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When traveling in the US, I must admit that I tend to have a soft spot for somewhat quirky motels, especially those independent ones left over from the 1950s/1960s. Or those "cottage motels" (not even sure if that is a category).
Sometimes quirky means a bit run-down or dated. Sometimes more like living in a perfectly restored or maintained 1950s environment. Like this one in Santa Fe, NM: https://santafesilversaddlemotel.com/ Or this one in Helena, MT: https://www.helenalamplightermotel.com/ Or this one in Key West, FL: Welcome to El Patio Motel Or this one in Old Forge, NY: https://countryclubmotel.com/ The photo with the deer is no fake. There were deer each morning and late afternoon, grazing on the motel lawns. Otherwise, it's a mix of "still okay" hotels in very expensive locations, and more of a splurge in areas where hotels and motels don't cost that much. |
Schlegal, do you know about the amazing restaurant Hell’s Backbone Grill? This is an article about the owners who are trying to save Grand Escalante. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...lante-monument |
Oh no, Jubi, now I really need to get a trip there planned. Those owners are amazing and the restaurant looks incredible. I am so mad that the Monument is threatened.
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Originally Posted by swandav2000
(Post 16980628)
I wonder if the difference might be that I am a single woman, travelling alone?? Many folks may see that as a lonely situation and may be trying to take care of me. Which is of course irritating and insulting . . .
I could see many hosts treating a couple or family differently than a solo traveller, especially a solo woman ("poor dearie...." lol). s I have a mixed experience with b&bs. Stayed at a lovely professional one in a tiny U.K. town that I enjoyed. Genuinely helpful, willing to let me be. I was pleasantly surprised. But my preference is definitely anonymity at a hotel. Every time I’ve stayed in a B&B in the states, usually at the high recommendation of a relation, the experience has been marred somewhat by the host’s personality. And it’s odd, because in both cases, they were high end more “inn” than the one in UK. You’d expect the professionalism aspect to be there, but perhaps it’s that element of “ownership” that occasionally ruins mom and pop shops too. |
cowboy, I think those too. We stayed in one in Hyde Park, NY that I loved. There's one I want to visit in Cherokee, NC = the Pink Motel.
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I've had some wonderful interactions with AirBnB/homestay/BnB hosts in New Zealand, Ecuador and South Africa. Sometimes the highlight of the trip. Maybe has more to do with the country and the individuals involved than any blanket statement. I have not yet used them in the US, though.
Have been invited along on golf excursions, given tours of their gardens and farms, accurate advice on weather, restaurants and safety tips. Not to mention, a few of those home-cooked breakfasts were pretty spectacular. I like a little interaction interspersed with some traditional hotel/motel lock the door and veg out stays. |
Oops, my husband reminded me, they were Portlandia sketches:
Overly helpful hotel staff: Bed and Breakfast Inspector: |
schegal1 - that is so funny. I've never seen Portlandia but it seems to be my kind of humor.
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tom, one of my faves:
Whenever we eat at a restaurant with locally sourced food, we always ask each other if the chicken had friends. |
:lol: so ridiculous!
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kureiff, I love that clip, too! I've only seen a few Portlandia clips, tom. I'm not sure about the overall quality. For instance, I think the "locally sourced" sketch loses steam once they are on the farm.
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And since we're sharing clips, this one from Corporate probably belongs on a different thread but I feel like we all can relate:
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you guys are making me laugh this morning
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The Escalante is in threat? What?
I am done. I am done. |
Originally Posted by starrs
(Post 16980663)
cowboy, I think those too. We stayed in one in Hyde Park, NY that I loved. There's one I want to visit in Cherokee, NC = the Pink Motel.
"Unfortunately" I can stay with friends who live less than 20mls from there.. but I'll keep it in mind if there is ever the need to find accomodation in that beautiful part of North Carolina. |
That's the reason I've not stayed there! :-))
Give me a shout if when you are back this way and want to meet up! Another (former) Fodorite who loves Germany may want to ride his bike over to meet up too. |
Yeah, Portlandia is funny in short doses. I haven't seen the Corporate sketch. :)
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I don't need luxury but I like hotels that are clean, in a good location and have a lot of natural sunlight. I hate feeling like I'm in a cave. B&Bs aren't really my thing, but we stayed at one in Key West earlier this year and loved it. I felt like we had a lot of privacy and there wasn't a chatty host.
I'm struggling with a lot of the signature scents, many that smell like cheap cologne, that are being used in hotels. It's frustrating walking into a lobby and getting a headache or sometimes migraine from the smell. Last year we stayed at a Hampton Inn near Acadia National Park and we were able to open the windows. It was wonderful sleeping with the windows open and breathing the fresh air. |
Btw, some B&Bs also offer vacation apartments for rent in the same building/complex. In some parts of France, these are called gites or 'cottages', which proves the differences in culture and terminology (where we come from 'cottage' means a whole different thing).
I am done. The link to the Who song about an 'otel worker. |
The lyrics from 1:20 onwards.......
I am done. The moon. |
Originally Posted by Traveler_Nick
(Post 16980548)
Location.
