Kansas City, MO to Elmendorf, TX is a very long drive by any measure, made even longer by the abysmal traffic situation in...Texas, generally, especially Austin. What the heck, Texas? Does TxDOT req... more
Kansas City, MO to Elmendorf, TX is a very long drive by any measure, made even longer by the abysmal traffic situation in...Texas, generally, especially Austin. What the heck, Texas? Does TxDOT require everyone in the state use I-35 through Austin at the same time? Worst. Traffic. Ever.
Owned by Ashwin Gajera, and managed by Kunal Patel, the Best Western Plus Elmendorf Hotel was a welcome sight. A little off the path and kind of by itself behind the Pilot Travel Center, the property is well-lit and well-maintained. The hotel parking lot was sufficient but not spacious; you cannot drive around the building nor is the parking area trailer-friendly so if you are pulling a trailer you will have to be creative. The long edges of the parking lot (if you pull a trailer regularly you know what I mean) are marked as fire lanes, so no parking there. The alternative is parking along Eagle Ford Way with the overflow trucks that could not park in the Pilot Travel Center parking lot. Seriously, Eagle Ford Way was lined, both sides, with OTR heavy trucks. By morning the only lane open on Eagle Ford Way was the center (turn) lane. Traffic is virtually non-existent on Eagle Ford Way so using the center lane for travel wasn't a huge issue, but it could have been interesting if there was even light 2-way traffic.
Check-in was a breeze. I had pre-booked so I did not expect anything else.
The lobby was clean and well-lit. Staff was friendly, courteous, and neat. My room was spacious and well-appointed, containing all of the usual amenities one expects to find. The king bed was comfortable, the bedding clean. Good selection of channels on the flat screen TV. I do think that they need to step up their in-room housekeeping a bit. If I could, I would knock off half a star for the long black hair(s) I noticed in the bathroom and the stains of unknown origin I saw on the bathroom wall and sides of the dresser and nightstand.
Being a little off the path there wasn't a lot of noise to deal with during the night but being on the ground floor a couple rooms down from the lobby meant I did not need a wake-up call. As soon as they started getting the breakfast area ready in the morning there was quite a bit of rattling and clanging going on. A really minor annoyance, but if you plan on sleeping past 5:00 AM or so consider asking for a room that isn't somewhat adjacent to the food prep area. No stars off for that.
Breakfast was fairly typical hotel fare. I enjoyed the sausage rolls, which were a little different, but the scrambled eggs-in-a-bag were the same as you get at almost every other hotel. I did avoid the breakfast potatoes; there was a LOT going on in that dish. No stars off for that, either.
Check out was seamless. The clerk was friendly and efficient. I was offered either a hard-copy of my receipt, an emailed receipt, or both.
132 words about services in the area: fuel is no problem since there is a Pilot Travel Center literally up the road, but pickins are slim as far as food & services. There is a Sonic, a Burger King, and a Frank's Tacos nearby. There is also "Bill Miller Bar-B-Q," a 4-star rated BBQ restaurant but I arrived too late to try it. Nearest Walmart is about a 20 minute drive, nearest medical facility is about the same distance, and if you need a mechanic you are probably staying in the wrong area. I wanted to take a star off for food and services in the area, but that lack is absolutely NOT the fault of Best Western Plus Elmendorf. If access to certain services is or becomes important during your visit you need to plan ahead.
Overall I would stay at the Best Western Plus Elmendorf Hotel again if I have to be in that area. I thought it an excellent value in a secure location, and would recommend the establishment to friends and family who have the misfortune of travelling to south Texas. I always thought Dallas traffic was bad, but traffic through Austin is BAD. Make sure you have plenty of fuel, recommend topping off in Georgetown, 30 miles north of Austin, if you have less than a half-tank. less