Please help us!!!
 

My friend and I are travelling to America in Sept. 2000. We are going to New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco and Chicago. <BR> <BR>We have heard about a Liberty Hotel Pass, where we can stay in either a Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Ramada or Travelodge. The cost is £48 (approx. $72)per voucher (1 voucher per room per night). Are these a good deal or are we better off looking for other, cheaper, accommodation?

Hello, Kirsty (anthony?), <BR> <BR>If there is such a pass, I'll tell you that getting a room in any of those cities for $72 is a great deal. HOWEVER: you should check VERY carefully into whether you are restricted to specific hotels in each city -- the quality in each of these chains can be highly variable, esp. Howard Johnson, and the location of some of these may be well away from where you want to be or from good public transportation. These are not our premier chains and accommodations can range from quite pleasant to flat grundge (sp?). <BR> <BR>For example: The Days Inn on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago is in a prime location and is very desirable, but I have trouble remembering if there are any Days Inns anywhere you'd want to be in DC. I recommend taking the time to scout out each of those cities and the representative hotels for each chain before you plunk down the money. <BR>

Believe it or not, there is a Days Inn in downtown DC near the Metro! It is actually a convention center, and is one of their premier properties. I stumbled upon it in desperation for a room during a convention and was pleasantly surprised! <BR> <BR>I think that $72 a night for accomodations in these cities is indeed a good deal. But DO read the fine print- does the hotel have to have a certain percentage of its rooms vacant, require advance reservations, etc? <BR> <BR>Sorry you're not coming to Texas- we'll miss you! <BR>

This is good advice regarding checking the fine print. Many hotel promotions simply aren't avilable during busy seasons or when there is a high occupancy rate. I've stayed at nothe Howard Johnson's in NYC and the rate varies from a low of $95 (for a single - one person with one bed) to over $200 if it's busy season. The HoJo on Park Avenue South is a much nicer facility than the one on 34th Street. The location is not quite as convenient but it's a nice quiet neighborhood at night, the rooms, although small, are nicer and they include breakfast in the price.

Hi Kirsty. My advice will be along the lines of the others. Those hotel chains are budget but sometimes in "not so nice" locations. Are you a student? If so, try posting a question if anybody knows of where the local youth hostel in those cities is centrally located and safe. I can help you with SanFranciso and DC. believe it or not, I can recommend you a hotel in SanFran where I stayed as a budget tourist last year for 55 dollars US a night! yes it was cheesy and old but very CLEAN and in the most PRIME location and a 30 second walk to the cable car line, which is what I used for public transportation the entire time I was there! Write me back and I'll get the websites for this hotel and see if I can find where the DC youth hostel is. Sophia : )