Hotel Review: Travelodge in Beaumont, Texas

As we crossed the Texas state line from Louisiana, a few things became apparent. First, Texas is a HUGE state, with nearly 900 miles separating us from New Mexico. Secondly, our son was becoming delirious, as he began singing songs using only one note. With frazzled nerves from driving all day, we knew it was time to stop for the night.

The first major town in Texas (before Houston) was Beaumont. We exited off Interstate 10 on College Street and spied a Travelodge (3985 College St., Beaumont, TX 77701 409-842-4420). The entrance to the hotel was under construction so we fumbled through the entry of the business next door in search of an alternate route. Once at check-in, we received a friendly greeting from the desk clerk. Our son had meanwhile discovered a gumball machine and was desperately pleading for a quarter as I began to negotiate the price. The clerk opened his register and gave him a quarter which not only greatly pleased the little guy, but also allowed us to continue. He said that the entire hotel was under an extensive renovation and they had a special rate of $59 for a non-smoking room with a king-size bed. We happily agreed, anxious to rest our weary bones for the night. I mentioned the parking lot appeared deserted and he said they lost business as a result of the construction. We were that evening's first and only tenant (cue the music from Psycho).

Our room was located in the building immediately west of check-in. We passed a handful of the construction workers who were working on the renovations. We became increasingly apprehensive during our walk while we asked ourselves why we were the only tenants and how could our room be completed with all the construction taking place. However, those concerns were alleviated as we reached the second floor. The freshly installed carpeting led us to our door. The room was crisp and very clean. It included a microwave, mini-fridge, and a brand-new air-conditioner. Everything in the room appeared to be new except the bathroom sink (which was generally worn and had several nicks). Although the hotel promises free high-speed internet, it was unavailable. We could not determine the reason because the phone was not connected to the front desk.

The king-size bed slept very comfortably and we arose rested and ready for the day's driving. The clerk had promised a "light breakfast" in the morning and that was stretching it. Beverage choices were coffee, tea, apple juice, and orange juice. The juices tasted rather sour, however. The only food available were prepackaged donuts that contained more fat grams than my 3-year-old can count up to.

The clerk who had checked us in the previous night checked us out and gave us some good advice on our travels to California. He said good-bye and invited us to come back if we were ever stopped through the area again.

The rating: Out of "Graceland has nothing on this"(Excellent), "Nice for the price"(good), "At least it's not a tent"(fair), and "Keep on driving...fast"(forget it)....we give the Travelodge in Beaumont, TX an overall rating of "At least it's not a tent".