Hotels you like to stay at while on the road

[jdb1234]

No doubt.  Wyndham needs some quality control with its related chains and badly.

Not surprising, there are a number of Wyndham hotels in Birmingham that are dumps, some even in decent parts of town.

[BigMattFromTexas]

Here's one I stayed at in San Antonio:
http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/satrw/hoteldetail#Photos-Tours
Here's San Angelo's newest one:
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/sjtsh-springhill-suites-san-angelo/
I've walked through the SpringHill, and of course I stayed at the Holiday Inn.
BigMatt

[jdb1234]

^^  Interesting, the Springhill Suites near where I live has the building style of a Hampton Inn. 

[mightyace]

^^

Ironically, there is not a Spring Hill Suites in Spring Hill, TN! 

[jdb1234]

^^

Ironically, there is not a Spring Hill Suites in Spring Hill, TN! 

Not only that, there is neither a Homewood Suites in Homewood, AL nor a Fairfield Inn in Fairfield, AL. 

[BigMattFromTexas]

^^  Interesting, the Springhill Suites near where I live has the building style of a Hampton Inn. 

The one here is VERY modern, and it's by far the nicest in San Angelo, we have another one Microtel under construction, I've heard bad reviews about this brand....
BigMatt

[hbelkins]

I try to stay in either Wyndham or Choice Hotels properties because of the rewards program. (I got both nights of my trip to the Canton, Ohio meet free, I will be able to have two of my three nights in Marshalltown, Iowa for next month's meet free of charge and I may be able to get a night or two of the trip there and back free as well). Recently I've been sticking to Choice brands because of some of the promotions they've been running. I can't recall seeing a Wyndham promotion for free nights.

Generally, I like inexpensive. For a year or so I stayed at Hamptons exclusively but to me, $100 a night is way too much to pay for a place to sleep, shower in the morning, and surf the Internet while I'm in the room. I try to look for rooms in the $50 to $60 range and very often Super 8, Days Inn, Econo Lodge and even some Comfort Inns or Quality Inns fit that criterion. I use AAA or government employee discounts where applicable. It pays to check both rates, sometimes one will be cheaper than the other.

I've used Motel 6 in the past when other places were full, there were none nearby, or they were prohibitively expensive.

I used to try to stay at Microtel Inns because of their "stay 9 nights, get 1 free" program but they aren't in a lot of markets and they have been absorbed into Wyndham's chain and rewards program. However I was able to get my stay in Oklahoma City free when I was cashing in those nights before their program closed.

My preference is for motels with exterior corridors where I can park right in front of my room. I like rooms with refrigerators and wi-fi is a must (although on my recent trip I stayed at a Rodeway Inn in Rehoboth Beach, Del. with no wi-fi but I was able to tether my jailbroken iPad to my laptop and the 3G speeds were comparable to wi-fi). I'm not super-picky as to the level of cleanliness. It doesn't have to be spotless. But I don't want used towels on the rack or garbage in the trash cans or anything like that.

Trip Advisor reviews can be way off, in my experience. I have seen some terrible reviews of places that I love, including the Days Inn where I stay every time I have to go to Frankfort on business.

As a member of AAA, I look at their recommended properties, but a lot of their listings are too rich for my blood.

I've really had mostly good experiences at all the places I've stayed. In a few of them, the wi-fi didn't work but I was able to get online going through my iPhone so there was no problem. The last night of my last trip, at the Econo Lodge in Terre Haute, Ind., was probably the worst one I've had. I asked for a non-smoking room but was given a smoking room. I got reassigned to a different room, and it was obvious that the property was older, but everything was fine except the AC was struggling to cool the room down and it was in the 90s.

My work duties sometimes take me to expensive properties in Louisville or Lexington. Quite honestly, I don't enjoy those stays. Parking is difficult, especially in downtown Louisville, and I don't find the quality to be much better than a typical cheap place where I would normally stay.

[agentsteel53]

tether my jailbroken iPad to my laptop and the 3G speeds were comparable to wi-fi

speaking of this trick, does anyone know how to jailbreak a Blackberry Curve to be able to do this?  The blackberry has a perfectly good USB connector but I've never seen an app that allows anyone to use it as a wireless adapter.

[realjd]

My preference is for motels with exterior corridors where I can park right in front of my room.

Ew, really? I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they prefer that. While it's not a dealbreaker for me, I will usually go out of my way to avoid hotels like that.

