Is parking available at the property?

Free self-parking is available on-site, but it is limited.

Does the property allow pets?

Pets are allowed with a fee of USD 15 per pet per night, and service animals are exempt from fees.

What are the check-in and check-out times?

Check-in is from 15:00, and check-out is until 11:00. Early check-in and late check-out are available for a fee of USD 30, subject to availability.

What accessibility features are available for guests with disabilities?

The property offers limited wheelchair accessibility, including accessible parking and public areas.

What is the location of the property in relation to key landmarks?

The property is centrally located in Albuquerque, within a 15-minute drive of ABQ Uptown and University of New Mexico. It is 10.7 mi (17.2 km) from Albuquerque Convention Center and 12.6 mi (20.2 km) from Balloon Fiesta Park.

What are the hotel's policies for guests staying with children?

Children 18 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.

Desert Sands Inn & Suites in Albuquerque

Average nightly price at Desert Sands Inn & Suites by month, last 12 months (USD)
Month	Average price
January	$57
February	$58
March	$55
April	$57
May	$58
June	$57
July	$55
August	$55
September	$52
October	$80
November	$60
December	$55

What guests think

Desert Sands Inn & Suites draws frequent praise for friendly staff, clean budget rooms, and secure gated parking, while some guests note traffic noise, strict deposit policies, and an area that feels rough despite on-site security.

Rooms are basic with mixed comfort and amenities, and Wi-Fi/TV quality varies. Cleanliness feedback is inconsistent, ranging from spotless to reports of odors, stains, pests, and maintenance lapses. Overall, it suits short, budget stays prioritizing security and highway access.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Guests frequently mention gated, secure parking with on-site security; some find the locked side gates and security interactions inconvenient. Laundry facilities are available.

Related guest reviews

10

Douglas

Oct 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was great on check in. Little weird doing the laundry having to get the key and return it after every time you go thru the door. But laundry worked great, needed the extra steps i guess.

10

Laura

Jul 24, 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

The staff was very polite and helpful. I appreciated the fact that it was gated and had security

10

Johnathan

Feb 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

everything was nice and great but the side gates being locked and making us go around doesny make sense...

10

Amanda

Dec 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was clean. Parking was easy and secure. The location was great for on and off the interstate.

10

Ricardo

May 25, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great customer service, very clean, big rooms and beds. Enclosed property with closed gate.

8

Christopher

Apr 13, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Security was very rude

10

Bill

Jun 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff was great! Room was clean and bed comfortable. Area seemed good, Sprouts across the street and Chinese restaurant.No hair dryer in room only negative. Secure parking was awesome.

10

Senzaga

Apr 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Amazing as always. The first place I head to when I get to Albuquerque. It's Quiet, clean, gated, patroled, has laundry facilities, great parking and is centrally located near the freeway for easy access to anywhere you want to go. The staff is polite, friendly and professional. The rooms have strong wi-fi signal with big flat screen TV's. I bring a HDMI cord and my PS4 to Stream movies when I get off work.There are many places to stay in the city but few that remember your name when you return. It's become a second home.

8

Chandra

Jul 9, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Liked that it was gated and had security.

10

John

Oct 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Safe parking

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Feedback ranges from very clean and even spotless rooms to reports of odors, stained linens, pests (bedbugs and roaches), and poor detailing in some areas. Overall standards appear inconsistent.

Related guest reviews

4

Rosalyn

Sep 15, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Sheets and towels were either stained or had not been washed. Bedspread had a lot of dirt on the underside and hugh urine stains. Wall by bathtub was falling apart.

10

Roland

Feb 28, 2026

·

Stayed 1 night

Wir waren zur Durchreise für eine Nacht. Wichtigstes Highlight. Das Zimmer war schlicht, günstig Und sehr sauber. Ab circa 10:00 Uhr in der Nacht wird es dann auch mal etwas leiser so dass man gut schlafen kann. Ausser Kaffeemaschine ist alles vorhanden. Ganz wichtig: keine Teppichböden was auf jeden Fall sehr hygienisch ist. Ich kann das Hotel gerne weiter empfehlen.

