Hotels you like to stay at while on the road

[agentsteel53]

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

mine too - I am completely self-sufficient on the road except for needing to do laundry - so I pack at least a week of clothes.

am I the only one that does not use a radar detector?  I figure the police are always one step ahead, and they'll nail me using some previously undiscovered frequency band, so why bother. 

[Scott5114]

Radar detectors and other ticket-avoidance techniques are discussed at https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3087.0

[BigMattFromTexas]

This one :

BigMatt

[SSOWorld]

and that is?

[D-Dey65]

If I can keep this thread alive, there was a cheap "Relax Inn" in New Castle, Delaware I stayed in on my previous road trip up north. I stayed there on the second day of the trip, and the old lady who worked in the office had some quaint electronics there from between 1970 and roughly 1984.

   

You should see the big, bulky "business" telephone she had.

[BigMattFromTexas]

and that is?

My bad, I didn't see that.. But someone reposted on here.
It's the Holiday Inn Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX.. It's nice..
BigMatt

[Michael in Philly]

"I love me a Hampton breakfast," he said contentedly.

I stayed at a Hampton for the first time a month and a half ago when I went to Gettysburg for one night, and the only reason I stayed there was it was available at a reasonable price.  But I liked the breakfast and they told me it was standard nationally.

So in this week's road trip I stayed two nights at a Super8 in North Attleboro, Mass. (hard to beat $65 a night that close to Boston) and last night at a Hampton in the Albany area.  Those chains will probably be my preference moving forward.

One minor peeve:  I like a hotel TV that's on the local cable system, for a broader selection of channels (I like at least putting the local news on, if not paying full attention to it - this is how one learns things like how to pronounce "Claverack" - turns out it's "CLAH-ver-ick," at least on the weather report I was watching an hour ago) and particularly for the version of the Weather Channel that has an actual local in the "Local on the Eights."

The Hampton in Gettysburg had cable; this place has Dish Network or something.  Most, but not all, Super8's I've stayed at have cable.  I'll never stay at a RedRoof again after my first two - on the same trip - didn't even have PBS.  I have yet to figure out how you can tell in advance what the TV provider will be, and I may be the only one who cares.

Today, I'm thinking of driving out US 20 from Albany to I-81, then 81 and 476 home....

[corco]

I've been really enjoying Days Inns lately- I stayed at them exclusively on my 4-night Louisiana/Arkansas/Texas trip last month and like them a lot. They seem much nicer than comparable Super 8s and run roughly the same price and are usually in the same point reward tier as Super 8s in the same city.

[Truvelo]

"I love me a Hampton breakfast," he said contentedly.

I stayed at a Hampton for the first time a month and a half ago when I went to Gettysburg for one night, and the only reason I stayed there was it was available at a reasonable price.  But I liked the breakfast and they told me it was standard nationally.

Hampton Inn is my preferred hotel chain nowadays. Prices can be well over $100 at some locations but I know I'll be getting consistent quality wherever I stay. The breakfast does mean there's no need to buy one separately which compensates for the higher prices somewhat.

[AZDude]

When planing a trip, I prefer Motel 6.  Most of the time they are cheaper than the others.  However there are some that are rediculously expensive.  Like my past trip, the Motel 6 in Roswell, NM was more expensive than the Super 8 accross the street.  And the Super 8 is nicer and has compilmentary breakfast, free wifi, reclining chair, and overall looks like a luxury hotel.  I bet you can guess where I stayed that night... (Super 8). 

[mightyace]

Super 8 and Days Inn are the preferred places on trips for my brother and I.

The rates are relatively low and they have a continental breakfast and some locations have waffles.

We generally don't go too high on the hog as we often arrive late and just beat out check out time.  In such a case, we're mainly just paying for a bed, so as long as it's reasonable clean, it's OK.

America's Best Value Inn gets our money sometimes.

[brownpelican]

Super 8 rules for me, but I also like Drury Hotels: snacks in the afternoon and happy hour in the evenings for about three hours....includes alcoholic drinks (limit 3 per day). 

