Multi-day driving trip. Where do you stay?

[Snidely Whiplash]

It’s been many years since I’ve stayed in a hotel but a recent driving trip requiring 3 overnight stays has shown me to be pretty far out of touch with current hotel rankings.

Years ago we had great success staying at Holiday Inn Express hotels. Reasonable prices, relatively new facilities, and clean rooms made for decent stays. I stayed at 3 different Holiday Inn Express’ on my recent trip and the experience at each was terrible. #1 had a dog running loose in the lobby and a room that smelled (overwhelmingly) of carpet cleaner and urine. Apperantly pets are allowed at most hotels now in any rooms. I didn’t know this and was particularly unimpressed with the dog off-leash in the common area. #2 had neighbors who had visitors non-stop in and out until midnight. Banging doors, conversations that I could clearly hear in our room from their room and walking the hallway. I was amazed no one complained sooner than I did (which was midnght). #3 was priced at $150 ($40more per night than the others) I’m guessing because it was along I95, but I still thought somewhat pricey given it was a Monday night (non-holiday weekend).

Are there better hotel options for overnight stays while traveling? I guess I can start looking at B&B’s but that takes away a lot of my ability to drive further than planned while making good time or having to stop sooner if my wife isn’t feeling good. Is there a higher tier national hotel chain that is convenient to interstates or are my expectations unreasonable? I wouldn’t mind paying a higher rate but I’d like to have a clean room animals haven’t relieved themselves in and be able to get a quiet night’s sleep.

 

[Ronstar]

I like Hampton inns. We’ve done several road trips in the last few years, staying one nighters in hotels across the country. I’m disappointed in Holiday inns, Holiday inn express, La Quinta, Comfort inn. They are usually a little run down. But we’ve never stayed in a messed up Hampton Inn.

 

[pb4uski]

I have lots of points with Hilton so we tend to use them... usually the lower to mid level brands since it is only for a night. We really like their new Home2 Suites as the ones we have stayed in were new properties. We also use Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites and Doubletree.

We used to look for cheapo lodging when we traveled by car since it was just an overnight.... but we now look for something a little more.... generally in the $85-$125 range depending on the locale.

 

[mpeirce]

Personally I favor Marriott Courtyards. Very consistent: good beds, good bathrooms, and while you pay for breakfast they make a very good bacon and eggs with good coffee.

At most of the free breakfast places (the tier below Courtyard) the breakfasts aren't really all that good IMHO.

 

[SheitlQueen]

I quit using hotels years ago and only stay at Airbnb or VRBO places now. I think many of them are flexible enough that you can book them a couple of hours before your stay.
I'll be doing a road trip this summer without knowing my exact route yet, so I guess I'll find out. I'll have to give them just a couple of hours notice.

 

[aja8888]

We did a 4,000 mile trip from Texas to San Jose, CA recently and stayed at HI Express hotels using my wheelbarrow full of points. If you pick newer ones, generally they are OK. We had good stays in 6 different ones.

 

[Bamaman]

As a 4 night per week road warrior prior to ER, I stayed in most moderate to low priced hotels. I stayed in hotels I could get the most free nights which usually meant LaQuinta and Choice Hotel's brands when 2 nights in 2 different locations get you a free night. LaQuinta continues to rebuild their properties and most have decent bedding and comforters.

I am concerned about the prices of hotels/motels in most cities increasing. And often occupancy taxes are out of sight. Many cities now have room rates approaching that of Manhattan. I'm sorry, but I just don't like to pay $218 for a room at the Boston Airport, but other hotels were running $300+

 

[nash031]

I usually do Hampton Inn myself, but am Marriott Platinum now so will likely do Fairfield on my next roadie. I admit that Drury Inns are pretty awesome too.

 

[FlaGator]

Never had a bad stay at a Marriott in the last 30 years, at any price point of their various brands. Courtyard and Residence Inn have been good options when traveling with the kids.

My Hilton experience has been similar, but not as extensive. Their Doubletree and Embassy Suites hotels have been consistent IME.

Had a few stays with the Sheraton/Starwood group that were OK, but nothing in the budget hotels.

Other than the Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza, I avoid everything else from that group.

Can't beat Disney hotels when you're visiting their parks.

I actively avoid anything not named above

 

[audreyh1]

I like Hampton inns. We’ve done several road trips in the last few years, staying one nighters in hotels across the country. I’m disappointed in Holiday inns, Holiday inn express, La Quinta, Comfort inn. They are usually a little run down. But we’ve never stayed in a messed up Hampton Inn.

+1

Hampton inns are way nicer than Holiday Inn Express or Comfort/Days Inn, La Quinta, etc.

And we occasionally stay in a Hilton Garden Inn usually very nice. They can have a nice breakfast (not free) - with fresh made to order omelettes, etc.

Have stayed at Drury Inns near Atlanta.

Occasionally stay at a Courtyard by Marriott.

Last time we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express we had an overwhelming smell of some cleaner I suspect was used after a pet was in the room. One of my smaller pieces of luggage still smells of it - yuck!

 

[steveark]

Hampton /Hilton vs Marriott

While the commenter is accurate regarding Marriott properties they simply have less than half the coverage of Hilton /Hampton Inn. You'd be hard pressed to find a single one in rural Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, etc. When you are driving cross country the last place you want to stop is a metro location due to rush hour traffic. But only major metros have Marriott properties. Stick with Hilton /Hampton. La Quinta has a fair chance of having a possum of some other rodent in the closet.

 

[Cessna152]

While they vary in consistency and quality, most Best Westerns we’ve stayed at have been good enough that we look to them as the first choice. In a cross-country trip last year I think half the places we stayed were BW. Our tool for helping us choose is to check the entry in TripAdvisor for each possibility.

