The last time we were in Flagstaff we stayed in a cute, recently-renovated motel called Hotel Elev8. It was pet friendly, had free wifi and little local gifts for sale in the lobby.

There’s also an outdoor pool, indoor hot tub, and a sauna – in case you need to warm up or cool off.

When I say the place was recently renovated, I mean some of the construction was still in progress when we were there, but it was already a nice place to stay.

Location

Hotel Elev8 is about 10 minutes from Downtown Flagstaff. It’s actually right off I-40, which basically follows the historic Route 66.

Even if you’re not headed farther into Northern Arizona, they’ve got some stunning photos of natural landmarks like the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend that, I believe, were taken by a local photographer.

 

Service

We checked in at the end of a long day. I really appreciated the patience of front desk staff Jack and Pauline. There was more to do than just a regular check-in. Since Quijote was with us, there was a pet agreement to sign, deposits, and a dog fee that had to be paid upfront, and my brain was too tired to really be functioning.

They walked me through it all and then pointed me to the free coffee/espresso/hot cocoa machine in the gift shop, which I definitely needed in the morning. (Honestly, I could’ve used a coffee jolt right then, but it would’ve kept me up all night. I cannot handle my caffeine like I used to.)

The rest of our stay, the staff continued being very helpful and kind at every interaction.

One evening, we got back to the room and our key cards had stopped working for some reason. Phillip brought them down to the front desk. Instead of just handing him new key cards and sending him on his way (like I’ve had happen other places), Jack actually walked upstairs with him to make sure the new keys worked!

 

Hotel for Dogs

Elev8 is very dog friendly. In fact, dogs get their own amenity at check-in!

Quijote’s goodie bag included a couple of treats and a tennis ball nestled in bowls you could use for food and water, if your furry friend forgot to pack theirs. (I don’t know how your pets are, but Quijote is really bad at packing. He’ll pick up a favorite treat or toy and think he’s good to walk out the door.)

They even said we could bring our dog to hang out with us in the pool area!

 

Upstairs Downstairs

Elev8 is two stories. Anyone who has difficulty with stairs will want a room on the ground floor, since the hotel (somewhat ironically) lacks an elev8or.

All the rooms have chairs and a little table outside. The upstairs rooms have balconies that either have views of the courtyard or of San Francisco Peaks in the distance.

Dog-stairs

If you are traveling with a dog, a ground floor room means when they need to go out, you can just leash them up and step out the door – instead of having to walk downstairs first.

On the other hand, those second floor balconies are perfect for dogs like Quijote. He likes to be outside where he can better monitor everything going on and also take little naps in the sun.

Room

We opted for a second-floor courtyard view King Bed Room. It was clean with some stylish touches, and the bed was very comfortable.

There was a mini-fridge for our drinks and snacks, a microwave for morning oatmeal, a coffee machine, conveniently-placed outlets for charging our phones, and a fogless mirror in the bathroom.

In the mornings, we would let Q hang out on the balcony, leaving the door ajar while we finished getting ready, so he could go in and out at will. Phillip might sit out there and read for awhile, and I’d come out later with my coffee.

Sometimes when we travel, I feel like Quijote is constantly cooped up or at the end of a leash, and it’s nice to be somewhere where he can move around on his own a bit more.

 

Restaurant + Bar

Before we left, we had to check out the on-site (just across the parking lot) restaurant / sports bar Dirty Birdies, where Elev8 guests get a 10% dine-in discount (except on alcoholic beverages, specials, etc.)

Despite the name, it was not dirty and I didn’t see any birdies inside.

However, there was at least one dog. When we asked about going out to the back patio with Quijote, they said we could just bring him inside with us! So he chilled next to me in the booth.

Anyway, the food was delicious! I had a toasted roast beef and cheese sandwich that was really good (the Southwest Beef and Cheddar Melt maybe-?)

All their burgers and other sandwiches come with potato chips that they make right there! Who else does that?! They’re thinly sliced, crispy, and delightful.

If you’re dining in, you can take advantage of specials during happy hour (2pm-6pm) and reverse happy hour (6am-10am).

 

Wrapping Up

When it was time to head out, we dropped off our keys, refilled our water (they have those handy dispensers made for water bottles), and got on the freeway.

I would definitely stay there again, and I’d love to see how the rest of the renovations turned out!