakfast but it did appear skimpy. Would have been nice to have a choice of juice drinks (we already had plenty of water) and maybe a yogurt.
Tehachapi is a cute, historical railroad town and good stopover for a long road trip, but the Railroad Museum was still closed the end of October. The hotel is in a good area of town, with other hotels and restaurants --- and a short walk into a real western mountain town.
We probably would have given the hotel a 4-bubble, if not for the violation of masking protocols (against company guidelines) by an employee in a key front desk role, and guests. We are seniors, so obviously it's important to us that those advertised protocols (including a HUGE sign in the small lobby) are observed. No excuse that they were not.
Extra Note: I just answered the nine questions below this review. On the question "Was hotel staff required to wear face masks in public areas" I answered YES --- but the fact that the one hotel desk clerk who we mostly interacted with (she checked us in and then answered our questions later and countered me when I pointed out that her mask had slipped from her nose) was both NOT wearing her mask properly and then had it off later, when people were still in the lobby, means that this hotel flunks its observance of mask policies. The clerk we interacted with the next morning DID have her mask on properly. I reported her co-worker to her and would have spoken to management, if anyone had been there. less