Trusted motels?

[Scruffy]

If you walk into the reception office and they have bars separating the clerk from the customers, you know you're in trouble.

 

[skiki]

But when booking with the hotel it is still often cheaper through their website than in person. Oddly the front desk can’t always price match with the hotel site, so back out to the car to book and back in to the desk to check in.

 

[fatbob]

Even when you've driven 10 hours and it's getting late, you still want to cruise booking.com???

Well actually I'll probably have done it earlier at a dinner or gas stop. Precisely so I'm not cruising around looking for a cluster of "nice" places.

 

[crosscountry]

Well actually I'll probably have done it earlier at a dinner or gas stop. Precisely so I'm not cruising around looking for a cluster of "nice" places.

Who said anything about 'cruising around looking for a cluster of nice places?

Unless you count "cruising" google map... right, you did say you "cruise tripadvisory.com"! Sounds like we are agreeing violently?

 

[1Turn2Many]

I don’t bother much with online reviews. Many are just marketing bots. I guess a big scam now is for lowlifes to threaten a bed bug review unless they get their money refunded. In some states a bed bug review automatically triggers a health inspection. Probably the cleanest hotels are ones that had a bed bug review a week ago.

 

[Jenny]

But when booking with the hotel it is still often cheaper through their website than in person. Oddly the front desk can’t always price match with the hotel site, so back out to the car to book and back in to the desk to check in.

I’ve actually stood at the front desk and booked it online to get the cheaper price. And it was at their suggestion, because they couldn’t price match.

 

[crosscountry]

I’ve actually stood at the front desk and booked it online to get the cheaper price. And it was at their suggestion, because they couldn’t price match.

Best Western is notorious on that front.

One of my "trusted" brand, but had to do that quite many times!

 

[Tony S]

What I've learned from this thread is that our world has gone bonkers.

Of COURSE employees will be replaced by AI bots if they can't actually DO anything but click "OK" on a screen whose contents were foreordained by the Powers That Be. And if the "Service" in Customer Service is all done by the customer herself.

Dear PTB: Empower your employees or I'll take my business elsewhere.

 

[Tony S]

You are driving on the Interstate and ready to sleep, you see a ________ ahead and pull in trusting that you will have a clean experience. You see a ________ ahead and keep right on going.

Hampton Inn

 

[crosscountry]

What I've learned from this thread is that our world has gone bonkers.

Of COURSE employees will be replaced by AI bots if they can't actually DO anything but click "OK" on a screen whose contents were foreordained by the Powers That Be. And if the "Service" in Customer Service is all done by the customer herself.

Dear PTB: Empower your employees or I'll take my business elsewhere.

Your rant is a bit off base. Best Western, for example, are a franchises. So the front desk employees at different hotel are working for different bosses. Some bosses do empower their employees to match the online prices. But not all.

I've experienced the entire spectrum of empowerment, or the lack of. From able to match the price on the spot, to needing to call the boss to get permission, to advising the guest to book it online.

 

[Bill Miles]

Bates Motel, what could go wrong.
View attachment 204191

View attachment 204193
Check out the first night, stay forever for free? What a deal.

On my route to Mt. Bachelor, in Vale, OR, there actually is a Bates Motel. Looks pretty basic, never stayed there, might be the only choice in town.

 

[KingGrump]

We go across the country quite often. WE have gotten pretty good at route planning. We never leave overnight lodging to the last minute. Definitely no drive ups.

We will usually book all the nights of the entire trip in one pass. Paying specific attention to cancellation policies. Booking is almost always through the hotel sites. Mostly, Hyatt, Holiday Inn & Marriot. In some of the rural towns, selection may be thin.
We usually try to overnight in the outskirts of larger cities and towns where selections are more plentiful. Exit side of the city/town in accordance to our direction of travel is preferred. Best to avoid the morning rush when we get back on the road the next day.

 

[Jwrags]

I have apps for the major hotel chains. I would say Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express are my go to. I like a place that serves breakfast, even if it’s not great. Saves time and money. Super 8 and Motel 6 would be no ways, generally. When I travel I use hotels.com to survey the area and then go to the app to book with a specific hotel. On a road trip it is not uncommon for me to book an hour or two ahead of when we think we will finally stop for the night. I am not sure I would try that during the busy summer travel season, though.

 

[pais alto]

Hilton group (Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites, Hampton, Home2 Suites by Hilton, etc.), and Holiday Inn/Express are my faves. Always book through their website or via my credit card service (Amex).

