I was wondering if any frequent travellers out there might have some tips on how you choose hotels.
Its usually pretty safe to go with a top of the line hotel, but that gets pretty pricey. And sometimes, websites and such do not give a clear impression. For example, the photos may be old, and the place may not have been rehabbed in some time.
So how do you choose where to make reservations?
And how do you choose a hotel if you have not made reservations?
Are there any chains that you find better than others?
What are your thoughts about independents?
What do you consider a reasonable price for a standard room off the expressway w/ 2 dbl beds?
We rely on the “smell test.” Essentially, if the lobby has any kind of funky odor, that’s a good sign that it isn’t well maintained. But that can be a hassle, as you actually have to get out of your car and walk into the hotel.
Appearances can be deceiving, as relatively new buildings can turn out to be dumps, and older buildings can be well maintained with interesting personality and fantastic personal service.
We are a family of 5, and have had good luck asking about suites. Often they are quite reasonable, and are more comfy than a standard room with a rollaway, and much cheaper than 2 rooms.
I’d appreciate any tips you could provide to make this exercise something other than a crap shoot.
Travelocity has reviews from people who’ve stayed there, so I usually check that, even if I’m booking via Expedia or something else. When I make reservations, I usually pick chains, but I usually make reservations online. I just expect a certain baseline level of quality from a chain.
If I’m just picking one to stay at while driving, I’ll usually pick the chain I’ve heard of with the sign advertising a reasonable rate for the area. Though usually I’m not too picky, I just want to crash for 8 hours or so.
I should add, I’m not picky overall. I want a room that’s not a complete dump, but that’s about it.
I’m extremely unpicky. A hotel room is to me just a place to sleep between days of doing other things (usually driving). My method of choosing hotels when I’m on a road trip is to look for the name of a chain I recognize, make sure it’s a two-story hotel, and ask their rate when I pull in if it’s not advertised. If it’s acceptable, I ask for a room on the second floor, toss myself in the shower and go to bed.
Sometimes at gas stations you will find little green booklets full of hotel coupons. I’ve used these to great advantage before while travelling with Gunslinger (I usually forget to look for them, but he remembers), using them to get a room at a wonderful, rather luxurious hotel in Jackson, Mississippi for $30 or $40 less than the normal rate. And they had free popcorn and cocktails in the lounge, and the room was gihugic! If we’re ever in Jackson again we’re staying there once more. Anyway, those booklets can find you a good deal, and they usually feature rather large advertisements explaining the amenities the place offers, so you can get an idea of the place from there. But the booklets are regional, so if you’re trying to book in advance in a location far from where you are, you’re SOL as far as they go.
I like extended-stay hotels. I’ve found that many of them, like Homewood Suites, for example, have very reasonable rates. (So low that I was a bit concerned at first when booking it.) The rooms are larger, and have nice ammenities like refrigerators and sofas.
I also book often through Historic Hotels of America. Occasionally, some locations are pricey, but usually, they’re relatively reasonable, and the extra ambience is, for me, worth the little extra in cost.
The chain name matters little to me. Having worked at a chain motel, I know that the quality of the place greatly depends on the manager. They do have certain standards which they must stay within, but other than that, there’s a lot of problems that you can encounter. When we changed management, they began skimping on housekeeping staff, for example, which led to myriad complaints of dirty towels and sheets, and of finding little nasty “surprises” within the rooms that the housekeepers were too hurried to notice.
As a person who travels frequently, I’d say that all-in-all, I’ve had better experiences at mom-and-pop hotels than the major chains.
with my boyfriend in the navy and far away, i’ve been getting use to hotel rooms. if you want the best price possible, try hotwire.com. i got a studio room at a candlewood suites for $40 a night over christmas. it was really nice. had a kitchenette and was pretty roomy. i think it normally went for $110.
the down side to that though is you never know what hotel chain you’re going to get. and you can’t cancel your reservations. once you click that button that room is yours whether you’re there or not.
where he’s stationed now on the other hand has three hotels. an econo lodge, a days inn and a holiday inn. at first i tried the holiday inn. it wasn’t worth the $70 a night. now when i go to see him i stay at the days inn. $20 cheaper and almost the same quality. i’m not that picky any more. as long as the doors lock and the sheets are clean i’m fine.
I’m a frequent traveller for business and my preferred chain is anything by Marriott. If you’re on a budget you can usually get a Towne Place suite for ~ $50 a night and Fairfield Inns for about ~ $40. Usually those on farther out of the central areas. If I’m in a town that doesn’t merit a Marriott placement I look for Holiday Inn (their Express line is very good) and on occasion stay at Best Western. Best Western may look a little worn but they are usually comfortable and clean.
I also like the Historic Hotels as they are usually quite elegant and have extra little touches. Several of them have rooms with two bathrooms.
Choosing a hotel for a family of 5 is probably going to be different from choosing one for just one person. Some of us frequent travelers use our accumulated hotel points, like Hilton Honors, to get rooms. I was able to stay in London (UK) at a Hilton for free. So if you travel often, you might want to look into one brand for the points. FWIW
Since I do a lot of motorcycle traveling and I get in late at night a lot so I’m not very picky. I"ve had some really nice places cheap and some expensive places be crap. My favorite, and the kind I now have a card for is Red Roof Inns. They all tend to be in the 40-60 range and most of them have been clean. The worst one I ever stayed in was close to home when the ex kicked me out, it was loud and the bed was crap.
I have found some gems though, last year in South Dakota I stayed at a place for $40 right next to the Badlands in Wall. It was a nice place and I got it at the last minute during the 4th of July weekend, and by last minute I mean they were closing in an hour. I also got a place in Four Corners California that you would have thought would be crap, cost 30 bucks but turned out to be really nice.
The absolute worst place I ever stayed though was a HoJos in Vegas. It cost me $80, the bed was supposed to be a queen and wasn’t, it was lopsided and there was a really bright light so I got very little sleep.