Hotels you like to stay at while on the road

[golden eagle]

Whenever my uncle and I take a road trip to Augusta, GA to see his daughter, we tend to stay at the Knights Inn off of I-20 and Washington Blvd. We go there because it's inexpensive and is less than a mile from his daughter's apartment. Now, you may ask yourself, "Why don't we stay with her instead at a hotel?" That's another story for another day.

[huskeroadgeek]

If you're just looking for a place to spend the night, I find Motel 6 to be pretty reliable. It's cheap, and you know what you are getting and most of them I find seem to be pretty well-kept for the most part.

[realjd]

Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn are my favorites, but I've also had good luck with Holiday Inn Express, Fairfield Inn, and Marriott Courtyard. Yes, there are cheaper hotels, but these brands are much more consistent with their quality. I'll pay a bit more for a hotel I know is nice rather than gamble on a place like Motel 6 to save a few bucks.

Embassy Suites is still my all-time favorite chain.

[agentsteel53]

the first place I find that's under 50 bucks and has wireless internet.  Under 30 is nice, but getting harder and harder to find.  I did stay for $27 in Williams, AZ in September, but the $9/night motels in Gallup, NM are a thing of the past. 

[PAHighways]

Any hotel chain that is affiliated with my website.

[Truvelo]

Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn are my favorites, but I've also had good luck with Holiday Inn Express, Fairfield Inn, and Marriott Courtyard. Yes, there are cheaper hotels, but these brands are much more consistent with their quality. I'll pay a bit more for a hotel I know is nice rather than gamble on a place like Motel 6 to save a few bucks.

I have to agree with you there. During my early visits to the States I stayed at places around the $50 mark such as Motel 6, Super 8 etc. These are of variable quality and I've stayed at some really nice ones and some rotten ones. When I stayed at one in Casa Grande, AZ last year it changed my mind on budget accommodation forever. I can put up with the odd hair on linen but having the pillows stink of someone else's sweat and finding blood on most of the towels, plus the air conditioner rattled away all night I decided that was the end for el-cheapo accommodation.

Now I look at the $100 mark. It does make a week long vacation more expensive but I know the standard is much higher. Places I stay at now are Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn (& Express), Best Western, Crowne Plaza and places of that caliber. I must admit the best hotel I've stayed at was the Marriott near Denver Airport. The rooms are $200 but the airline paid as the plane was full.

[Chris]

There is not really a motel culture in Europe. There are plenty of hotels, but most of them are not intended for the one-night traveler. You can usually drive through an entire Euro country in one day. Only France has a slight motel culture with those F1 motels. About € 40 / $ 50 per night is the limit for me, but you can't find much for that kind of money, especially when you're traveling without reservations.

I usually go camping, it's rarely over € 12 / $ 15 per night, and it's nice to be "outside" after a long trip. I drive a van, so I carry a mattress instead of those inflatable horror things. Quite some European campings offer wifi these days, sometimes even for free. I was in Slovenia and Switzerland last year on a camping with wifi, very convenient.

[Truvelo]

We have F1 motels in the UK too. I've never had to use them as I can drive to 90% of mainland UK in one day.

[agentsteel53]

having the pillows stink of someone else's sweat and finding blood on most of the towels

that is when you go to the next motel down the street.  For me, the decision was once made when I witnessed a drug deal taking place in the parking lot. 

if the motel charges you even if you return the key within several minutes (something they're liable to do, given their general sleaziness), you can call your credit card company.  Said drug-den motel tried that trick, but after Visa threatened to take away their merchant account, they changed their tune and reversed the charges. 

[Chris]

that is when you go to the next motel down the street.  For me, the decision was once made when I witnessed a drug deal taking place in the parking lot. 

Lol, I can see that just looking out the window from my apartment, and this neighborhood isn't even considered bad. (but then again, the Dutch are very lax (too lax) about drugs.)

[agentsteel53]

Lol, I can see that just looking out the window from my apartment, and this neighborhood isn't even considered bad. (but then again, the Dutch are very lax (too lax) about drugs.)

exactly.  In the US, drug dealing is pushed so far underground by senseless laws, that you just don't want to interact with your friendly neighborhood drug dealer. 