I’ve never stayed at the Clown Motel in Tonopah…but I’ve been tempted.

THE CLOWN MOTEL, TONOPAH, NEVADA, USA.

The Clown Motel was named “America’s Scariest Motel” due to its clown theme and proximity to the cemetery where many miners were laid to rest due to the Tonopah-Belmont Mine Fire of 1911.

www.theclownmotelusa.com

 

[Jilly]

I won't use Expedia....I booked for the Whistler gathering, found a cheaper place, in the same hotel, they wouldn't honour their price match. So I use them for research, but book either via the hotel website, or phone call.

 

[crosscountry]

We usually try to overnight in the outskirts of larger cities and towns where selections are more plentiful. Exit side of the city/town in accordance to our direction of travel is preferred. Best to avoid the morning rush when we get back on the road the next day.

I use exactly that approach. Only I don't book ahead. I wait till I know how far I've gotten and when I'm feeling like stopping. This policy works very well in the Midwest, where small cities are less than an hour apart. Further west, I have to keep in mind there may not be another town for 2 hours after this one. I'd better stop right here if I don't want to sleep in my car on the side of the road.

I am not sure I would try that during the busy summer travel season, though.

I picked a "target" destination the night before and check if availability is scarce. If it is, it's time to change accordingly. Or book it and settle for it. But as long as availability looks good, I keep driving till I'm ready to stop.

 

[David Chaus]

I tend to do almost obsessive research ahead of time.

On my trips in BC, I have developed a lot of trust in Coast and Prestige hotels.

Otherwise BW’s are usually OK.

 

[crosscountry]

I won't use Expedia....I booked for the Whistler gathering, found a cheaper place, in the same hotel, they wouldn't honour their price match. So I use them for research, but book either via the hotel website, or phone call.

I too, use those aggregation sites (Expedia/Hotel.com/Booking.com etc.) for research primarily.

I prefer to book through hotel's own website directly also. No sense going through a middle"corp" unless the price is significantly better. I only book through 3rd party sites as a last resort (sometimes the 3rd party sites have much better prices, especially for non-chain motels)

The biggest hangup with booking in a third party site is the lack of customer service when things gone wrong (sick, flight delay, accident). Most hotels and motels are understanding and be flexible with such things for direct book customers. But not if the booking was through 3rd party that already got your money. The hotel/motel don't have the money yet, so they can't give it back to you!

Flights, rental cars, hotels, I don't book via 3rd party unless the saving is substantial (20-30% or more). I 'save' enough money from getting my bookings cancelled/refunded last minute from hotel/motel directly when bad weather or flight delays making it impossible for me to reach my destination.

 

[Jim Kenney]

Super 8s can be sketchy because it all depends on the effort/reinvestment made by the franchisee.

Motel 6s ime are at least consistent and the refurb while basic means they are pretty easy to keep clean. Don't know if they are actually owned by Accor.

But does anyone actually walk in anymore? Even if I'm parked outside I'll be cruising booking.com for discount and trip advisor for recent Intel.

I use priceline express about 80% of the time. It requires full advance pay without knowing exact motel, just approx location, class and rating. sometimes i purchase a few days ahead, but often just a few hours ahead. The prices are quite low for the most part and seeing rating scores helps avoid loser motels. My wife will sometimes over rule me and use a site called Newsleeps instead to find new motels.

We go across the country quite often. WE have gotten pretty good at route planning. We never leave overnight lodging to the last minute. Definitely no drive ups.

We will usually book all the nights of the entire trip in one pass. Paying specific attention to cancellation policies. Booking is almost always through the hotel sites. Mostly, Hyatt, Holiday Inn & Marriot. In some of the rural towns, selection may be thin.
We usually try to overnight in the outskirts of larger cities and towns where selections are more plentiful. Exit side of the city/town in accordance to our direction of travel is preferred. Best to avoid the morning rush when we get back on the road the next day.

Having had a few chairlift conversations with The Grumps, I know they could teach a master class on this subject. They have a history of winter road travel that exceeds most on this website.

PS:: example of good priceline express discovery: Husker Inn, North Platte, NE, off I80. About $45 to 55 per night, clean mom&pop motel. If you use priceline express enough you can figure out exact motel before purchasing by its rating, approximate location and class.

 

[fatbob]

I've also used Priceline express successfully. I think it's often the only way for non franchise motels to compete (beyond having regular contractors etc) so you can get some decent places on there for surprising value.