Hotels and my cheap budget

[breeves2245]

It pains me to spend much more than $50 bucks or so to sleep for 7 1/2 hrs and get up a leave a hotel. Don't travel much, but last week I went to Winston-Salem area on business. Stayed at Holiday Inn Express and a Courtyard by Marriott. Those were okay, and I was not footing the bill. They were $140/$100 respectively. I took an extra day to explore the area and booked a Motel 6 on the last night. It's on my dime so I figure I'll save a few bucks since it's $49.99. It was in very poor condition. Paint peeling from the ceiling, toilet lid about to fall off, etc.

I thought the chain hotels had some minimum level of standard, I guess not. So do I have to spend upwards of $80 to get a half decent hotel?

I plan on doing a fair amount of local travel checking out my plan to fish the small lakes of Arkansas. So I will be staying a night at hotels over the weekend. But I may have to loosen the wallet. I ain't poor and can spend what I want, but dad bern paw, it hurts to let go that much cash just to sleep in a bed.

And yes, I've tried the airbnb. Went to Colorado this past September to Fort Collins. Learned one thing about Airbnb. Get a unit all to myself. It was okay, but staying in some guy's extra room in an apartment was kinda weird.

[BAM]

Been doing some traveling over the last year for fish and pleasure and my conclusion is this, in most parts of the country a "decent/safe" place to stay is gonna cost you 80 and UP.

BAM

[psj706]

Bed bugs (or worse) are in all of em.

[TampaJim]

Usually $100+/night anywhere I'd willing to stay nowadays.
My next hotel ... $400/night in NYC, now that's expensive.

[rds_nc]

I'm in hotels for work probably 150 nights a year. $80 really is about the minimum and still be decent. The Choice hotels are usually pretty good at that price point. Their rewards are pretty good too.

[Ryan]

If it is just me as long as I'm not killing bugs I don't care. The wife on the other hand her idea of roughing it is basic cable in the motel.

[OH_Ranger]

Gotta spend $125+. After a bad experience this summer, I'm staying with Hampton and Holiday Inn.

[11pounder]

80- 100 bucks around here for a decent clean place to stay. Most of the 40 - 60 buck places are independent owned even the name brand places and owned by foreigners who are tighter with their wallet than you are.

[dean c]

Usually $100+/night anywhere I'd willing to stay nowadays.
My next hotel ... $400/night in NYC, now that's expensive.

Yep...30 years of 10-15 nights a month will make you pretty picky about hotels...and that $100 TJ mentions is gojng to be in a smaller city. If I'm paying and just want a decent bed...Hampton Inns are usually decent. Use the newest properties available. Avoid at all costs any around tourist areas, theme parks etc...unless they are super high end.

Never had a bedbug bite in 30 years...and Ive stayed in some crap places.

[WisconsinF]

I'm in hotels for work probably 150 nights a year. $80 really is about the minimum and still be decent. The Choice hotels are usually pretty good at that price point. Their rewards are pretty good too.

^^This....Join "Choice Rewards Program" and get a AAA membership (and other memberships also.... like AARP) and if you reserve on-line you'll get a discount also.

[grandbassslayer]

Gotta spend $125+. After a bad experience this summer, I'm staying with Hampton and Holiday Inn.

I agree. Thats the mininum to keep the druggies and hookers away.

[psj706]

My buddy had to go to the doctor after staying at a very popular lodge on Ky lake. I guess I picked the right bed...

[WisconsinF]

If it's just you..... have you thought about camping if the weather permits?

[Dan21XRS]

Use to spend on average 150 nights a year on the road. Learned real quick that the Hilton, Holiday Inn and Marriott chains were the way to go, they're clean and have standards. Each has an affordable hotel most everywhere I traveled... Hilton's were my first choice... Depending on location prices were between $90-$110 a night... Dan

[Fish Boy]

If it's under $80 per night I'm not even considering it 9 out of 10 times and with that being said stayed in a $150 night room and found a tampon under the pillow.

Edit: you can usually tell how the place is gonna be just by walking into the lobby and taking in the smells, decor and the people working the desk. It's kinda like judging a restaurants kitchen from how clean they keep their bathrooms.

[WisconsinF]

Found this little fella at a higher end hotel in northern Wisconsin this spring..The management begged for forgiveness and gave me a gift card for 5
nights. I haven't used them....

[Basshaker]

^^This....Join "Choice Rewards Program" and get a AAA membership (and other memberships also.... like AARP) and if you reserve on-line you'll get a discount also.

+1

[TampaJim]

Found this little fella at a higher end hotel in northern Wisconsin this spring..The management begged for forgiveness and gave me a gift card for 5
nights. I haven't used them....

Juicy Lucy. She just wants to cuddle. Give her a chance, you might like her and them.

Unless it's impossible, IHG or Hilton for me. I prefer to have corporate benefits/leverage.
While I know there's a chance of bad service/product at them, it's not very likely.
Plus if it does occur, I'm top tier with both and can drop a dime/bomb if needed badly.
All hotels have some degree of filth, lack of comfort and safety, etc. compared to home.
IMO, staying in the mid to upper range gets you a lot closer to the desired comfort.

[Walkabout7781]

Best Western is a pretty decent bet, but I don't know if they're back yonder...prolly not. I typically spend a few nights by myself in a cheap motel each summer with no problems. Took the wife on a trip to E. California last October, and she preferred Best Western to the slightly cheaper place we stayed the first night. Super 8 is usually fine. I've never stayed in a Hilton or any of the "Choice" chain places, and not sure they'd let me in the lobby.

[redfin00]

Anglers Inn,close to Lake quachita(?) wife and I stayed there.Rough,sure it was the deal back in the day!Pool was green and been that way for a while,made memories that night.