Karl Shelton
Google
Affordable and Comfortable Stay Near Old Town Albuquerque – With a Few Caveats
We stayed at Sandia Peak Inn – Old Town ABQ (a Howard Johnson by Wyndham), and I’ll start by saying this: the price was definitely right. While it’s not a luxury hotel, we more than got our money’s worth, and I’ll give an honest, balanced review.
One of the main reasons we chose this property was the availability of EV charging. They offer both a J1772 and a Tesla destination charger, with a $10 nightly fee to use them. That was a great convenience and worked without issue.
We booked the accessible oversized king room, which was very spacious, nicely decorated, and included a comfortable bed. We thought it had a sofa but found a day bed instead. The room also featured a small work table and a nice easy chair—well equipped for a short stay.
The parking lot is tight, with narrow spaces and limited room, but our reserved EV charging spot helped avoid problems.
Breakfast was modest but acceptable. There was a waffle maker, juice machine, coffee, peanut butter (the only visible protein), various breads, jams, and some overripe bananas. Vegetarian-friendly, but not very filling.
One downside we experienced was related to smoking. Although our room was non-smoking, the moment I stepped outside in the morning, someone was smoking nearby. While I don’t know how frequent this is, it would be preferable if the property were entirely smoke-free, especially near room entrances.
The neighborhood felt like classic Old Town Albuquerque. I didn’t feel unsafe, but I wouldn’t recommend walking the area late at night. The exterior of the property has been nicely styled with Southwestern décor, which adds charm despite the budget-conscious operations.
In short: everything wasn’t perfect, but it all worked—and for the price, we walked away satisfied.