[hobsini2]

When i am out on my storm chase, we stay at Best Western, Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Fairfield when possible.  We figure between 70 to 100 is reasonable for a 2 queen bed room. Days Inn we will do only in emergencies. Too much variance in the quality.  Olathe KS Days Inn was fine.  North Okla City off I-35 was terrible.  I used to be fine with "mom and pop" motels until a couple of years ago in Masillion OH with one of my best friends Craig.  There was a roadside motel on US 30 across from the State Police HQ. We stayed there because it was 2 in the morning and we couldnt make it to Canton.  So we payed the $30 for the room. it was A bed.  As Craig was changing in the bedroom, I decided I was going to put the TV on for the weather the following day.  EVERY channel was porn.  That was a bit of a shock to the system.  When we got up in the morning, sure enough, the hookers were on the corner.  Needless to say, the next night when we were on the way home from State College, we slept for a couple hours at a rest area on I-80.  That was still a good trip despite the "hooker hotel".

[roadman65]

Motel 6 is where I stay, except once when traveling I-69 south from Lansing. I saw a Motel 6 at the Saginaw Highway exit, but did not stop cause I thought I would find another one further down the road to Indy.  However, I was dead wrong!  I reached Coldwater thinking I would find one there.  Of course, no!  Then at the I-69 and I-80/ I-90 Junction I did not find one either.  I then checked other places out as I sometimes need to if I cannot find a Motel 6.  All the motels at that place were $70 or more!  I could not believe that a rural area like this is so expensive!

I ended up at a small motel on US 6 a mile east of I-69.  Not the best, but a bed where I can crash.  Later when I woke up, I found some cheaper chain motels later in Fort Wayne and all cities to Indianapolis.

I find this chain to be cheap and have a good room and some even with pools.  All except Piscataway, NJ that charges $80 or more, but that is cheap compared to the other hotels in the area.  I have no choice except the roach motels along US 1.

America's Best in Dothan, AL on the Circle (Ross Clark that is) had a good rate and clean room.
In the southern states police do not bother you even if you sleep in your vehicle at rest areas.  I do not know if they do up north or out west, if any are left as I do know in NJ they seem to be closing the rest areas there.  On I-10 and on US 231 at a rest area near Troy, AL; I slept all night and was not hassled.

[US71]

America's Best Value is decent if they have a 3* rating, and often a couple dollars below Motel 6.

I've always leaned towards "independents", but overall quality seems to have suffered in the last few years... too much "take the money and run".

[realjd]

Then at the I-69 and I-80/ I-90 Junction I did not find one either.  I then checked other places out as I sometimes need to if I cannot find a Motel 6.  All the motels at that place were $70 or more!  I could not believe that a rural area like this is so expensive!

You're at the intersection of two major highways. It's a rural area, but there is a high demand for lodging in a place like that.

I used to do the drive until I'm tired and then find a hotel thing, but lately I find myself prebooking online before the trip. I know how far I can drive until I get tired, and I can often find a better hotel at a better rate if I do a bit of research ahead of time. There have been times where all of the motels along the major highway were super expensive ($100+) but I was able to snag a Hilton or an Embassy Suites in the city for less than $75. Last time I was driving through New Orleans, even the Motel 6's along I-12 were up around $100. The Holiday Inn right on Bourbon Street was $65. I never would have found that if I hadn't booked ahead of time. Knoxville was another city that I stayed downtown in that ended up being a surprisingly cool place.

[OCGuy81]

I'm a huge fan of Embassy Suites.  They have a complimentary manager's reception in the evenings with snacks and a decent bar (beer, wine, and some nicely poured well drinks). 

I usually go to Hilton hotels (Embassy, Hilton Garden Inn, etc) not because I enjoy contributing to that brat Paris' trust fund, but with a Hilton Visa, it's nice to rack up points for free stays.

BEST hotel I've ever stayed at though would have to be the Kona Inn on the big island of Hawaii.  It's where my wife and I went on our honeymoon, and it's awesome.  No phones or TVs in the rooms.  The rooms look like tiki huts, and the grounds are beautiful, the food great, and the staff was incredible. Can't suggest it enough if you're on that island!

