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If you’re looking for a pet-friendly hotel near the Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas, La Quinta Inn & Suites Waco Downtown - Baylor is the perfect hotel. The hotel's name is ridiculously long but my stay here was just about perfect.

FIRST IMPRESSION

Kuma and I walked into a colorful lobby with some couches to the left and tables and chairs to the right. There was someone in front of me checking in, but I only waited a few minutes before I was greeted.

The woman that checked me in was very kind and friendly. She asked if I was here for the Baylor game and I had no idea that there was a game happening because I was so focused on all things Magnolia Market.

I asked for a room away from the elevators, facing away from the road, and on the highest floor, that was available. The receptionist said everything was taken care of and I was given Room 401.

LOCATION

This hotel is in a great location with tons of eateries nearby including In-N-Out Burger, Whataburger, Chick-fil-A, Panera’s and more. If you like smoothies, Tropical Smoothie is located right across the street from the hotel.

It’s also only a half a mile to Magnolia Market at the Silos, which was was the main reason why I was visiting Waco, Texas. I could have easily walked to Magnolia Market, but since I wanted to take my dog with me, it was easier to just drive there.

There was also a lot of construction going on around downtown Waco, so I didn’t want to get lost with a bunch of detours.

Baylor University is less than a mile away, so if you’re visiting Waco to watch a game, this is a great place to stay as well.

THE ROOM

I booked the King Room since it was a little cheaper than the Queen Room with two beds. It was a nice size at 310 square feet and very modern looking. What I liked most about the room was the striking orange wallpaper of the Waco bridge behind the bed.

In addition to that, their carpet had a cool design and their drapes had a nice ombre effect. It was very hip for a La Quinta Inn.

My room was on the 4th floor, the highest floor, and definitely away from the elevators at the end of the hall. My only problem with this room was that it was right next to the interstate. I specifically asked for a room away from the highway and interstate so that I would hear less noise.

I’m not sure if the receptionist misunderstood me or could only accommodate a couple of my requests, but I didn’t bother to ask because I had already brought up all my luggage and was settling in. I was also very tired from driving 8 hours to the hotel since I was on a cross-country road trip.

The noise of the cars was not terrible, but I could hear it constantly in the background. Every once in a while, I would hear a truck drive by and that was the loudest sound.

With that being said, I had a great night’s sleep on both nights I was here, so I guess it did not bother me that much in the end.

Other than that, the room was perfect. I appreciated all the counter space and outlets along with USB outlets that were provided on the nightstands and work desk. I also liked the wooden luggage rack area where it was easy to layout my luggage and organize my things.

The room came with a flat-screen TV, accent chair, alarm clock, desk, dresser, coffee machine, microwave, refrigerator, iron, and ironing board.

I did not see a digital safe in the room, but that was not a dealbreaker for me since I never use it.

The bathroom was excellent. The shower pressure felt great and the water temperature was nice and hot; just how I like it.

There were also nice toiletries of Paul Mitchell shampoo, conditioner, and lotion along with massage soap bars and makeup wipes. It is the most toiletries provided at a hotel that I’ve seen in a while.

Ever since the pandemic, many hotels have only been providing the basics of shampoo, conditioner, and soap. But not this La Quinta Inn.

AMENITIES

Free WiFi

There is free WiFi at this hotel, but my room did not get proper WiFi. I had to call technical support to get a better signal on my laptop and phone. The technician was very nice, but I was a little annoyed that I had to do troubleshooting on my vacation.

In the end, he was able to give me a better WiFi signal on my laptop, but not my phone for some reason. I have an iPhone that is a couple of years old, but that shouldn’t really matter.

Needless to say, I was disappointed with their WiFi. I didn’t expect to have WiFi problems at a newer hotel located in downtown Waco. I’ve had better WiFi signals in remote locations than here.

Complimentary Breakfast

Every morning, there is breakfast provided from 6AM - 9AM on weekdays and 7AM - 10AM on the weekends.

They had a waffle station, several kinds of cereal, hot foods like eggs, sausages, muffins, bread, bagels, oatmeal packets, yogurts, bananas, and a coffee and tea station.

I tried some of their coffee, but I did not like it at all. It was very dark and I was not able to finish it.

Fitness Center

I was very impressed with their gym for its size and the equipment they provided. There were a couple of treadmills, elliptical machines, exercise bikes, working bench, dumbbells, and medicine balls.

They also provided towels, water, and sanitizer. It was a very clean fitness center.

Pool

The pool is located indoors and is covered, but it also reveals the outdoor lounge area. I did not use the pool, but it seemed nice with a hot tub in the corner.

PET-FRIENDLINESS

The pet fee is very reasonable at $20 per night up to $40. You will sign a document adhering to all their pet guidelines such as picking up after your pet.

There were a couple of areas with grass near the hotel where my dog could relieve herself. I did not see a dog waste station, but it might have bee on the other side of the hotel.

Kuma mainly used the grass in front of the hotel and I disposed of her waste in the trash can near the front entrance.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I had a really great stay here. There were a couple of hiccups with the room being next to the interstate and the WiFi not working properly, but everything else was fine.

One thing to note here is that there are a lot of homeless people around the area. I’ve heard that it’s not only at this hotel but other hotels nearby in downtown Waco as well.

I had one man approach me asking me for money while I was putting Kuma in the car. He didn’t mean any harm, but he did startle me a bit.

Another man was sitting down by the lobby door early in the morning waiting for someone to open the door. I was leaving early around 5 AM, so the doors were still locked. There was nobody at the front desk since they were preparing breakfast, so I opened the door and the homeless man walked in.

When I came back into the hotel to get the rest of my luggage, the receptionist told me that they have to lock the front doors at night for their safety and that hotel guests can use the side doors and use the hotel key cards there to open the doors.

Again, nothing bad happened, but something to note.

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