On average what do you expect to pay for a hotel in the United States? Specifically looking at a middle class family hotels, such as Choice Hotels, Best Western etc.

There is absolutely no possible way to say. Even w/i the same chains, rates vary a LOT from place to place.

Oh - meant to add -- Best Western is not a chain. They are individually owned and run the gamut from very inexpensive to very expensive.

Holiday Inn Express...$80.00-$100.00

I agree w/ janis. For example, the price of a standard Best Western double room varies from around $75 in the farm belt in middle america to well over $400 for the same room in New York city.

Which areas exactly are your planning to see during your visit to the US? I suggest you ask again in a seperate thread with a subject title along the lines of: "What is the average hotel price for a middle class chain in SF, Orlando, and Las Vegas?"

As a reply I was really looking for what you plan to spend. Like when you form a budget for a trip. Like generally I expect to pay no more than $100 a night but I'd prefer more like $80.

I never said that Best Western was a chain, I was just pointing them out because more middle class people that I know stay at Best Western's.

I'm not visiting the US. I live here. I'm just curious as to how much other people plan to spend on a trip.

Well - first of all I wouldn't consider Choice and Best Western as middle range hotels - they're distinctly in the modest range. Middle hotels are basic Hilton, Marriotts, Holiday Inn etc.

And - obviously what you pay depends on what city you're in. And I can think of few cities where you can get a decent hotel for $100 without using Priceline or some sort of special discount. (It may be $49 by the side the highway in the middle of nowhere - but in almost any city or near any tourist attraction - except Orlando - I would expect to pay $200 for a middle class hotel.)

Hi, rain monkey. Your question is sort of like saying, "How much will you pay for a hotel in Europe?" As others have stated, it depends entirely on what area we're talking about. For example, I got a hotel room in mid-town Manhattan for $150/night. This was a small, plain, unremarkable room, yet that's considered a bargain for New York. I also found San Francisco hotels to be quite expensive. However, you could take that $150/night to countless other parts of the US and that will buy you a deluxe room or perhaps a small suite at a fine hotel or resort. Sorry, but without a specific location, it's really hard to answer your question.

I would agree that Choice (including Comfort and Quality Inns) and Best Westerns are modest. Clean (most of the time) and no frills.
$60-80 most of the time.

Moderate (and my hotels of choice) would be Hampton Inns, Holiday Inn Express, Hilton Garden Inns, Homewood Suites, and LaQuinta Inns and Suites(I like complimentary breakfasts - and some of these have very good free breakfast buffets)
$80-100 a lot of the time.

Holiday Inns (usually the older structures) and Fairfield Inns are a step below moderate (to me). LaQuintas that aren't "Inn and Suites" are the older hotels.

Next step up = Marriott and Hilton.
$100 - 180

My favorites = Four Seasons, Fairmont and Ritz.
$200+

I have found Hyatts all over the place in quality.

Prices are usual prices in my neck of the woods. There are exceptions. The Hampton Inn historic district Savannah jumps from $140 to $270 on St. Patty's Day.

In this discussion one simply can't use Best Westernas any sort of example. They are neither modest or high end/posh -- they are both. Here in CA there are BW's for less than $65, and others with rack rates of well over $300. Best Western is a group of totally independent properties - no two are alike.

Anyway, the question is senseless. If I am in the desert of eastern NV I'll budget $35 or $40 a night and get a great room. If I'm visiting Boston ot NYC I'll budget $200-$300 a night and hope I can find something

When I travel in the US, I find that I aim for a hotel aim for hotels at about $150, but may stay in a $250 hotel one night and a $89 the next.

My needs change depending on what I am doing-- overnighting at the airport or on a road trip? relaxing on vacation? Trying to stay in a historic district?

Bottom line is that I pay what I need to be happy where I am, and that varies hugely from city to situation.

Is this any more "senseless" than the post asking how much it costs to mail a letter in another country?

Intrepid: Maybe I should have said "unanswerable" instead of senseless. At least the postage question has actual answers -- though those types of questions seem weird to me too. If one knows enough about the internet to get on Fodors, they should be able to google the postage rates just about anywhere.

But back to this one. I once had a friend ask me while we were in Scotland "how much does jewelery cost?" Not how much will a gold chain cost me, or how much for a silver celtic cross, or costume jewelery. After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing it came out he wanted to buy his wife a gift, didn't have any idea what sort, and wanted to know "in general" how much does jewelery cost.

I told him anywhere from £5 to £5000+ and he said I was being "difficult". Well w/o knowing more his question was unanswerable.

So is this one. There is no standard even w/i the same chain in the same town.

I'd love to budget $80 for accomodations - but in some cities that would have me sleeping in my car.