Motels & Hotels along the Interstate

[Sojourner]

In recent years I have been using Priceline to book hotel rooms along my route, and it's worked out really well for the most part. When searching, I specify "3 stars" as the minimum amenity level, so that way I end up getting places such as Hilton Garden Inn or Residence Inn. And the cost savings have been pretty amazing. You typically end up saving at least $20/night -- sometimes a lot more -- over the best rate you can get on other sites like hotels.com or Expedia or TripAdvisor. As long as you're not picky about the exact hotel brand you want, Priceline is the best way to get good bargains on higher quality places.

[ivinsfan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourner In recent years I have been using Priceline to book hotel rooms along my route, and it's worked out really well for the most part. When searching, I specify "3 stars" as the minimum amenity level, so that way I end up getting places such as Hilton Garden Inn or Residence Inn. And the cost savings have been pretty amazing. You typically end up saving at least $20/night -- sometimes a lot more -- over the best rate you can get on other sites like hotels.com or Expedia or TripAdvisor. As long as you're not picky about the exact hotel brand you want, Priceline is the best way to get good bargains on higher quality places.

20 bucks is not bad, but both Hilton and Marriott usually have a 10% discount for those over 65..and again with Priceline it's an area and we would rather hone in on exit ramps rather then general locations. I think that Pricline would work well in a major metro area, maybe not so well rolling along thru all the smaller towns on I-80.I think it was Kearny Nebraska, I was going to book a Marriott location there until I found out it was 10 miles from the internet on surface streets.

[Sojourner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever We stayed at a Doubletree Inn recently that was also safe and clean and incredibly noisy, even on an upper floor. Fortunately we had stayed at another on the fourth of July that was very quiet (plus you could see fireworks from the room!) so we knew all Doubletrees were probably not noisy. Travelodges probably work the same way.

Right... that's been my experience, as well. Even the higher end places can be unexpectedly noisy if you happen to get put in the wrong room (i.e. next to or overlooking a busy parking lot, or your neighbors are noisy, etc.). It's a crap shoot most of the time. Of course, excessive noise IS more likely in a 1-star motel than if you have a room on a high floor of a 4-star place. But then you're talking about hundreds of dollars difference in price.

[EvrClrx311]

I used to do the same thing when travelling and I was younger. If I couldn't find a hotel for under $30, I'd sometimes opt to sleep in the car. As I've gotten older, I started to recognize the benefit to having a good nights sleep while travelling. I still work, so I have the benefit of my office paying for about half my hotel stays each year (15-20 nights), the other half is vacation... so I signed up for the rewards program with Hilton to take advantage of the points and full price the office offers when on the road. Then I use those points to subsidize my own vacation travel (giving me about a 25% discount on their normal pricing; on average).

I've come to realize a few things others mentioned above. It's all about consistency and breakfast is a big deal in my mind. I've noticed that Hilton Garden Inn is about the most consistently nice hotel I've stayed in, always clean, and comfy rooms. But even within that chain you'll see disparity between different locations. Every now and then I'll be blown away by an amazing new location outside a major city (like a recent trip to northern Seattle) with rooms going for $80 a night, including some of the best breakfast meals I've had (made to order, french toast fresh berries on top and powdered sugar, eggs any way you want them, bacon, etc...). I figure that kind of breakfast at a restaurant for two would cost $20, or more. The bed was about the nicest I've ever slept in. Everything brand new and lots of space in the room. Other times I'll stay at the same chain near a city in a similar setting, and the hotels are older and rooms a little worn (it's a bit hit or miss no matter what). On top of that at time the lowest price I can find is $150 a night within 30 miles... so I'll just use the points to get the room. Always doing the math on that to get the most value.

