Hotels. Hate them!!!!

[Kirtley Howe]

I used to travel 200 nights a year for work. I had to stay in hotels. For me the best hotel for the money was a MicroTel. Very good price.   The room is not large, but.....the beds were always great, great sheets and pillows, super clean room. Nice bathroom (though small).  The hotels were quiet and the staff was always accommodating. I never had a bad experience with them.

 

[schplurg]

Tomorrow night I'll be sleeping next to a tiny lake that I am hiking out to. Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad and nobody else around for miles.

[gim]

9 hours ago, Kirt Howe said:

For me the best hotel for the money was a MicroTel. Very good price. 

I stayed at one once and it was just as you described it.  My first choice are the IHG brand of hotels like Holiday Inn Express or Staybridge Suites because I'm a rewards member.

[TOXIC]

When we first moved to Virginia some 30 years ago, my wife decided to get back into the hospitality industry.  She had been out of it for a year when we lived in New England but before that she was the Director of Sales for a very large and expensive property in Kansas City.  She took a position close to DC in a big nationwide high dollar property.  I met the General Manager and we hit it off to the point that when my wife was asked to wine and dine big corporate clients, he wanted me to go with her.  The hotel would send a limo to pick us up, we would take the client(s) out to dinner and then back to the hotel for drinks in the cigar bar.  Believe it or not, I had to start bowing out because I couldn’t take continuous partying alongside my day job.  ??

[Bluebasser86]

I once slept through a tornado in western Kansas the day before a tournament, in a rented double wide trailer, on a love seat, with about the last foot of my legs hanging off the end. I may have my issues, but sleeping ain't one of them. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

I like staying in nice hotels. Sometimes we drive to Amarillo just to let the kids swim in the indoor pool and play awhile at the arcade. Gas prices what they are , that’s about all the vacation they’re going to get. 

[Darth-Baiter]

every bathroom at my house has a Toto butt-washing toilet.  so yea.  i miss home.

 

sleeping?  the first night sucks, but subsequent nights are fine.  i stay at Hamptons if i can.  for work, all bets are off.  my job has a hotel allotment and there isnt a Hampton on the planet that falls within budget.  it also depends on why i am traveling.  i once did an elk bowhunting trip from a hotel as homebase.  best sleep ever.  exhausted but showered.  it was d**n luxurious. 

[TnRiver46]

I can sleep anywhere very effectively. Hobo skills enabled 

[throttleplate]

On 7/4/2022 at 1:01 PM, BayouSlide said:

actually considering going to Montana for a month this year with some foam and a sleeping bag in back of my 4Runner...gonna suck big time if temps are high. ?

 

Well if you plan on going to visit Glacier Park and sleep in the 4-runner its gonna really suck at 10,000 ft above sea level.?️

On 7/4/2022 at 1:01 PM, BayouSlide said:

actually considering going to Montana for a month this year with some foam and a sleeping bag in back of my 4Runner...gonna suck big time if temps are high. ?

 

Well if you plan on going to visit Glacier Park and sleep in the 4-runner its gonna really suck at 10,000 ft above sea level.?️

[Trox]

Very early on in my marriage, I stayed in a few Motel 6's. At the time, it was the better alternative and the toilet at home was the last thing on my mind... My wife and I laugh about it now, but situation depending, hotels are can be heaven sent

 

Outside of that, I've always typically enjoyed them (as long as it's no cheap motel!)... BUT ONLY if their AC unit was up to the load I was about to put on it as I cranked it down until it just wouldn't go any lower. I still can't get away with that at home ?

[gim]

2 minutes ago, Trox said:

AC unit was up to the load I was about to put on it as I cranked it down until it just wouldn't go any lower

Haha. First thing I do do when I step foot in the room too, check the thermostat and usually turn up the AC. In the winter I turn down the heat.

[Koz]

As someone who has been running hotels for a long time, I’ll give my two cents. I’ve worked for both franchise and corporate owned properties with a few different brands. I’ve also been part of the transition team in buying or selling hotels in other brands.

 

By far, the worst brand was Holiday Inn. Their brand standards for hotel cleanliness, service, and operation are slim at best. I took over a Holiday Inn Convention Center once and was surprised how sparse their Quality Assurance manuals were. When HI came to inspect us, the guy could not believe how thorough we were in training, service, and standards. He even tried to steal our manuals. 

 

The most thorough brand is Marriott. They are not afraid to dump hotels whose quality is lacking. It’s the complete package. Hamptons and Hiltons are good as well, but not as demanding as Marriott.

[Woody B]

When I raced I stayed in a bunch of hotels.  Some good, some bad.  The best decision I ever made concerning racing was buying a motorhome.   I stayed at the track (or just outside the track if not allowed)while at the race or various parking lots on the way to and from the track.   

[GaryH]

2 hours ago, Koz said:

As someone who has been running hotels for a long time, I’ll give my two cents. I’ve worked for both franchise and corporate owned properties with a few different brands. I’ve also been part of the transition team in buying or selling hotels in other brands.

 

By far, the worst brand was Holiday Inn. Their brand standards for hotel cleanliness, service, and operation are slim at best. I took over a Holiday Inn Convention Center once and was surprised how sparse their Quality Assurance manuals were. When HI came to inspect us, the guy could not believe how thorough we were in training, service, and standards. He even tried to steal our manuals. 

 

The most thorough brand is Marriott. They are not afraid to dump hotels whose quality is lacking. It’s the complete package. Hamptons and Hiltons are good as well, but not as demanding as Marriott.

Thanks Koz for the info. ?

[BayouSlide]

15 hours ago, throttleplate said:

 

Well if you plan on going to visit Glacier Park and sleep in the 4-runner its gonna really suck at 10,000 ft above sea level.?️

 

 

Fortunately already been to Glacier, I'll be bird hunting in the prairies of Montana and the forests of the Bighorn in Wyoming. FWIW, hiked and camped much higher than that elevation in the Colorado Rockies...with elevation comes cooler temps...this ain't my first rodeo ?

[TOXIC]

Back in the mid 80’s when I was traveling 100% of the time I stayed in some pretty bad places.  Some had no phone, some you had to stuff a towel under the door to keep the snow out, and to top it off, in some cases I was required to stay up to 6 months.  I lived in a Comfort Inn for a year and went home on the weekends.  Here’s a challenge, I was in the original group who joined the Super 8 VIP club and my membership number was below the first 2,000 nationwide. ?  On the flip side, I also stayed in a few Ritz Carlton’s.  One for almost a year.  I’ll bet there’s very few chains I haven’t at least done a few nights in.