I stayed at this Microtel over the 3 nights of 25-27 May 2007. The motel is within 4 miles of the McAllen airport.

To reach the motel, exit the airport via either Bicentennial or 10th Street, turn right onto the Hwy. 83 frontage road, get onto the freeway, exit "Jackson/Sam Houston," U-turn under 83, and prepare to turn right into the motel's lot. The motel is between a drive-through bank and a Joe's Crab Shack (which you should AVOID -- there is plenty of other fast and sit-down food across the highway). The neighborhood is safe.

There is plenty of parking in front and on either side of this 3-story motel (which has interior corridors). The lobby is spotless. All rooms are nonsmoking, but there's an ashtray outside the lobby doors.

Just off the lobby is a breakfast room (open 6a-10a), featuring cereals, fresh rolls & pastries, coffees & juices, and a hot-waffle machine. The quality and quantity of the items and the duration of service were excellent. There's a cola machine on every floor in the middle of the hall, beside the elevator.

I checked in very late (midnightish). The front desk had my web reservation (2-night minimum for $45/night). I asked for and was given the top floor, quietest room possible. The speedy elevator took me to the 3rd floor and room 306 with its key-card entry.

My immediate impression was that the room was spotless, and that it was neither overly spacious nor too cramped. The room featured a queen bed flanked by wall-mounted nightstands; a wall-mounted desk with a chair; thick curtains over what appeared to be a sleeping-ledge (padded and with an angled headrest), on which I set my suitcase; and (dig this) PLENTY of available electrical outlets. The room had exceptional internal lighting (entryway, desk, and over the bed).

The air conditioner was strong and responsive. As an absolute boon (anytime, in any motel/hotel), the fan stayed running even when the compressor was off. This masked any noise that may have been coming from the halls or from outside the window. The walls between rooms are blessedly thick; I heard nothing from guests whom I knew to be there. As a consequence, I slept very well.

One side of the mattress was interesting, so I slept on the other side. Of the 3 pillows, 2 were plush and 1 was thinner, allowing a mix-&-match suitable for anyone's preference. The bed linens were new and spotless.

The bathroom was spotless. The sink area had enough counter space on which to spread out toiletries. There was no plunger in the sink (big deal). The water pressure in the sink, toilet, and shower was adequate, and superior to what one usually gets on a 3rd floor. Two bars of soap, conditioning shampoo, and plenty of plastic cups were provided. The only negative aspect concerned the towels: Two bath towels (only 1 fluffy), one hand towel, and no washcloths. I later asked the front desk for more and was told that there were no more.

The only dissatisfying aspect of my stay concerned the towels. I was never supplied more than 1 hand towel or washcloth, so I had to keep asking for extras. (I overheard other guests also requesting more towels.) Of all the linens that I got over my 3-day stay, most were thin/scratchy, and some were stained (with old make-up or similar). Every item smelled clean, certainly, but there comes a time to retire bath linens that are past their useful life. I'm also mystified by the claim that the linens were "scarce" in quantity; the local Joy Dollar store sold 2 very fluffy washcloths for a buck.

Housekeeping was excellent, unobtrusive, and not overdone (no one moved my stuff in order to clean). The front-desk staff were invariably helpful, knowledgeable, and responsive. Checkout was as slick as a whistle.

I'd last stayed in a Microtel in 2002 and had equally positive impressions. The McAllen Microtel is a credit to the Microtel chain, and I would stay here again with pleasure.