I thought about it the other week if I'd still visit this hotel chain when I'm retired, if I didn't have the perk of these points to subsidize the cost... and I'm honestly not sure. I've gotten used to using them, the ease and comfort, and I factor out the average cost per night for me to be about $75 after points and everything else is used... however if I didn't have that benefit... it would be over $100 a night and I'm sure I'd likely opt for shopping around using travelocity/hotels and reading reviews to find places that are suitable. However, there is a headache involved in that, so it's a decision of how much that is worth to you. I'm sure if I had more downtime to research that stuff... I'd be happy to

[Sojourner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivinsfan 20 bucks is not bad, but both Hilton and Marriott usually have a 10% discount for those over 65..and again with Priceline it's an area and we would rather hone in on exit ramps rather then general locations. I think that Pricline would work well in a major metro area, maybe not so well rolling along thru all the smaller towns on I-80.I think it was Kearny Nebraska, I was going to book a Marriott location there until I found out it was 10 miles from the internet on surface streets.

Yes, very true that Priceline works best in (or near) metro areas where there are lots of participating hotels. But that's not an issue for me, since I like stopping over in medium/large cities along my route. And in terms of only being able to choose an area and not a specific exit along the highway, that hasn't been a problem for me due to some simple "tricks" that are widely known to frequent Priceline users. You can use these tricks typically to target one or two specific hotels, so you'll know a lot more about the area(s) you'll be in.

[RockyMtn]

Being a Marriott Platinum level I usually seek out their hotel group first. If that's not available I go with Best Western.

[Corporateburnout]

No cheap motels for us. Cleanliness and safety are top priorities.

Hilton Garden Inns, Marriotts and sometimes Hampton Inns but when these are not available we usually stay at other 3 or 4 star hotels. We usually book with Hotels.com, read the reviews and for the most part we were never disappointed. We also get a free night for every 10 nights.

[foxfirev5]

While on the road we generally stay at Hampton Inn's. Since there about 4 generations of the hotels, the first were outside walkaways with no inside halls, I choose on a case by case basis. Once at our destination we usually upgrade ourselves to a more luxury Hilton property.
We find that lifetime Diamond status ( for a mere 100 nights/year for 10 years) helps with room upgrades at the higher level properties.However after many decades and approx. 3000 nights out we only travel selectively.

[exnavynuke]

I'm still working but I use IHG hotels (Holiday Inn, HIE etc) because work travel tends to put me in some out of the way places and they're the best hotel chain I consistently find close to where I'm working. I have the IHG card through chase and am a Spire Elite member of their rewards club. The annual fee is more than made up for with the free night and having the card automatically gives me platinum elite membership in the rewards program (in case I don't get enough points in a given year to keep Spire). Spending on the card counts as activity on my account so I won't lose points even if I don't stay with them in a given year as well.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourner Right... that's been my experience, as well. Even the higher end places can be unexpectedly noisy if you happen to get put in the wrong room (i.e. next to or overlooking a busy parking lot, or your neighbors are noisy, etc.). It's a crap shoot most of the time. Of course, excessive noise IS more likely in a 1-star motel than if you have a room on a high floor of a 4-star place. But then you're talking about hundreds of dollars difference in price.

+1
One of the worst nights ever was a Marriott in London(Grosvenor Square). I was in a great room only the neighbor was entertaining clients. There was a large airshow that week and he was entertaining several folks interested in jets. Drunken, mouthy group that I assumed would pass out soon. After midnight I called the front desk, who sent someone up. The quite lasted about 10 minutes. Marriott offered to move me then, instead I asked to move the next day. Next morning at breakfast I mentioned the difficulties to our CIO, at his suggestion I called my old neighbors room!
Got a guy who was terribly hung over, apologized for the wrong number, waited thirty minutes and called back. Did that quite a few more times for the duration of the stay.

