What Motels & Hotels Do You Like The Best?

[spectr17]

What motels or hotels do you like the best?

What factors do you consider important in choosing a motel.

Clean rooms?

Helpful service?

Easy to book a room? Website available? Easy to get a warm body on the phone if you have any questions?

Room amenities like cable TV, room safe, laundry service, free local phone calls, data port on phone for computer, loaner iron or other needed travel item, late check out, continental breakfast etc.

Best rates?

Best locations?

Chain motels or small independantly owned motels?

Any tips on motels?

Worst motel experience?

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I've been using Days Inn and Motel 6 the most.

Decent price and good locations.

Rooms are usally very clean and good service.

I will use a smaller private motels in some areas that I like from past experiences.

I like being able to check out a motel on the Internet first.

Having free local phone calls and a data port on the phone is important to me since I need to get online sometimes while traveling. I use Earthlink for my dial up and I pre load the local city phone number to dial into Earthlink from the motel at no charge.

For tips I would recommend having two credit cards in case one is rejected for some crazy reason while booking a room. You can usually book a room anytime and you have to cancel at least 24 hours before check in to get a refund. Check to make sure on cancellation policies as some motels will charge your card if you don't abide by their cancellation policy

 

[nfmMike]

Super 8 is the first choice.

Rooms are clean and most imporatnt, they allow dogs. Can't have my pooch, then I will just keep driving.

I have found, that at 11:00 pm, a lot of motels will allow dogs, especially a small one like a Westy. These are the times when as long as my head does not splash in something when I lay down, I could care less about the room - just give me a lock and an air conditioner.

My wife though - she is the picky one, but that's good, that sort of negates me being at fault if the room is not up to par. ;-)

 

[PHOnos]

The post about the fires in Glacier Park reminded me about one of the most memorable motels I ever stayed in. Right on highway 89 at Babb, Montana, on the Blackfoot Reservatlon.

It sure wasn't fancy, lighting was a single bulb with switch hanging from the ceiling, had a bathroom and two double beds, was clean though. Across the street was the Reservation Trading Post and Restaurant. At the time, that was all of Babb, I think.

It was right were the turn off was to Lake Sherburne and the Many Glacier area of the Park. What a beautiful place and we slept well too. I don't think there were more than 5-6 cars go by on the highway all night.

 

[Loye]

You can deffinately cross ALL Travel Lodge's off the list of the best.

 

[Maverick]

It has to be clean! No thin walls I don't want to hear the peole next or above me. I will not staty at the motel 6, lazy 8, super 8 or any of those. I like Best Western, Extended Stay America, Days Inn. Well If it was 39 $ or less a night it a dive . So I spend a little extra and get someting I'm comfortanle in.

 

[Qbn Hunter]

Clean rooms, no critters larger than my dog.........

 

[shaginator]

When I did a lot of business travel, needing data ports and stuff like that were no-brainers. There were a few great hotels that had ethernet ports to their broadband routers. Great bonus. A FedEx box with supplies, fax service, and a copy center were also lifesavers.

When I traveled on business in Europe, it was always good to find a hotel that knew you needed a 120V converter for your laptop.

These days, local calls aren't too important since my cell service is a one rate plan that treats all US calls as local and there's no roaming.

Leisure is a different story. I'm not the type that's into big resorts, and stuff like that. I just want a safe place to sleep comfortably. Most of the time we're out camping anyways. Also, I'm in front of the dang computer all the time, so when on vacation, it's the last thing I want to see.

When we do stay, it's gotta allow dogs.

They don't have to have their own website, but the ones in and around cities ought to be bookable by sites like Travelocity.

I don't care about room service. It's gotta be obvious that the linens get changed, and if I'm not sure I use the sleeping bag.

Don't need anything fancy like room service. Also, the mid- to cheap hotels and that "continental breakfast..." Why bother?

Plus, for all the camping we do instead of staying in hotels, I've just about saved up enough for a shell for my truck. Now I'll be sleeping in style! Seems good enough

 

[PHOnos]

Originally posted by nfmMike@Jul 29 2003, 09:48 AM
Super 8 is the first choice.

Other than the Oasis Resort in Mesquite, Nevada, which was the best all around deal for price, ammenities, convenience, and value, have to agree with nfmMike on this one on recent trip to Utah & Nevada.

Of all the places we stayed in Utah, Super 8 in Torrey was the best for the money.

The Motel 6 in Beaver was awful, non-smoking room had terrible odor, manager-clerk-whatever was rude and lazy.

The Nugget in Sparks, NV was very nice but somewhat expensive.

 

[Eric Mayer]

In Bishop, CA I have to say the "Trees Motel" on West Line Street is the best bargain out there. It is small and run by the owners, who not only live on the property, but are very outdoorsman friendly. The rooms are comfy, a bit on the small side, but they offer a room with 3 beds that comes with an extra room that is great for storing your stuff. The A/C and heat works great, but you can also open the windows and get some fresh air in (unlike some of the other "cheap" places to stay in Bishop). The grassy area with the BBQ and Ping-Pong table are nice as well. They also have some kitchenettes. I've been staying there for as long as I can remember and have never been disappointed.

Eric A. Mayer

 

[PHOnos]

Another vote for Super 8. Just back from week trip to Arizona and New Mexico.

Stayed exclusively in Super 8s except one night in Quality Inn and one night at Harriah's in Laughlin, Nevada.

The Quality (in Carlsbad) was dirty and $10 more expensive for a "hot breakfast" that consisted of 2 microwaved Jimmy dean sausge biscuits (which are pretty good, but $10 ???) and cold hard boiled eggs.

Harriah's was only $30 (not counting all the gambling money my wife and I lost).

 

[techman]

Being a Road-Worrior I need locations. Therefor I use Marriott or Hilton Properties. I can find one in any town that I am working and I love the 800 numbers for booking rooms. The bonus points also allow me to treat my kids on occasion to a weekend away.