My husband and I are self described road-warriors. On this trip, we were driving from Arizona back to our home in Oregon. The first leg of our trip would land us in Bakersfield, California. As we are Best Western Rewards members, we typically estimate how many miles we want to drive before stopping for the night at a BW hotel. The budget-friendly Best Western Hill House was located in downtown Bakersfield and accepted pets. Happy day.
The 3-star pet-friendly hotel is located in California’s Capital of Country Music. Who knew Bakersfield had this music honor and that the hotel was only a short walk from the Rabobank Arena? The hotel is across the street from the Amtrak Train Station and 6 miles from both California State University Bakersfield and Bakersfield College.
We had reserved our pet-friendly king room in advance because I don’t like the uncertainty of knowing whether a room will be available during the end of a travel day – especially if we are traveling with our dog.
The check-in process was quick and easy. As noted on the hotel’s website, the staff was friendly and accommodating. A couple checking in ahead of us was traveling with their adult child, his wife and their child. The front desk manager made sure to offer them two rooms across from one another on the second floor. She suggested the top floor would be quieter, as long as they didn’t mind that the 2-story hotel did not offer an elevator.
Our room, #126, was on the first floor and offed a sliding back door that accessed the small grassy area, perfect for our dog. The room was nothing special, but it was budget-friendly, clean and met our needs for a safe, comfortable sleep. It offered a mini fridge, microwave oven, small coffee station and desk with chair.
The walk-in shower featured Pharmacopia Natural & Organic Bodycare amenities dispensed from wall-mounted containers.
This was a December stay, so the outdoor swimming pool was not operating during our visit. The orange and lemon trees in front of our building were heavy with fruit. I asked the front desk manager if I could pick an orange and was given approval. Such a juicy orange!
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That evening we ordered taco salad to-go from Manuel’s Casa de Mariscos, the Mexican restaurant attached to the hotel. This was also the location of our complimentary breakfast the next morning. Our hot breakfast was available from 6:30 – 9:30 a.m.
To be fair, our visit to Best Western Hill House was during the COVID pandemic. All restaurants seem to be short-staffed with some restaurants running low on menu items. We received our breakfast vouchers at the front desk and walked down the hall to the Mexican restaurant. After selecting the breakfast burrito with eggs, potatoes, beans, cheese and chorizo sausage, and the Continental breakfast of yogurt, fresh fruit and a slice of toast we patiently waited in the lobby for our cooked-to-order breakfast. Served in white styrofoam containers, the breakfast was adequate for the price – free.
The two redbrick buildings include 98 rooms, featuring one and two beds. Rates, including AAA, AARP, government and military rates, start at $115 – to $130, plus tax for single beds and $120 – $140, plus tax for 2 beds. WiFi is complimentary, as is self-parking. There is an additional charge for pets. Check-in time is 3:00 p.m. and check-out time is 11:00 a.m.
Book your stay directly with Best Western or compare rates with another online hotel booking site such as Expedia.
I booked my budget-friendly Best Western hotel room using a BW “low rate guarantee.” As always, all opinions expressed are my own. All photo credits: Oregon-based travel writer Nancy D. Brown