[huskeroadgeek]

My preference is for motels with exterior corridors where I can park right in front of my room.

Ew, really? I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they prefer that. While it's not a dealbreaker for me, I will usually go out of my way to avoid hotels like that.

For me, it depends on the area. In larger cities, I generally prefer interior corridors because of safety and noise reasons. But for smaller cities, I like exterior corridors because of the ability to park in front of your door(if you have a ground-level room of course) and the ease that it offers for packing and unpacking the car. I also like exterior corridors because of the nostalgic feel it gives me for family vacations when I was growing up-my family nearly always stayed at independent motels with exterior corridors.

[corco]

I actually prefer exterior corridors, particularly if I'm in kind of a sketchy area. For one, if somebody tries to break into my car I'm only 10 feet away from it so I can A) hear it, B) see it, and C) either act on it or call the cops and have a good description of what's going on. I also don't like walking through lobbies for whatever reason, so if I'm in an interior hotel I'll usually find the back door, but I generally prefer to have my own door to the outside.

[agentsteel53]

I see no validity to indoor corridors - it's just one more door I have to open, usually while being laden down with luggage, and with the door requiring a keycard access.  Until I learn to use a keycard reader with my nose and forehead, they will remain an obstacle. 

with an outdoor corridor, I pull right up to my door, open it once, and then shovel everything in with several short trips.

[realjd]

I actually prefer exterior corridors, particularly if I'm in kind of a sketchy area. For one, if somebody tries to break into my car I'm only 10 feet away from it so I can A) hear it, B) see it, and C) either act on it or call the cops and have a good description of what's going on. I also don't like walking through lobbies for whatever reason, so if I'm in an interior hotel I'll usually find the back door, but I generally prefer to have my own door to the outside.

Security is exactly why I prefer interior corridors, especially in sketchy areas. It's too easy for someone to break into a hotel room if they don't need to go through a lobby/keycard door to get to the room. I avoid first-floor rooms often for this same reason. Plus, with indoor corridors, I don't have to worry about getting robbed on the way to the ice machine.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but hotel breakins and robberies are in the news constantly here in the Orlando area, even in the touristy areas. It's almost never in a hotel with indoor corridors.

I do always take my electronics in when I'm parked at a hotel though (GPS, satellite radio, radar detector, etc.) to make my car a less appealing target. Other than that, I'm not too concerned about someone breaking into my car for whatever reason.

[corco]

I figure with a deadbolt and lock the room is fairly secure. My thought is that especially in the more inexpensive hotels, there often isn't somebody sitting behind the front desk all the time (hence the ring bell for service bells), so if they want to break in all they have is one extra unlocked door to open. That admittedly is a pretty big psychological barrier to cross, however. That said, it seems that most robberies/breakins happen when the person is not in the room- it's pretty dumb to break in to a hotel room when somebody is in it (especially with exterior entrances where it's easy to tell if somebody is in the room or not- if there's no car nearby there's probably nobody in the room), so I just keep my valuables with me at all times. If I'm in the room, they're in the room and out of sight. If I'm in the car, that's where my valuables are.

My Dad actually last a laptop a few years ago at the Red Lion in Kennewick WA. He was on a first floor room with an indoor entrance, but he left his laptop visible from the window and the thief broke the window to get to the laptop.

I figure if they break in and I'm in the room, I am capable of semi-defending myself to the point that help can arrive. If I can't defend myself, I'll be dead and I won't care because I'll be dead. If somebody knocks on the door and I'm in the room, I'll call the lobby before opening the door to verify that they are supposed to be there. If I'm not in the room, there's nothing I can do, so if I'm not in the room my valuables aren't either.

I don't really care if somebody breaks into the hotel room- my concern for hotel property isn't that great. My concern for my car is, however, so I like to be near it. If someone broke into my hotel room and didn't find anything (as they won't when I'm not there) I'd just say "well that guy is stupid." but if they broke into my car and didn't find anything  (as they won't when I'm not there) I'd be pretty pissed.

There's certainly not a correct answer to the indoor/outdoor debate for safety- I think it's just a matter of personal preference.

[agentsteel53]

Security is exactly why I prefer interior corridors, especially in sketchy areas.

I try not to stop in sketchy areas.  If I can't find some nice quiet sensible-looking town, I'll just keep driving until I can.

