When you stay in a hotel

[spencer]

my main preference is for the rooms to open into hallways. I hate when the room door is an exterior door. I also look for hotels with restaurants cause they have better ammenities.

3 stars maybe even 2.5 is sufficient if u just need a place to crash.

 

[Ryuukie]

If I can't stay at a good place (5-stars) I'd rather stay home.

 

[M4P]

It's not so much where I stay as who's keeping me company.

Very true...and sometimes it's fun to do something cheap in even cheaper digs

When we travel I prefer to stay in a hotel that is as comfortable as home or better. I can't handle lousy beds, cheap soap, showers that have no pressure and thin towels

 

[spooger]

if the hotel is just a place to sleep ... Comfort Inn or Best Weatern type places are fine...

if the hotel figures into the event - vacation spot, meeting, etc, then i'll pick a little more posh - Hampton Inn for example

if it's on the company's $$ then I might stay in a really upscale place, but that doesn't happen often, as businesses i consult for usually place limits on expenses like $100 - $140 per day

 

[DonQuixote]

I've had the luxury of staying at some 5* for work, like Four Seasons Las Colinas, or Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island. They're nice, but the interesting thing about "full service" hotels is that you pay for everything.

More frequently, work pays for a mid-range hotel -- CFO can be a bit too much of a penny pincher - I've booked us at what had decent reviews only to be sorely disappointed. Because of some convention bookings at Marriott, I have an Elite Card and earn points- When travelling with family, we need space - my wife and I are big - need king bed for us, or 2 queens if we're going to mix it up and share beds with the girls to save money. I'm getting too old. Marriott's different lines from Fairfield or Courtyard, up to the resorts are all upgraded to their super bed - very comfortable- we have natural latex foam at home. Usually, I can get one of the Fairfield or courtyards for around $100 or less a night. When we went to DC to see my son, the Bethesda Marriott suites weekend rate varies from under $100 to $139(+$10 parking, +$13 breakfast buffet) for a 2-room suite w/ king bed. That works out great - the girls get the sleeper sofa and a rollaway in their 1/2,we get the king, we both have TV's, fridge, etc. And I earn points - paid for the non-weekend night last 4th of July. Otherwise, the mid-week rate for the same room was $286.

I need a decent mattress, I'm sick of dives. I'm worth more than that, without going nuts.

 

[G-Lexington]

Depends on the budget and the trip. If we're just staying the night on our way somewhere else, we'll usually go cheap. Once we're in our chosen locale, we usually upgrade. To give you some idea of our range, in Las Vegas, we've stayed:

on the floor of a friend's hotel room
a budget room in the Sahara
a standard room at the Hilton
a standard room at the Palms
a suite in the Towers at the MGM Grand
a luxury suite at the Wynn
the Real World Suite at the Palms

Totally depends.

Lex

 

[frankfrank]

I'm generally a mix of the last three choices, though I've done the others. Actually I'm not entirely sure I've ever stayed in a FIVE-star hotel, but I've certainly been in 4-star ones.

Weather permitting, I will OFTEN sleep in my vehicle, which is a van with blackout curtains etc. And most often my hotel will be something like a Motel 6 or Red Roof Inn.

If I had a hard time sleeping on "different" mattresses, I'd probably go for better rooms, but even that isn't a guarantee. In fact, one of the most expensive rooms I had ever stayed in (at the time, around 1988 ) was one of the worst times I ever had in a room, because the temperature control was centralized (I couldn't do anything), the room was unbearably hot, and the windows couldn't be opened.

 

[hotdog1846]

I usually stay at the hotels that cater to business travelers, whether I'm on a business trip or not. They have the amenities I like, such as free Internet, a comfortable workspace with ergonomic chair, microwave, refrigerator, good bed with down comforter, cotton duvet, and cotton sheets. Hilton Garden Inn and Marriott Courtyard are some of my favorites. If those aren't available, a higher-end Hilton or Marriott work just fine, although I don't need the fancy stuff like a concierge.

The Residence by Marriott works great too, with its compact kitchen, especially for those week-long business trips. I often go to a grocery store and get a week's worth of easy-to-prepare foods, and save the fattening trips to time-consuming chain restaurants.

 

[justsimon]

I don't care, as long as it's clean and safe.

 

[M4P]

If I'm staying somewhere on my own time I'll pick a serviced apartment I like the convience of being able to make my own food.

We rent condo's in Mexico. They are generally cheaper than hotel rooms and a lot more comfortable and convenient. It is nice to be able to make our own breakfast and snacks rather than having to pay for everything

 

[TickTockMan]

If it just one night I will sleep in my car.

If it is more than one a motel is enough.

If I am on vacation is the best hotel I can find in the location I want to be in.

 

[bankside]

I usually prefer a non-chain historic property near the top end of the market.

For work, I'll stay at a basic mid-range hotel. For personal travel, I'll do the same, but then round out the trip with a night or two at the best on offer in the city I'm visiting.

 

[treanir]

I stay at youth hostels.

 

[Yooper]

It really doesn't matter to me, as I am usually on a budget anyway when I am traveling. As long as there is a decent bed, clean bedding, a bathroom that works and maybe a TV I'm good. Because all I use the room for is sleeping, the amenities don't really do much for me.

That being said, I've stayed in nice places and ok places and bad places.

The bad places suck.

The nice places ARE nice.

 

[Yooper]

I've had incredibly bad experiences at 'good' hotels and very good experiences at so-called 'one star' places.

One time I was traveling in a very remote part of Nebraska and just had to stop for the night otherwise I was going to fall asleep. It wasn't too late but I'd been driving for 15 hours already and was done. Pulled into a 'Ma and Pa' type place and got a room. Went to my room and had just opened the door and the Pa came up and asked me if everything was OK (it was just dandy) but then he invited me to dinner with the Missus, they had plenty and anyway I was the only guest for the night. Burgers on the grill, fresh Nebraska corn and Iced Tea. Blueberry Pie for dessert. And they INSISTED I not pay. Room, $38.00, home cooked dinner FREE, whole stay, fantastic. I left a $20 tip in the room.

 

[Yooper]

Wow... That's absolutely fantastic. I hope you recommended that place to lots of people!

Nobody I know ever has even SEEN Valentine, Nebraska.

It is a bit off the beaten path.

 

[Paws]

I don't have money to travel. If I had, most probably youth hostels.

 

[DonQuixote]

Reading this shows some of the differences in lodging from one side of "the pond" to the other. While mt folks have rented homes/condos for an extended stay Winters in Florida, that's not a typical option for the short-term traveler, by and large.

Some areas have Bed & Breakfasts, but those are geared more for vacations than business travellers.

My son used Youth Hostels when he studied abroad. Again, I don't think there are a lot of them available in the States. (And, while I am still a kid at heart, I don't think they'd let my sorry ass and snoring into the place -- and twin bed definitely not where my head is at! LOL)

I've seen stories about the "drawers" that Japanese business men rent when they need to stay in Tokyo - space is so expensive, you don't even get a room!

Not my idea of a good time.

 

[alley]

I don't really care if a hotel is a five star or not...as long as it's clean and safe.

I have stayed in some rather nice ones--Loews in South Beach, JW Marriott down in Cancun--right after they both just opened. The most expensive one was in Munich--we had reservation problems and had to get a room for one night-- and it was a bit over 300.00.

 

[Shepherd 2]

I like quality, and then when my partner and I leave a cum mess on the sheets, I feel I have probably gotten my money's worth.

Shep+