Arizona 9 Motor Hotel
315 West Route 66
Williams, AZ
928-635-4552
$50.00/night + $10.00/night pet fee / No pets allowed
No coffee maker, no on-site laundry, no ice machine. Cable TV. Room contained a refrigerator. Free wi-fi available; be sure to ask the manager for the access code.
Wow, where to begin. I made the reservation for the two nights back in March, based on the strength of a few on-line reviews and the amenities promised by the motel’s website, such as the on-site guest laundry. We were also attracted by the hotel’s age (built in the 1930s), size (about 30 rooms), that it had been recently renovated, and that it was one of the original Route 66 motels. The website advertised it as “clean and cheap”. When I called to ask if pets were accepted I was assured by the person on the other end of the phone that pets (in our case two cats) were fine and were allowed for a fee of $10 per night.
We pulled into the hotel late (10 pm) on June 3rd, after a series of delays. A young man outside the hotel (the owner, Joe, as it turned out) was outside with a friend and a girl (his girlfriend, also the chambermaid) playing with radio-controlled cars. The first thing he said when we pulled up was that pets were not allowed. Because I was tired and taken aback I replied aggressively that pets had better be allowed and that I had made this reservation some time ago, after being told pets were accepted for a fee. Joe then checked and said there was no record of my reservation. After some conversation, Joe determined I must have talked to his father, who had been in charge while he was away. Joe allowed us to check in, with our cats, for the two nights.
We wanted to get something to eat, and called Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut in that town closes at 9pm. When we asked Joe where we could get something to eat, he told us that everything was closed. He and his girlfriend did very kindly offer to make us toast and coffee, but we said we still had the makings for sandwiches and thanked them. As it turned out, we should have checked the phone book. There were restaurants and pizza places within a few blocks that were open until 11 pm.
That our room and bathroom were small was not surprising in such an old motel. The walls are thick and the plaster walls and ceiling meet on a curve rather than an angle. The carpet had not been cleaned in some time; I spilled coffee on the carpet and when I cleaned up the spill with soap and water, it left a clean spot which stood out against the rest of the carpet. The furniture and bed linens were clean.
In the bathroom there was a large shower stall, which appeared to be original, in lieu of the usual shower/tub combination. It would be a great feature, except the grout is filthy and the water pressure in the shower little better than a trickle, even when the taps are on full. I recommend wearing shower clogs; a rubber bathmat (not provided) would also be a good idea. The bathroom floor had also not been washed. There is a small window in the bathroom that does not open, which is too bad. The depth of the window’s sill gives an idea of how thick the walls are. The rest of the tiny bathroom is dominated by a huge pedestal sink, a recent addition, in which the water pressure is fine. The sink is so large that it is difficult to get on or off the toilet, a problem for anyone who is large or has mobility issues. Despite the sink’s huge size there is little space for toiletries. It would be better to replace the large sink with a smaller wall-mounted sink and some shelving.
Joe hadn’t mentioned the wi-fi to us, and we could not find a network to tap into. We wound up going to the internet café across the street. The proprietor of the Java Cycle is a very pleasant, helpful lady.
We went to the Grand Canyon that next day—it is about an hour’s drive north from Williams. When we came back, we wanted to do laundry, as the motel’s website had advertised an on-site guest laundry. When we inquired, Joe told us that they had taken out the guest laundry and the nearest laundry was six blocks away. That was when we told him of the problems with the room and the motel. While Joe did say he would have the shower looked at, we had the impression he wasn’t really interested in our comments. We pointed out that one of the reasons that we booked this motel was the convenience of the on-site laundry. Otherwise we would likely have booked elsewhere. We also pointed out that the “No Pets” policy should be clearly stated and advertised. That was when we found out Joe had bought the hotel about a year ago and inherited the website from the previous owner. Joe had not had the website updated; we pointed out that he should, as many people do their hotel searches and booking on-line.
We had dinner that night at the Pine Country café, which serves basic “home cooking” at fairly reasonable prices and has a huge selection of pies. There is also a steak house close by and the Route 66 café. All are open until 11 pm.
With some work, this could be a great little hotel, and would attract those who like older buildings. The owner of the hotel, Joe, seems like a very nice guy, but this motel is quickly sliding into the realm of fleabag.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