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2

Alicia

Oct 2, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

This place is disgusting. Says all rooms non smoking but reeks of cigarette smoke. Holes in the blankets boogers on the curtains cockroaches on the walls

2

Yvette

Sep 8, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Infested with bedbugs never staying here again

10

Judith

Nov 24, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

My room was spotless and the staff were welcoming and helpful.

6

George

Jun 18, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The external of the inn was clean, however the rooms lacked detailed cleaning- I photographed a roach and dry blood on the door handle. The bedding was recycled and felt itchy. The sheets and pillow cases were changed on request. Otherwise, unremarkable and quiet.

2

Yolanda M.

Dec 10, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Woke up covered in bed bug bites. Still itching really bad from all the bug bites 😫

4

Luis

Oct 9, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

It is a two star motel. My expectations were not very high but the photos on Expedia and google do not match the room itself. There are no smoking signs everywhere yet the room smelled like cigarette smoke. I bought a deodorizer and some plug ins while I was there. The sheets are also pretty gross. They were yellow and stained. The mattress itself was falling apart it seems. Idk the last time it was updated but it is poorly kept. I bought some sheets at target myself and left them there. They probably need them more than I do. The price was also pretty high, I believe for the balloon festival going on. I would never have selected this place had there been availability elsewhere. To be honest, there were other places available in the area but the two nights at this place was the same price as one night at the other places that were not 1 or 2 star motels. Everyone jumped on the high demand bus and jacked up their prices. I think had i not come during this ballon festival then there would have been plenty more places to pick from and at a reasonable price. Bad luck and timing on my end. If I ever need to stay in Albuquerque again in the future, I will never pick this place ever again.

10

Christina

Oct 21, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room and hotel were exceptionally clean! The staff were helpful and kind. I would stay again.

6

Daniel

Oct 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was clean, but smelled musty. TV needs internet services. Gates should require a code, or what’s the purpose?

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are basic and generally comfortable for short stays, with mixed feedback on bed comfort and TV/Wi-Fi quality. Traffic and neighbor noise are recurring concerns, and room sizes vary.

Related guest reviews

8

Cherylynn

Oct 11, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

It was very nice. A good hot shower comfy bed. Only complaint road noise. But can't really help that.

6

Robert

Aug 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Convenient to interstate. Gated entry. However, the proximity to interstate and the local traffic made for a sleepless night.

10

April

Mar 4, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Property perfect location and view of the mountains.

2

Raymond

Jun 20, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

room was so small and cramped for space my spouse did not have room for her walker. We had to leave, take a room elsewhere and forfeit our deposit as manager refused to give a refund. This despite the fact we could not use the room and didn't use it at all. Just looked at it. Worst experience of our trip.

4

Bryan

Sep 24, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The wifi server was corrupt, no USB outlets, the a/c unit was noisy and no toilet paper.

6

Ryan

Oct 13, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

For the price I don’t know what else I expected. The room smelled like stale cigarettes, the bathroom was not very clean, the bed is very loud (makes a metal banging sound when you move on it), the tv is very old, picture on the tv was reminiscent of of VHS tapes, the blanket on the bed is paper thin. The pillows were nice though.

6

Alan

Oct 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very noisy night with all the hot cars and cycles. Otherwise just fine.

10

Mette Marie

Sep 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Det ser ud til at være et ældre sted, men de har virkelig gjort meget for at det skal blive fint. Rent og pænt. Der er malet for nylig, sat nye møbler ind og et kæmpe fjernsyn. Måske 50". Der var låge for parkeringspladsen, så bilen og værelserne er aflåst om natten. Rigtig fin tryghed. Meget flinkt personale. Desværre ingen morgenmad og kun almindelig kaffe, ingen koffeinfri. Lidt besværligt at skulle hente nøgle i receptionen for at få is. Men et af de bedste steder, vi har overnattet. Vi har været på mange billige moteller gennem det sydlige USA.

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6

Marilyn J

Jan 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The check-in took awhile. The room was ok but the bed was uncomfortable. The TV had a terrible picture so you couldn't watch it. My partner felt it wasn't real safe. You could smell that someone had smoked pot inside and outside of room.