[hbelkins]

I always read the reviews on Trip Advisor, but sometimes I think the reviewers are too harsh. I have stayed in places that got terrible reviews but found them to be perfectly acceptable. Occasionally a lot of bad reviews will scare me off -- I'm expecting to stay in Williamsport, PA next month and chose to avoid the Econo Lodge there because of bad reviews.

[formulanone]

Although I pretty much stay wherever the company books me (they tend to package the hotel + airline to get the best deal on the combo), I'm starting to like the "apartment hotel" style of places...Residence Inn, Staybridge Suites, and Summerfield Suites, for example. Some of them serve up some meals in the evenings, which is nice if I can't decide (and sometimes have a couple of free drinks). Sometimes I'd rather cook or whip up something in the kitchen instead of eating out, and having a little kitchen table that's not a computer desk is nice change of pace; the additional space is also a boon. It's absolutely not necessary unless you're staying 4+ nights; oddly, I prefer the simpler places for 2-3 night stays.

That said, my company doesn't put us in any motels, and usually they're slightly above average places. Sometimes the locations aren't the best, but sometimes that's actually more interesting than anything else. There are some females on our traveling staff, and they'll make a fuss if they feel the slightest bit endangered or imperiled, that usually means middle-of-the-income places which have rarely given me problems (broken irons and boards are about it).

When people review things online, I tend to err on the side of assuming people's expectations were set completely sky-high to begin with. Most people inherently do not take the time to type out good news or helpful advice, unless they're tied into the company or location, or were absolutely blown away by their experiences. Rather, most "reviewers" just want to vent their spleen...usually, those who have a lot of reviews are going to give more rounded advice than the one-and-done complainer. It all depends on whether it's a nationally-recognized chain, or a unique local spot, from my experience.

That said, gimme a free breakfast at 6am sharp, free Wi-Fi, a clean room/bathroom, and a working iron, and I'm good to go. I barely turn on the TV, and unless it's bitterly cold/raining outside, I'll exercise outdoors. But I guess that's because I get almost no choice in the matter, so it's potluck.

[US71]

I always read the reviews on Trip Advisor, but sometimes I think the reviewers are too harsh. I have stayed in places that got terrible reviews but found them to be perfectly acceptable. Occasionally a lot of bad reviews will scare me off -- I'm expecting to stay in Williamsport, PA next month and chose to avoid the Econo Lodge there because of bad reviews.

I read the reviews and also note the date of the review. If there are 4 reviews and 3 are bad, I see how recent they were. More recent reviews carry more weight, though I've been fooled a couple times.

[formulanone]

Also, I'm wary whenever there's a cluster of reviews - good or bad - within a short time span.

[Brandon]

Usually wind up at a Best Western, Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Holiday Inn, Sleep Inn, even Hampton Inn.  Lowest I'll go is Super 8.  Motel 6, Days Inn, and HoJos are a no-go, IMHO.

[1995hoo]

Money is an issue, but I like Westins if I can manage to pay for one. We have a Westin mattress at home and so staying at one of their hotels means a very comfortable sleep.

[US71]

Usually wind up at a Best Western, Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Holiday Inn, Sleep Inn, even Hampton Inn.  Lowest I'll go is Super 8.  Motel 6, Days Inn, and HoJos are a no-go, IMHO.

Days Inn and Super 8 are a roll of the dice. Ditto Motel 6, but many have remodeled, though are still noisy. I've seen one HoJo in my travels and it was nasty.

But worse are Travelodge and Knight's Inn.

Quality Inn and EconoLodge are borderline. I've had better at Econo than Quality overall.

A sure sign a motel is bad: regular name changes. Bentonville, AR: Comfort Inn to Quailty Inn to Econo Lodge in 5 years time. I'm sure with each change, service standards were lowered.

[corco]

A sure sign a motel is bad: regular name changes. Bentonville, AR: Comfort Inn to Quailty Inn to Econo Lodge in 5 years time. I'm sure with each change, service standards were lowered.

That's sort of weird- all three of those are Choice hotels, right? I'm surprised Choice lets them downgrade and doesn't just say "You know, this isn't working out" and drops the affiliation entirely.