Spark by Hilton Artesia

The hotel we had booked had closed down with no warning so we were stranded in Artesia with nowhere to stay. We saw this hotel and went in to ask if they could accommodate us for 1 night. The young man on the front desk was excellent, friendly and helpful and saved us from a nightmare situation. There is restoration work being done but for a 1 night stay it was perfect. Room was spacious, lovely and comfortable. Breakfast was a bit limited but otherwise it was perfect for what we needed. There is a little Italian restaurant next door which also served lovely food and was very friendly so all worked out well in the end!

I was in Artesia from Boston for my son’s graduation from FLETC. This was a great place to stay for the 3 days I was there. The rooms were very nice, very clean, well appointed, plenty of pillows. The breakfast offered a variety of items. But the real stars of this hotel are the staff. Everyone was welcoming, friendly, always smiling and truly wanted you to have a great experience. Due to a quick storm over Roswell, the airport closed temporarily and my flight in from Dallas was delayed 6 times over 9 hours. The car rental counter was not open when I arrived so, I was without a car for my visit. My son was able to pick me up from the airport, but still had academic obligations and would not be able to drive me to and from the graduation. I was fine and planned to just get an Uber. However, there aren’t any uber drivers in Artesia. I was asking at the front desk about the typical odds of one being available or local taxi…when I was told there isn’t any in town. I reminded myself that I’m not in Boston anymore and google mapped it to see how far of a walk it would be. .8 miles…not bad I could do it! I was feeling kinda silly and unprepared for this trip. Then Alex, working the front desk in the evenings, told me its way too cold to walk in the morning and that she would just drive me so I wouldn’t have to worry about how I was getting to my son’s graduation. It’s a big deal and she said there’s no way it should be hard to get to. I didn’t want to impose and it was an amazing gesture from this hotel team member that had never met me before that moment. I told her I would try to figure something out and thanked her. She said well, here’s my number and I will be down at breakfast if you need a ride, its no big deal and I would love to help you out if I can. Alex did end up giving me a ride to and from my son’s graduation. She wasn’t even working at the time. This was on her own time when she could have been doing anything. She chose to help a stranger. This isn’t typical of what you would expect while staying in a hotel. Usually these types of things don’t happen. Extra towels, where to go for dinner, but not making sure a big moment in someone’s life is enjoyed without stress largely surpasses any expectation of going above and beyond. Alex is fantastic and this hotel and it’s guests are lucky to have her. Its a long review and most just describe cleanliness and location, etc…lots of places have those, but only this hotel has these amazing people taking care of their guests. Hotel stays aren’t just for a place to sleep and shower. They literally define the experience.

Wow, fun art deco exterior. Large , very clean rooms. All updated and great beds and linens. If your going this way and doing Carlsbad Caverns this is the place to stay. Smooth check in and access to a excellent local gym.