We had been driving all morning from Santa Fe, stopping at Indian pueblos along the side of the highway and buying postcards of the Albuquerque balloon fiesta. We were ready for a nice, clean, air-conditioned motel. When we arrived at La Quinta Albuquerque NW we imagined we found it. The huge outdoor pool with exotic plantings around it made you feel as if you were in vacation land indeed. The water looked nice and blue. The room was exterior corridors only --- the kind we prefer --- and it was easy to take our Labrador Retriever for a walk along with out Abyssinian cat in his stroller. We were in a relaxed mood when we sauntered across the parking lot to Denny's, the adjacent eating venue. That's when the disaster began. Not that the restaurant was crowded. It was early for dinner, and hardly anyone else was there. There was no reason why the solitary waiter shouldn't be serving our table, but he wasn't even taking our order. When we finally got his attention, he served us the wrong foods. Nor would he gracefully correct his mistake. Then he complained when we didn't give him a tip!
P.S. At least it was pet-friendly. You can see my cat in the sink.
Tip: Stay at a room opening onto the pool. It's the best location.