[Brandon]

I usually look in the $70/night range or above (based on Midwestern standards).  This typically includes Ramada, Holiday Inn, Quality Inn, Comfort Inn, Best Western, etc.  I tend to shy away from Motel 6.

[yanksfan6129]

Generally I stay in Hilton Garden Inn, Marriott Courtyard, Hampton Inn, and Crowne Plaza level places. But rarely do I ever spend a night on the road; usually I stay at these places for at least 2 nights. Last time I spent nights on the road (on my Florida trip), I stayed at the Comfort Inn, both down and back, I think.

[oscar]

If you're just looking for a place to spend the night, I find Motel 6 to be pretty reliable. It's cheap, and you know what you are getting and most of them I find seem to be pretty well-kept for the most part.

I usually go for Super 8s.  A cut above Motel 6s, better TV channel selection, and much better availability for off-Interstate travels like I've been doing lately.  The quality of the free breakfast is uneven, but it helps in really small towns with limited restaurant selection. 

[Chris]

How safe is sleeping in your car? Any chance you could get robbed?

I would feel uncomfortable if strangers could watch me sleep in my car.

[agentsteel53]

How safe is sleeping in your car? Any chance you could get robbed?

I would feel uncomfortable if strangers could watch me sleep in my car.

I have done it hundreds of times, but always in rural or suburban environments.  Usually a parking spot just off the main drag in a small town is perfect.  I've never had any sort of a problem. 

[huskeroadgeek]

Perhaps I've just been lucky, but I've never had any bad experiences at Motel 6 or any other budget motel. I usually try to find out as much as I can about any motel first before I stay there-I check Trip Advisor and see what reviews(if any) that there are for what motel I am looking at and Street View is also useful to kind of get a feel for the general area if I'm unfamiliar with it. Safety is always my first priority though-if I don't think I can find a cheap motel that is safe, I'll go for something more expensive.

[corco]

I try to stay at Wyndham hotels whenever possible (due to their rewards program that nets free hotels often)- usually it's Super 8, but I've been getting decent deals at Baymonts lately. I also have found a great service/room per dollar ratio at La Quinta. I generally won't pay more than $75 including taxes with AAA discount, and if the reviews look good on whatever website for hotels under $60 I try as hard as possible to stay in those- my problem is I'm often staying in random off-interstate towns with limited selection, so I frequently end up having to use whatever the one chain is in town (I try to use chains whenever it's even sort of cost effective, though). I have had good luck at a couple non-chains, notably the Econo Inn in Worland WY, which was a really clean (albeit really really old) room next door to the really pricy Days Inn (and close enough to use their internet!) for $40, which I stayed at for 3 nights back last September to clinch a bunch of NW Wyoming highways, and I couldn't really convince myself to pay $80/night for three nights for the Days Inn next door.

I'll always look at Hotwire too if I'm staying in a major metro area- there's generally really solid deals to be found- I stayed at a Four Points by Sheraton by KCI (MCI) in October for $54 after fees, which was incredible.

On that note, if I'm on a multi day road trip I try to alternate one night at a hotel with one night of sleeping in the car- this can be challenging in the winter, but in the summer there's no reason for me to pay to sleep for one night, particularly if I'm renting a sedan with fold down back seats where I can sleep partially in the trunk- my Jeep is about 6 inches too short for comfortable seats-folded-down sleeping, but I'll usually rent a fuel-efficient car for multi day trips because the savings in gas generally offsets the rental costs.

When I sleep in the car, I'll try to find a minimal cost campground. Wal-Mart can work too since there's generally other overnighters, the lot is well lit, and some cities (Boise, Laramie for sure) have a cop go over there to patrol occasionally to make sure the overnighters are OK. I do keep a switchblade on me and quickly accessible at all times (when in a state where possession of one is legal) when I'm doing that in case safety becomes a concern. I'll also build a fire if I'm at a campground and it's not fire season so it looks like I may be awake.