[Truvelo]

I'll add my comments regarding inside vs outside corridors. I prefer inside ones for the security reasons mentioned. I also prefer them due to the luxury of walking on deep pile carpets. I agree that outside corridors are handy for quick access to your car but a 5 minute walk to car is no problem to me.

When choosing a hotel in advance I look at a website called tripadvisor and read the reviews. I also check the area for crime statistics and poverty so I avoid sketchy areas at all costs. When I stayed in Phoenix last year I avoided the area to the west of Sky Harbor for this reason.

[agentsteel53]

I'll add my comments regarding inside vs outside corridors. I prefer inside ones for the security reasons mentioned. I also prefer them due to the luxury of walking on deep pile carpets. I agree that outside corridors are handy for quick access to your car but a 5 minute walk to car is no problem to me.

I tend to travel fairly heavy (i.e. self-sufficient for trips of several weeks or even months if need be, with the possibility of not seeing civilization at all for several days), so a 5-minute walk with luggage is not a fun thing, and certainly not something to be repeated.

as for carpets... I figure it's my money that's being used to install them, so I may as well save my money instead!

[BigMattFromTexas]

I prefer indoor corridors, I won't be upset if it's an outdoor corridor, I don't really have any say on where we stay, but I can't wait till I get my licence, I should start planning some road trips now.
BigMatt

[Scott5114]

I generally prefer indoor corridors. I like being able to get out of the room at 10 o'clock at night or later and just sort of walk around, exploring the corridors. Find the ice machine, look at the pool, look at the vending, look at the laundry. Plus, for really tall hotels, it's fun to go up to the highest floor and look around at the city.

If you're just staying for one night, outdoor corridors are okay, since you can just get up and go in the morning. On the other hand, if it's a one-night stay, you may as well leave a lot of non-essential, non-valuable crap outside, to save you the trouble of carting it back out in the morning.

Is your stuff actually safe if you lock it up in the room safe?

[corco]

Is your stuff actually safe if you lock it up in the room safe?

I've worked at hotels before- pretty much every employee where I've worked knew the master safe combination because it guests often forgot their combos, so it depends on how much you trust the employees, I would guess

[D-Dey65]

Generally, I prefer hotels that have a "business center," with a working PC, but I'm willing to spend nights in cheaper hotels. There are some Comfort Inns in North Carolina that are pretty nice. My mother likes the fancier hotels, like the Comfort Inn in Rocky Mount on US 64 or the new Hilton Garden Inn at Exit 171. For my father, a cheap place to sleep is good enough, as long as it isn't a rat hole. I've been in places that are so bad, porno movie makers don't even bother to rent out rooms, and you'd think the manager was ready to invite some rock band over to get blitzed and trash the place so he can get a refund check from their record company.

[US71]

... I've been in places that are so bad, porno movie makers don't even bother to rent out rooms, and you'd think the manager was ready to invite some rock band over to get blitzed and trash the place so he can get a refund check from their record company.

Well, you know hotel upkeep can be expensive and a lot of these owners are probably worried about having enough $$ to put fuel in their Cadillac SUV's.   

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Comfort Inn is probably the only one I can think of that I never have had a complaint against. I don't mind Holiday Inn or Super 8 though, personally.

I think Candlewood Suites has some really great interiors, but lousy service.

[tmthyvs]

I tend towards places that have a decent free breakfast and are fairly new and clean--generally Holiday Inn Express, Hampton, Fairfield by Marriott, or Drury Inn--things in those price ranges. I'll stay away from things like the Hilton Garden or the Courtyard by Marriott because I don't like the idea of paying more versus the Hampton or Fairfield and losing out on the breakfast. Sometimes I'll do a Comfort or Days or so to save money, but typically will check out reviews with those brands. I like that with the HIE, Hampton, or Fairfield, I generally know what I'm getting as the quality is fairly consistent.

[hbelkins]

I do always take my electronics in when I'm parked at a hotel though (GPS, satellite radio, radar detector, etc.) to make my car a less appealing target. Other than that, I'm not too concerned about someone breaking into my car for whatever reason.

Ditto that, and my list of electronics is getting larger by the day. (cell phone, iPod, radar detector, iPad, laptop, GPS, camera, video camera...)

If I'm just staying one night, I don't pack my luggage in. Just my toiletries. I'll get my change of clothes out of the bag/suitcase and leave it in the vehicle.