That said, I have pretty simple requirements for a place to stay a night or two. And have never bothered to make notes so as to later compare hotel chains.

Speaking of simple requirements, oddly, our selection is guided in part by questions about food and fuel:
Where are we going to eat dinner? (Tired after a long day of travel/sight-seeing so may not be up to a long trek to food.)
Where are we going to eat breakfast? (We find buffets fastest and about right for our modest morning appetites.)
Where is the next gas station?
If we can pick up something for a picnic lunch and afternoon snack at the gas station or other nearby market, our basic needs are met for that day of travel.

 

[DrRoy]

We stay at Holiday Inn Express often and I am surprised to hear about your experience. I can also support the suggestion of Courtyard, and Fairfield by Marriott.

 

[brucethebroker]

Interesting post, thanks OP and all contributors.

BTW, where do you guys find the best senior or AAA discounts?

 

[braumeister]

I tend to favor the Hilton chain for the reasons others have stated.
Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, Embassy Suites, and Garden Inn are the ones I use most, in that order.

I always check Marriott as well, to see if there is one at a better location or better price near my destination. Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn, and Courtyard have all been good.

Normally, Embassy Suites has the best "free" breakfast, with Residence Inn a close second. You pay for it of course with a slightly higher room price, but I really enjoy a good breakfast and a custom omelette is always enjoyable.

I also hate surprises, so I almost always plan my stops and make a reservation at the hotel website in advance. I have rewards points with both chains and the points definitely help with prices.

 

[cynicalbuthopeful]

Hello, new here, (prepping my intro post) but wanted to share what my parents do (they like to drive to see their siblings/kids/grandkids scattered around the country). They use hotwire and book a hotel last minute based on location/reviews. They can usually get a nicer hotel class booking at the last minute -- they like the price they get on 3 and 4 star hotels when they travel.

 

[Bamaman]

I seldom even leave town in my ER unless staying with children or relatives. Most hotels we use are the night before/after international flights and in Europe.

I usually use Booking.com for a city filtering for lowest prices. Then I look for properties with substantially higher customer ratings than others in the same price range. Then I wil! Go on TripAdvisor and see what has been said about the place. I have yet to be dissatisfied with any room using this method.

 

[Gumby]

Last year, we stayed in a Fairfield Inn in Missouri. The room was dirty and the entire hotel smelled of mildew. It was midnight when we got there, and we had prepaid for the room through Travelocity as a package when we booked the flight. Otherwise, I would have left immediately and looked for another hotel.

As it turns out, we could have walked in off the street and got a better price than we got through Travelocity, so I won't be making that mistake again.

 

[Senator]

I have stayed a lot at Motel 6s, and Super 8s. Occasionally, a Comfort Inn. I try to pick pet friendly motels.

It's a crap shoot. Most Motels are a commodity. If you stay in the cheapest motel, you also get the locals staying there that were evicted, the people that are traveling and can't afford anything else, the ones getting out of jail and spending the night before heading out, domestic abusers that can't get back in their own home, and the homeless that are put up by the County. You also get people like me passing through (with my dog).

Get used to dogs. A service dog can stay and be anywhere, no restrictions. The dogs can sleep in the nicest five-star hotel, or the come into the best restaurant in the highest tower in the USA. As a landlord, I see it all the time.

No law is required to show any proof of a service dog. Some are emotional support animals (ESA). You can ask for a letter showing proof for those. The only questions you can ask for a service dog are "Is the dog medically necessary?" and "What service does the dog provide?"

Service dogs do not need a vest, but it is nice for a person to put the vest on and save the motel/restaurant management the hassle from other guests with mere pets, that are not allowed in.

 

[Dtail]

+1 on Hampton Inn. Always clean plus courteous service and decent included breakfast.

 

[folivier]

For just an overnight on a trip our top choice is Hampton, then Quality Inn. If for a few days we'll occasionally look for a Hilton or Marriot property. Or AirnBnb or VRBO.

 

[fasteddie911]

I guess everyone's experience varies. I've stayed at good Holiday Inn Express hotels, but I try to avoid hilton hotels due to multiple bad experiences. I'm definitely a fan of Courtyard Marriott and try to stay there under the right circumstances. For me, a hotels review, location and price matter more to me than the name. However, I do tend to stay at name-brand places over local hotels.

 

[athena53]

Typically Hampton or Fairfields; will also consider Best Western and Holiday Inn Express. I need a gym at the very least; a pool larger than a duck pond is a plus. Have never run into pet odors in any; I know that's partly luck. I now book directly with the hotel after once booking a room on Orbitz, getting there and finding that the room wasn't available. Apparently the last room went to someone booking through the chain and the Orbitz availability didn't update fast enough. We had to drive another hour to the next major town; it was the weekend of the Quilt Show in Paducah, KY, which is a Big Deal.

I always get annoyed at myself when I book an HGI or one of the others where breakfast isn't included. I don't need much in the morning and it's very convenient to eat and get back on the road again.

 

[JoeWras]

I'm not a fan of Hilton's upscale brands, but we love Hampton for road trips. Over the years, we found ourselves more and more at Hampton Inn and now pretty much stay there 100% for road trips.

Used to be a Mariott guy, but had a few disappointments in the Fairfield franchises.

 

[GravitySucks]

I'm almost always traveling with my dog so I spend a lot of overnights in Red Roofs and La Quintas. La Quintas used to be bad but the last 5 years I've never had a bad room. I find the Trip Advisor ratings more important than brand name. I've been in clean and decent Motel 6s and filthy run down Marriots