# How close is a hotel to your house? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2026, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364 "2026-03-11T12:17:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/81 "2026-03-12T11:42:25Z")
About a mile to a couple of chains in one direction, and a local one about a mile in another direction. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/82 "2026-03-12T13:10:31Z")
About a mile, but I don’t think you live more than an hour or two from us anyway. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/83 "2026-03-12T14:02:26Z")
2.5 miles. ETA: Right now, we’re taking no overnight visitors. Septic systems are failing in our neighborhood, and ours is one of the systems that’s failing. It still works, and normal use of toilets and sinks is no problem, but if showers or washloads happen too soon after one another, the tank overflows into the yard. (Yuk!) Through careful management, we avoid such repugnant outcomes, but one doesn’t want to manage a guest’s behavior like that. The HOA has been working with the county to bring sewer service to our neighborhood, but it’ll be 2-3 years before we’re actually hooked up. So we persevere, and direct any potential guests to the local hotel. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/84 "2026-03-12T14:13:25Z")
I live a mile and a half as the crow flies from Midway Airport, so you can imagine how many hotels are near me. The closest is a half mile from me. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/85 "2026-03-12T14:18:04Z")
There are two good, mid-range hotels within a few miles of my house, one with a restaurant, one next to a restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/86 "2026-03-12T14:18:23Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Septic systems are failing in our neighborhood, and ours is one of the systems that’s failing. Dang - I can’t even imagine what that must be like. I remember visiting my aunt in West Virginia and being told not to flush or let water run too long because their well wasn’t keeping up with use. They’d deal with that periodically. But that’s not nearly as bad as septic. Good luck to you! ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/87 "2026-03-12T14:26:41Z")
Oddly enough, my little Ozark Mountain mining town, which is NOT in the touristy areas, has a hotel. I’d describe it as on par with a Super 8. It almost exclusively houses professionals in very specific mining-related disciplines who are doing jobs in the mines that there aren’t local people to do. AI says it’s permanently closed, since I see people coming in and out of it every day. It’s about one mile as the crow flies, from my front door. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/88 "2026-03-12T14:32:48Z")
There’s a couple of nice hotels that I could walk to from my house (2.5 miles by car, but only 1.5 walking) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/89 "2026-03-12T15:45:38Z")
There’s a Quality Inn out by the freeway, so 3.5 miles. I was going to say there only one other motel in town, but a Google Maps search reminded me of the one across from the post office. That’s one of those places that’s more of a temporary apartment building than a functioning motel for visitors. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/90 "2026-03-12T15:56:21Z")
Yeah I used Google maps to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything. I live on the mainland but very close to a lagoon that separates the mainland from the barrier island, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t forgetting a lagoon-side motel, where you can at least have a water view without the beach side price, but the nearest one to me is like 6 miles. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/91 "2026-03-12T20:16:04Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Dang - I can’t even imagine what that must be like. I remember visiting my aunt in West Virginia and being told not to flush or let water run too long because their well wasn’t keeping up with use. They’d deal with that periodically. But that’s not nearly as bad as septic. Good luck to you! Thanks! I’ve managed it down to the level of ‘ongoing nuisance’ but I very much look forward to the day when we have sewer. It’s weird though - before I moved into this neighborhood \>25 years ago, I’d thought septic was only for places out in the boonies where people lived too far apart to justify any sort of central sewage system. But most of Calvert County is on septic systems, even though most people here live in suburban-type neighborhoods. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/92 "2026-03-12T20:18:55Z")
“Culvert county?” 😉 — former Marylander ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/93 "2026-03-12T22:51:34Z")
Named after Lord Culvert, who was instrumental in developing modern drainage methods. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/94 "2026-03-12T23:53:10Z")
IME, one house is a long way from a hotel. But if you’ve got four houses on one property, you’re practically there. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/95 "2026-03-13T00:27:58Z")
Yeah, but the railroad probably runs right by it. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/96 "2026-03-13T00:59:19Z")
There is a Doubletree 1.6 miles (straight line) and 2.7 miles (driving) from my house. For my daughter’s christening 18 years ago, most of our families who came from out of town stayed there. My parents and parents-in-law of course stayed at our house. I’m still amazed how many people either flew in or drove five or even ten hours to be there. Good memories. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/97 "2026-03-13T01:21:00Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > My parents and parents-in-law of course stayed at our house. Do you mean “of course” due to your particular family dynamics, or do you mean “of course, that’s what people do?” ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/98 "2026-03-13T01:41:00Z")
We’re about mid way between downtown Oakland and downtown Berkeley, about a block from a BART station with service into San Francisco. There are hundreds of options within 5 minutes. Although we have a guest room and put it to use a few times a year (which I don’t mind at all), when I’m travelling I much prefer to stay in a hotel. My partner always stays with friends when she travels. We don’t travel together very often! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/99 "2026-03-13T01:41:59Z")
FWIW, I read that “As the ranking members of the entire extended downline, of course my & my wife’s parents were given, and took, the prime guest rooms at our house. The remaining lower-ranked family members made do at a nearby hotel”. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364/100 "2026-03-13T02:01:30Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > If FairyChatMom begins to smoke… …make sure she stands at least 25’ away from any entryway. > [@Ludovic](#): > > Yeah I used Google maps to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything. I live on the mainland but very close to a lagoon that separates the mainland from the barrier island, Try looking for hotels on Lawn Guyland on Expedia. They show some of the closer ones in CT. \*\*Hint: \*\*One _could_ stay there, just add $100 (or more, depending upon # of bodies) for the ferry each way, & make damn sure you’re not out late otherwise, you’re driving the long way around the western end of the LI Sound, so figure 70ish miles instead of 15 across the Sound because with very few exceptions (I’m looking at you, Russell) people are not crow(e)s! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-close-is-a-hotel-to-your-house/1028364.md?page=6)