From where?

What about Montana? You may want to check out the Izaak Walton Inn near Glacier NP.
https://izaakwaltoninn.com/lodging/?...SABEgIIN_D_BwE
Side note - I saw more hummingbirds there one June than I've seen at any one place before in my life.

They are great. Great location too. On Highway 2 between East and West Glacier, the road you drive if the Going to the Sun road is not open.

The Chattanooga Choo Choo has train car bedrooms too, but it's been a very long time since I've stayed there. If interested, check recent reviews.

I normallyy look at Trip Advisor ratings for best affordable hotel, or something like that. Normally there are one or two that are high in the rankings. I also won't book anything without free wi-fi, and normally go with free breakfast also. This tends to limit our choice to 2.5 and sometimes 3 star hotels. Sometimes they need to have free shuttle to airport also.

If we are staying longer than three days in one place I will look at VRBO or AirBNB.

Every now and then, it's been about atmosphere.

Never luxury. I think maybe I'm too working class to ever feel comfy with guilded lobbies and subservience. I enjoyed the functionality* of our apartment hotel in Bangkok but the white-gloved ladies who'd run to press the elevator button and the doorman who would deeply bow honestly just made me feel so uncomfortably colonial.

But a well located little inn sort of thing with character minus the preciousness can be kind of cool if moderately priced.

Beyond that, I'm with Paul. Location and price. And I might tack on functionality for a longer stay. Gosh how I feel pent up with the four walls and a bed thing after a few days... no matter how plush. I know I'm meant to be out there enjoying but you know, sometimes my feet are tired and I wouldn't mind some couch time before bed and maybe something to drink. That's where a little kitchenette, a sitting area...and to be able to slob out and not wait for room service is perfect. That sort of homey functionality is appreciated much more than service,.

Nice place. I'm a slow traveller, and I want to be comfortable during my long-ish stay. Views are a priority, so that means location is important.

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.

Outside of that I can live with almost anything. Internet is a plus. 24 hour front desk even more important at times.

If I wanted to just stay in the room I'd stay home. The room itself doesn't need to be that fancy.

Yes, I also feel this way. I live alone, and I dislike it when hosts act like they want to be my new BFF. I like to have a professional relationship with the hosts or staff. I was in a large BnB in Ireland once, and I felt the hosts were intrusive.

s

There's obviously a reason that AirBnB's, B&B's, and hotels are still in business and at least we still have a choice between types of lodgings.

We look for lodging that is clean and safe (essential),in a good location, offers good value for money, and has a room that is quiet. My husband is very sensitive to noise.
Mostly we stay in moderately priced hotels, motels, b and bs or for longer stays in apartments or houses. We've found most B and B hosts to be friendly and helpful but not intrusive.
If we can find lodging in an older house or inn with historic interest that is a big added plus. In the past few years we've particularly enjoyed staying at a tavern in Colonial Williamsburg, a B and B in the old Delano family home in Fairhaven, MA, the Shaker Inn in Pleasant Hill, KY, a simple B and B with a great bistro in QC, a 1700's farmhouse in PA and a ("rustic") lock keeper's house on the C and O canal.

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

There are some very friendly hotels. A large hotel might be easier to disappear into the background but even then I think it's more about the actual people staffing the hotel or B&B

Assuming cleanliness and safety first, I go for location primarily. It is literally some place I will shower and sleep. I'm not looking for cocktails, entertainment or food, as I've usually found places I'd rather do that. I don't go for luxury ordinarily but if it so happens to work out that the location is right and I can end up there, so much the better (finding the W Hotel and Four Seasons in Mexico City for $220 a night absolutely dictated that I was going to stay there!)

I've only twice let other people plan my hotels for vacations without my input. Once my sister put us into an Econo-Lodge in Pittsfield, MA, and I swore that we'd be dead in the morning due to drug-related gang activity. The other time a friend booked us into Quality Inn in San Diego. The location was fabulous and the price was ridiculously low but it left a lot to be desired in the cleanliness department. #neveragain

I thin a lot of this might just have to do with how you present yourself, or perhaps not since IO have no idea how you DO present yourself. And don't automatically assume someone is thinking "poor dearie"

The "presentation" part reminds me of the people who talk about having been turned away from some hotel by a doorman supposedly because of how they "looked" (were dressed, etc.) A doorman is just that and a guest needs to act like a guest

Well I am small (5'3") and thin-ish and introverted, so not outgoing or gregarious. Many folks do react to me as if I were weak and retiring. I'm not. I simply like to be quiet and watch people. But I do think that could be why folks might see me as a poor dearie.

s

B&B (and hosted AirBNBs) are a mixed bag for me. The Vintage Airstream host this summer apologized that she didn't interact with us more---no complaint, we weren't looking for that type of experience. But sometimes I love a friendly staff and host. Boutique hotels tend to hit the mark for this. We don't totally disappear (e.g. staff remembers that I prefer tea to coffee with breakfast) but we don't feel like we are inconveniencing someone if we stay out late or need to ask for towels.

There's a really good Key and Peele sketch about the overly-helpful Airbnb host but I think it's been taken out of rotation so i can't link it.

Thanks for the Caboose and Cave links. It seems cave stays are common in that area of France. There are some on AirBNB, too. The "cave" I have in my back pocket is this one near Grand Escalante National Monumnet (which is unreasonably priced but I'd still do it).

I ended up googling top unique stays because of this thread and got some good lists, mouse. I want to take nephews/nieces to the pirate ship:
https://www.pcmag.com/feature/334935...hould-book-now

This one has a mix of "cool" and "meh" --the adobe dome house in TX looks cool:
https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifes...irbnb-rentals/