10

Senzaga

Apr 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Amazing as always. The first place I head to when I get to Albuquerque. It's Quiet, clean, gated, patroled, has laundry facilities, great parking and is centrally located near the freeway for easy access to anywhere you want to go. The staff is polite, friendly and professional. The rooms have strong wi-fi signal with big flat screen TV's. I bring a HDMI cord and my PS4 to Stream movies when I get off work.There are many places to stay in the city but few that remember your name when you return. It's become a second home.

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Service

Staff are often described as friendly and helpful, with some standout employees. However, guests also report slow or inflexible check-in, strict deposit and room-check policies, and occasional rudeness or intrusive maintenance visits.

Related guest reviews

2

Shawn

Aug 24, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

It was ok. Have to leave a deposit even though I paid with a credit card and had to wait at checkout for them to check my room? Ridiculous

2

Jacqueline

Oct 13, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Owner/manager was extremely rude and somewhat aggressive. Would not recommend this establishment

8

Christopher

Apr 13, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Security was very rude

6

Jim

Dec 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Check-in was nice and helpful. However the computer was slow and seemed confusing. Took about 15-20 minutes to check us in. The room was big and bright. Bathroom door would not close. Bed was too tall.

10

Angie

Oct 27, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Our family rented three rooms. The rooms were clean, the staff were very helpful, the location was amazing, and plenty of food selections around to accommodate everyone.

4

Steven

Oct 8, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The area is not great and the parking is gated. A lot of homeless in the area, but I never felt threatened or uncomfortable. However, the person at the desk at check I should never be allowed to interact with guests. The booking says a $75 security deposit is required at check in. Then it warns you that it will take a week to be credited back to your card. So I wanted to use a different card so my money wasn’t tied up on my debit card. But the clown at the desk would not accept any other method of payment except the card used to pay for the room. This is a separate function and charge, but the person with only one brain cell could not understand that.

4

Craig

Oct 7, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Gated to keep zombies out. Staff was rude, room dloor was dirty, maid walked in on me half dressed

2

Deanna

Oct 5, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

I could get over the fact that 3 of my towels and my bedsheet were dirty upon arrival. But it’s unacceptable that some man who never identified himself just entered my room and said he needed to fix my air conditioning even though I didn’t have any issues. He never introduced himself, didn’t say hello, and didn’t even say that he was maintenance. If the air conditioner in my room needed to be fixed then he should’ve called my room to let me know, or left a note on my door, or better yet, maybe don’t put people in rooms that need maintenance without notifying them. I could have been in the bathroom or shower and he just decided to let himself in my room. That is UNACCEPTABLE for ANY reason! The room also smelled like cigarettes even though I booked a non smoking room. The window shade didn’t fully cover the window, so there was always light in my room at night. There’s a lot of road noise here as well. The positive is that there’s 2 grocery stores, a gas station, and mcdonalds within walking distance. I don’t ask for much with motels because you get what you pay for, but that doesn’t excuse that man entering a WOMAN’S room uninvited.

10

Christina

Oct 21, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room and hotel were exceptionally clean! The staff were helpful and kind. I would stay again.

10

dave

Mar 26, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff here is incredible polite, and friendly. One particular lady named Angie. She goes above and beyond to make your stay as nice as possible. This lady should get a raise. I have gout and my foot was in unbearable pain when we checked in. She was going to switch our upstairs room to one downstairs because I was in terrible pain. To me that was definitely above and beyond. Thank you miss Angie!!!!

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Location

Convenient for I-40 access with shops and food nearby, and handy for events like the Balloon Fiesta. Several reviews note the surrounding area feels rough with visible homelessness and some traffic noise.

Related guest reviews

10

Marianne

Sep 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I love the walking options to city transit and the proximity to great shopping. Food options are next door as well as groceries. Security is fantastic and the staff Rock!!

10

April

Mar 4, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Property perfect location and view of the mountains.

8

Jesus

Oct 6, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Closer to freeways,shops

8

Joesph

Oct 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This was a wonderful place to stay. Quiet, clean and very nice people. Rates were good. Definitely the place to stay if you want to hop right back onto I 40. Gas and food all right there.

10

Amanda

Dec 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was clean. Parking was easy and secure. The location was great for on and off the interstate.

10

Angie

Oct 27, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Our family rented three rooms. The rooms were clean, the staff were very helpful, the location was amazing, and plenty of food selections around to accommodate everyone.

