Hampton Inn, Blytheville, Arkansas, USA – review written 23 November 2017

I never thought I'd ever have good reason to visit Arkansas, but suddenly here I am. I'm staying at the Hampton Inn, Blytheville, which is just off Interstate 55 north of Memphis and apart from the fact that the hotel doesn't have a restaurant it's okay. The room is good. There's a walk-in shower, a double bed, a decent television, free cookies and free WiFi, an empty fridge, and other essential stuff, like an ironing board, an iron and a safe.

The woman on the front desk was very friendly, there's an outdoor pool I'll probably not use, mainly because it's outdoor and it's not that warm. I say 'not that warm' it's a darn sight warmer than the UK, at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's not a complete no-no, but I just know I won't be swimming.

I'd spent a lot of time online checking out Google maps and driving here 'virtually' using my laptop. Believe me it really helped. When I actually got on the road, having also scrutinised many roadmaps, it all seemed so familiar to me and was, in fact, a doddle. I crossed over from Tennessee into Arkansas half way across the Hernando de Soto Bridge and then followed Interstate 40 until the road forked and I took Interstate 55, the right fork, heading north.

I kept in the slow lane and I adhered to the speed limit (which ranged from 65mph to 70mph) and I tried to keep a sensible distance between my car (a Nissan) and the many juggernauts that passed on my left hand side.

It took about an hour to reach the Hampton Inn and because there’s no restaurant I'll have to go into town later to find something. There is a Chinese restaurant next door, but the receptionist screwed up her face when I mentioned it, as if to say 'I wouldn't bother if I were you' and to be fair it didn't look very inviting from the outside. Furthermore, the last thing I needed, having travelled all the way from Memphis, was to wake up with gut rot.

There’s a Holiday Inn nearby that has a restaurant, which is probably the best bet. It was a 10-minute walk to Bistro Eleven 21, part of the Holiday Inn, Blytheville. When I got there I ordered tuna steak with beans and rice, a chicken noodle soup to start and an Octoberfest beer, brewed in Memphis, not forgetting a decaffeinated coffee and the obligatory glass of iced water (a staple in all American eateries).

The food was alright, but it didn't set the world alight and this was because Bistro Eleven 21 had an identity crisis going on. For a start it rather pretentiously called itself Bistro Eleven 21, but then it occupied a huge square space with carpeted floors and a mix of booth seating and straightforward tables. There was a long sports bar at the front of the restaurant and seated at the bar was a bunch of men in checked shirts and baseball caps, lending the place a kind of agricultural theme. Having the sports bar and the supposedly swish 'Bistro Eleven 21' name together didn't gel and while the food was fine, it looked tired and it turned up suspiciously quickly after being ordered.

I ordered chicken noodle soup to start, but they hadn't provided a soup spoon. I started eating with what amounted to a teaspoon, but eventually had to ask if they had something bigger. They did. No sooner had my soup been taken away (it was good, but a little too salty) than my main course arrived – tuna steak with rice and green beans. While the food served my purposes (it was wholesome and relatively well-presented on the plate) there was something tired about it that I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was either trying too hard or not trying hard enough, I wasn't sure.

Dessert was offered, but as always, it was a predictable roll call of unhealthy cakes so I declined and ordered a decaffeinated black coffee and then asked for the bill, paid up and walked back at the Hampton Inn.


The great thing about this hotel was the staff, they’re very friendly, and I spent a lot of time chatting to one of them prior to having breakfast. She’d never been to the UK, but wanted to visit sometime. The next morning I was up with the lark and ready to check out. First, I enjoyed a good breakfast but it was a little basic in terms of plastic plates, bowls and cutlery, something I’ve experienced before in Hampton Inns. To be honest, it’s not a big deal, the main thing is comfort, efficient and friendly staff and a decent night’s sleep and the Hampton Inn Blytheville scored highly on all these aspects.