[HadEnuff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG +1 One of the worst nights ever was a Marriott in London(Grosvenor Square). I was in a great room only the neighbor was entertaining clients. There was a large airshow that week and he was entertaining several folks interested in jets. Drunken, mouthy group that I assumed would pass out soon. After midnight I called the front desk, who sent someone up. The quite lasted about 10 minutes. Marriott offered to move me then, instead I asked to move the next day. Next morning at breakfast I mentioned the difficulties to our CIO, at his suggestion I called my old neighbors room! Got a guy who was terribly hung over, apologized for the wrong number, waited thirty minutes and called back. Did that quite a few more times for the duration of the stay.

I had a similar experience on Long Island, with a very loud and obnoxious group of young people jumping around, yelling profanities until the wee wee hours. When I left my room I put my "Maid Service Requested" sign on their door.

[Senator]

I am still a Motel 6 guy.

Generally I am only staying for a short time, and not going to be in the room very long. they also allow dogs, without an extra fee.

I do have a Red Roof Inn booked for a few days in January. As long as I get discounts, it's better than sleeping in the car, which was my usual place to take a short evening nap.

[Revlefty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senator I am still a Motel 6 guy.

Generally I am only staying for a short time, and not going to be in the room very long. they also allow dogs, without an extra fee.

That's the major reason why I use Motel 6. My dogs appreciate it. Plus... I'm cheap.

[ABQ2015]

I like the Marriott chains because they have a good rewards program and I get a corporate rate that saves me $20-40 off their regular price. Once I retire, I may have to reconsider but I've noticed that many of their hotels are now offering reduced rates for rewards program members that are similar to my corporate rate. This summer I stayed one night at an economy hotel and just did not like it - weird people in parking lot, smelly hallways, and you were not allowed to take your breakfast up to your room. Was not worth the $20 savings. Also in my city, there is more crime at the cheaper hotels by the interstate - robberies, vehicle and trailer thefts, broken into vehicles. So is a consideration when you are traveling.

[nwsteve]

We are Hampton and Holiday Inn Express fans. Both offer decent hot breakfast and predictable room quality. Both offer hot beverages all day which is nice. Marriott is usually third as typically a just a bit pricier and the Fairfield brand is below the other two in room quality (thin walls and mediocre breakfast).
It is also convenient to be able transfer Ultimate Rewards points from Chase to both IHG and Marriott chain properties.

[folivier]

Oh and Hampton has free cookies....

[DrRoy]

I really like the frequent stay program at Holiday Inn. They let you use a moderate amount of points to get a room for $70, which is a lot of value, especially if breakfast is included.

[broadway]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corporateburnout No cheap motels for us. Cleanliness and safety are top priorities.

Many of you may want to see Inside Edition's investigation.
It will make you never to stay in a hotel again no matter the price level.

For Sheets' Sake! Multiple Hotels Do Not Change Bedsheets for New Guests, Investigation Reveals - Inside Edition

[Turn_the_Page]

Marriott, Hampton, Drury, Comfort Suites and the like, but only after visiting them or thorough reading of reviews. Best Western - hmmm - maybe. Find them to be a bit hit-or-miss. Of course, this can happen with many chains.

Slightly off-topic - It seems that EVERY hotel/motel has affixed "And SUITES" to their name. We find this hilarious when cruising past a property that's clearly older and past it's prime, but WAIT - It has SUITES!

Quote:

Originally Posted by broadway Many of you may want to see Inside Edition's investigation. It will make you never to stay in a hotel again no matter the price level. For Sheets' Sake! Multiple Hotels Do Not Change Bedsheets for New Guests, Investigation Reveals - Inside Edition

I guess I'm not that surprised. We already do a thorough bedbug check. Not sure how to tell if the sheets have been slept on; however.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turn_the_Page Slightly off-topic - It seems that EVERY hotel/motel has affixed "And SUITES" to their name. We find this hilarious when cruising past a property that's clearly older and past it's prime, but WAIT - It has SUITES! I guess I'm not that surprised. We already do a thorough bedbug check. Not sure how to tell if the sheets have been slept on; however.

Some suites are nicer than others though. And in this one you don't have to wonder if the sheets have been changed.