Budget is relative. I'd rather pay more for a place with a good location then save money on the hotel and pay cab or bus fare. Don't really care for B&Bs or smaller quirky boutique hotels. |
I would never dismiss sleep as an activity i will put with a lot if the hotel is quiet. Sometimes this means paying for hotels with good sound insulation and decent mattresses.
i also want professionalism when booking. Nothing irks me more than hotels that walk their customers, and rarely to a hotel of equivalent standing. Maitai, that was a most interesting visual. death by shower... |
As a solo traveler, location is the most important factor for me. I like to be within walking distance of restaurants, theaters and other attractions and I want to feel safe walking alone at night. I have been very fortunate in choosing wisely in this regard.
I prefer boutique hotels and in small cities or the country I sometimes stay in B&B's and have really enjoyed about 95% of those I've stayed in. Never felt that owners were intrusive and altho' I'm hardly gregarious or overly friendly, I enjoy a little chat if I run into them. I don't need 5 star luxury but I like charm, atmosphere, comfort and nice views. Pools and balconies are a big plus. I do believe that nice accommodations are an important part of traveling. |
I definitely don't want a pool. I also hate being give the "pool view" room. I'd rather look at the parking lot, to be honest.
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Originally Posted by starrs
(Post 16980718)
That's the reason I've not stayed there! :-))
Give me a shout if when you are back this way and want to meet up! Another (former) Fodorite who loves Germany may want to ride his bike over to meet up too. |
Originally Posted by mlgb
(Post 16980770)
I definitely don't want a pool. I also hate being give the "pool view" room. I'd rather look at the parking lot, to be honest.
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Originally Posted by Cowboy1968
(Post 16980774)
Deal! PM sent! I like a pool view. Prefer a mountain view but it's better than a parking lot view. |
>>>>i also want professionalism when booking. Nothing irks me more than hotels that walk their customers, and rarely to a hotel of equivalent standing. <<<<
Hotels don't know the day you make a reservation that they will be overbooked during your stay. Getting walked can be handled well, badly or somewhere in between. The couple of times it's happened to me I've come out on the upside. Perhaps it's another reason to consider booking with the hotel and not a third party OTA. |
Location, quiet location in a city is important, and a nice hotel.
I got very sick while travelling last year and was so glad I was in a Sofitel where the hotel staff rallied for me. Extra kindnesses. Service, etc. Above and beyond what I expected. |
Doesn’t the hotel know when they are overbooking regardless of how you book? |
I remember being told by the manager in a German hotel, "We don't need air conditioning because our windows open." Yeah, let all that humid air right in.
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Originally Posted by Dukey1
(Post 16980823)
I remember being told by the manager in a German hotel, "We don't need air conditioning because our windows open." Yeah, let all that humid air right in.
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What does it mean when a hotel 'walks' somebody? I've never heard that phrase before.
I've always found I get the best price when calling the hotel directly -- not the chain's main reservation line but the actual hotel I want to stay at. |
The Western Europeans have a certain pride in having no AC and thinking they don’t need it. That probably used to be true. I worked in an office with no AC and afternoon sun and then rode a hot train home from work. I don’t like freezing places but heat just knocks me out. (Jubi - much as I love where you moved, I could never take the heat there year round... I know it’s “dry heat” which I prefer to humidity but heat just makes me lazy. ) |
Location, cleanliness, and general ambience of the place In the UK we stick to B&Bs. primary reason is to interact with cultures other than our own which often happens at breakfast. And, I like hosts that interact with guests. I have learned useful information from these hosts. Also the service is personalized .When making a reservation I always ask if they can accommodate a gluten free diet and she has always had her dietary needs met. We we also like smaller boutique hotels, a favorite in Paris is the Hotel Danube other than the standard rooms. In Haarlem it has to be Stempels. Places with historical interest such as Best Western’s Tigra in Vienna which encompasses Mozart’s boyhood digs and the above mentioned Stempels, both worth A stay even without the history. We we have at times rented APT’s which were good and Air B&Bs for a specific purpose. Occasionally we would stay In upscale places such as l’Ulivo in Bellagio, place that had everything. Atthe other end of a he spectrum, my earliest solo travel featured overnight buses between cities. As as we get older en suite accommodations have become a must |
Must have pool.
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Originally Posted by jubilada
(Post 16980819)
Doesn’t the hotel know when they are overbooking regardless of how you book?
If a hotel is overbooked, reservations made directly with the hotel or by loyalty members are pretty far down the list for getting walked. Last minute opaque priceline bookings and OTAs (Expedia, etc) are typically first on the list. Getting walked = moved to another hotel b/c the place is oversold for the night you have a reservation there. |
Yet another reason to avoid hotels. |
I have stayed in Motel 6, Red Roof Inns, Days Inns and so on. If I didn't I couldn't afford to visit the USA. Not everyone has a big budget and I would rather spend mine on seeing more of the country than a fancy hotel.
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Thanks, obxgirl. I've heard of that happening to people but I guess I've been lucky that's it's never happened to me.
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