[BigMattFromTexas]

The Holiday Inn Riverwalk, in San Antonio works for me, heh-heh. Stayed there in October, with my schools volleyball team (long story), and it's awesome, it's 23 stories, each room has a balcony, which is very nice when you're on the 19th floor. Had a great view, you could see all the downtown buildings (cause you're downtown), AND you could see I-10/35 (or whatever), and I-37, the Alamodome, and several other interesting landmarks. But we stayed there with the TEA discount thingamajig, which made it like $80 per night(?) But my parents (I don't really decide where to stay[yet]) usually stay at LaQuinta Inns, thats pretty much it. But in Kansas we stayed at a Ramada Inn, then in Wichita, KS, we stayed at, I think a Days Inn(?). But I think that LaQuinta's are good hotels, some Motel 6's are okay, but last time I stayed at one in San Antonio (Wurzbach Rd and I-10 Frontage Rd) I saw like 6 police cars outside a room across the drive thing (the "road" between the "wings"(lack of a better word) or the rooms), and later I saw them arrest a man.... But if I was gonna stay anywhere It'd be LaQuinta.
BigMatt

[US71]

Until recently, I've been partial to the small independents (mostly because I don't like coughing up 10 percent of my room rate to some corporate conglomerate), but the quality is so variable. I've been leaning towards Motel 6 as of late, but have also tried Econo-Lodge & Ramada.

I don't have a strong preference except clean, quiet & relatively inexpensive.

[Truvelo]

that is when you go to the next motel down the street.  For me, the decision was once made when I witnessed a drug deal taking place in the parking lot.  

Reminds me of a Motel 6 I stayed at a few years ago. As I was getting up there was a car circling the parking lot. About 1/2 hour later some cops pulled up and pointed guns at the man in the green top. By the time I got the camera out the man had given up. In the first picture the cop has pulled something out of the man's pocket. In the second picture it is placed on the hood.

[allniter89]

that is when you go to the next motel down the street.  For me, the decision was once made when I witnessed a drug deal taking place in the parking lot. 

the next thing I hear is "that aint mine"

Reminds me of a Motel 6 I stayed at a few years ago. As I was getting up there was a car circling the parking lot. About 1/2 hour later some cops pulled up and pointed guns at the man in the green top. By the time I got the camera out the man had given up. In the first picture the cop has pulled something out of the man's pocket. In the second picture it is placed on the hood.

[BigMattFromTexas]

that is when you go to the next motel down the street.  For me, the decision was once made when I witnessed a drug deal taking place in the parking lot.  

Reminds me of a Motel 6 I stayed at a few years ago. As I was getting up there was a car circling the parking lot. About 1/2 hour later some cops pulled up and pointed guns at the man in the green top. By the time I got the camera out the man had given up. In the first picture the cop has pulled something out of the man's pocket. In the second picture it is placed on the hood.

Photos of cops do a good job

Is it just something with Motel 6's?? I saw a man who prolly would have resisted arrest if it weren't for there being like 6 officers there, this was at a Motel 6 too, and that was across the street from a like 10 Drury Inn and Suites, so it wasn't the bad side of San Antonio, I've been to the bad side of San Antonio... But this Motel 6 was weird, it had all wood floors instead of carpet, which isn't bad, cause who actually like dirty carpet, I know they vacuum it, but that doesn't get ALL the dirt out of it. But other than that weirdness, the motel was fine, it even had a pool. I like pools....
BigMatt

[njroadhorse]

I normally have good luck with Holiday Inns, namely in Emporia, VA, Blacksburg, VA and just outside Petersburg, VA.  I did have a really bad experience in one in Roanoke.  All but the one in Blacksburg were Expresses too.  I'm a Marriott member, so those are preferred and I really havent had a problem with them.  I tend to avoid Best Westerns and the places that just scream out "DIVE!" after a couple bad stays, though I did find a good BW in Boston, except for its location.

[Ian]

Our family made the mistake of staying at an Econo Lodge at exit 94 (GA 204) off I-95 in Savannah, GA. Worst hotel ever. Smelled awful, bugs everywhere, and even a poor family living in the room next to us.