Diamond Motel - Abilene

Traveling cross-country I've often chosen to stay in budget-friendly motels. I'm used to just the basics with no frills. It supports local business and each one has its own unique "feel." That said, I tolerate much and consider it a trade-off...saving money but having to tolerate sometimes lower quality. There aren't many choices in Abilene. I doubt I'll ever stay in Abilene again but if I did I would try one of the other couple of options. Generally I just felt like this was overpriced for what we got. My $70 room with taxes etc was $90 each night. The Good: The motel is located in a quiet residential area. The owner was very pleasant. The bed was comfortable. The water was hot and had good pressure. The TV worked fine. There was a small fridge and coffee maker but I didn't use them. The Bad/Ugly: I genuinely don't believe my room had been cleaned in awhile. I slept on top of the bedspread because the bed did not look clean. The toilet seat was broken. My bath towel had large holes in it. The bathtub was filthy with heavy grime. The ceiling fan was broken. I can overlook alot of things but filth is not one of them. I would stay there again if it were cleaner. There was a Help Wanted sign posted out front. Hopefully they will get some help.

Disclaimer I’ve made many times: I rate on experience and how a place makes me feel. Is this place perfect? No. It’s an older spot that you can tell the owners have tried to update as best they can. It’s not fancy and you can’t control the temp in the room because there is a central thermostat somewhere. That being said, my room was comfortable. Not too hot or too cold. And j like that there is a ceiling fan for air movement. The bathroom isn’t the cleanest I’ve ever seen in my life, but it’s good enough. The drain is slow, but the water pressure is good and the water is hot. The bed is basic. A little stiff more me, but fine enough. A 30-something inch flat screen, microwave, and fridge. Small coffee maker. 68 dollars a night! The owner was nice as could be. My interaction with him was super pleasant. I’m pretty sure this is the only place to stay in Abilene. I’m passing through to check out the Eisenhower museum. I’m glad I stopped at this little retro spot.

We stayed here last year on a trip through it for a low-cost motel, it was okay. However this year was a different story. Our room had no thermostat and didn't cool down until 2:00 AM. Had to go out to buy a bag of ice. There's not so much as a cup of coffee in the lobby and if there was, we couldn't get in. Door was locked most of the time and the proprietor didn't answer the phone several times. Had to wake him up twice mid morning to get some help. Don't stay there!

Smell of room was overwhelming with smoke and nastiness. Sheets stained. Can’t control own A/C. Not enough outlets. Bathroom doesn’t drain. Don’t recommend - overall not pleasant and dirty. Thought it was a restored motel.