8

Kerry

Nov 1, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Convenient location, just off the freeway.

4

Jacque

Apr 15, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff were great and there was a security guard on site. There was a large fence enclosing the hotel rooms. Many homeless people in the area and it was just a poor choice by me to stop for the night in that area. However, the staff made us feel pretty safe.

4

Steven

Oct 8, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The area is not great and the parking is gated. A lot of homeless in the area, but I never felt threatened or uncomfortable. However, the person at the desk at check I should never be allowed to interact with guests. The booking says a $75 security deposit is required at check in. Then it warns you that it will take a week to be credited back to your card. So I wanted to use a different card so my money wasn’t tied up on my debit card. But the clown at the desk would not accept any other method of payment except the card used to pay for the room. This is a separate function and charge, but the person with only one brain cell could not understand that.

10

Danny

Nov 1, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Nice staff and great room by the interstate. Wasn’t too far from the Balloon Fiesta,

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Dining

On-site offerings are limited to coffee and a simple grab-and-go selection (fruit or muffins) at times, with no full breakfast. Hours and availability can be limited.

Related guest reviews

8

cathy

Aug 5, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We only had 1/4 roll of toilet paper and tan out in the middle of the night. There was no breakfast items, only coffee. The area doesn’t feel safe. The front desk lady had the door locked at 8am when we went to check out and locked the door when we left.

8

Greg

Oct 4, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I really appreciate the secure parking lot. Good house keeping to, except no tissues for the dispenser. Very friendly staff. I left before the grab and go breakfast so can't comment. It looks like a lot has been refreshed recently and so far it's still looking fresh. I'll never understand why the caulking in these bathrooms is so bad.

10

Nancy

Jul 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room. Comfortable beds. Close to freeway but surprisingly quiet. One complaint was no in room coffee. There was in lobby. Had a fridge which I used and microwave. I would stay again

10

hailong

Jul 21, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The facilities and breakfast are very good! The hygiene is average, dead cockroaches and spider webs in the corridor...

8

Linda

Oct 7, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel was a 7 out of 10. The hotel was close to the interstate which was easy to access. The room smelt clean when we arrived but we did find a hair in the sheets. They had limited towels, when we asked the front office for additional towels, the gentleman was not very friendly. The room is small, you can hear all of the noise from outside including the cars passing by. They did have a security guard on site. They also provide bananas, apples or muffins for breakfast. The property outside was clean. There was plenty of space for parking.

10

Mette Marie

Sep 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Det ser ud til at være et ældre sted, men de har virkelig gjort meget for at det skal blive fint. Rent og pænt. Der er malet for nylig, sat nye møbler ind og et kæmpe fjernsyn. Måske 50". Der var låge for parkeringspladsen, så bilen og værelserne er aflåst om natten. Rigtig fin tryghed. Meget flinkt personale. Desværre ingen morgenmad og kun almindelig kaffe, ingen koffeinfri. Lidt besværligt at skulle hente nøgle i receptionen for at få is. Men et af de bedste steder, vi har overnattet. Vi har været på mange billige moteller gennem det sydlige USA.

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8

lynda

Aug 4, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The beds and pillows are very comfortable. I wish the breakfast was open later. Traveling through different time zones makes it hard to wake up early, and we missed breakfast.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
1 $63	2 $63	3 $64	4 $63	5 $62	6 $63	7 $62
8 $63	9 $62	10 $63	11 $63	12 $65	13 $63	14 $62
15 $63	16 $62	17 $63	18 $62	19 $63	20 $62	21 $64
22 $63	23 $63	24 $63	25 $62	26 $63	27 $62	28 $66
29 $70	30 $67

Desert Sands Inn & Suites

Prices for Desert Sands Inn & Suites

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Standard Double Room, 2 Queen Beds

Deluxe Double Room, 2 Queen Beds

Standard Single Room, 1 King Bed

Standard Single Room, 1 Queen Bed

Deluxe Single Room, 1 Queen Bed

Deluxe Single Room, 1 King Bed

Guest reviews of Desert Sands Inn & Suites

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Security deposit

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Desert Sands Inn & Suites

Prices for upcoming dates

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28 $70	29 $63	30 $63	31 $63