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This question pertains to regular hotels/motels, not to major beach or casino resorts that you may live near.
I had an interesting experience recently. Here in Maryland we were expecting to be hid very bad by Hurricane Sandy and my local county executive was on TV telling us over and over again to expect to lose power for a week, so myself and my girlfriend booked a room at a local hotel, a Best Western Plus, the nearest hotel to my home for the night after the hurricane was expected to wipe out our power and water. So it turns out we did not lose power so I called the hotel and they said they could cancel the reservation plus because it was less than 24 hours before check in I would still be charged the full price for the room. So we decided to go stay in the hotel anyway, figuring if they were going to charge us, we might as well do a local getaway, use their indoor pool and jacuzzi, go to the hotel bar and get the breakfast the next day.
It was actually very interesting as even stepping into the lobby put us in a vacation mood even though home was just 15 minutes away. The hotel pool experience was also very nice....even though my neighborhood has a large outdoor pool for the summer and even in the winter I have access to an indoor pool through my gym membership. (true I do not have regular access to a jacuzzi or hot tub). We went to the hotel bar and chatted with some visitors from Chicago who were here in town for some businesss. We also went and got food at the truck stop diner next to the hotel which for her contributed more to the traveling expereince (though I and many others do sometimes dine there as they have good homestyle cooking and alrge serving sizes at great deals compared to Dennys.....this was the Country Pride at the TA in Baltimore though the one in Ashland,VA by Richmond and the Iron Skilet at the Petro in Elkton, MD are infinitely better). The breakfast in the hotel was also very nice, and it was nice beingin the hotel room with the large comfy bed and sofas. Now its not like I don't get to swim whenever I want, and my own shower, while not marble, is quite comfortable as is my bed but just being at a hotel was a nice experience. After I told friends about this, a number of them said they actually have just booked a room at a nearby hotel or motel (places ranging from Holiday Inn Express to Motel 6) just for the heck of it cause it feels like a getaway even if they didn't really travel anywhere. Maybe it was just the change of scenery for one night?
Yes, some of them are younger dating couples who want some privacy, and some needed a night to themselves. But many times it really was just for the "travel" experience. Yall know anyone else who does this?
Oh yes and regarding travel infrastructure, local residents in many places DO frequent truck stops for the food too.
Nope. My house is nicer with more amenities than any hotels in this area that cost under $400/night and staying home I don't need to worry about bed bugs, noisy neighbors, etc. I've got a full bar and a much nicer wine collection than any local establishment (except Bern's) and for what I'd have to pay for a hotel room I can hire in a private chef to prepare an amazing meal and clean up afterward as an option.
Not really. I prefer to get away from where we live, as we know where we live so well.
Hubby took me to a beautiful Country Manor House Hotel last week for my Birthday which is only 20 miles away from home and that was wonderful but we just stayed in and enjoyed the beautiful place, roaring fires, panelled rooms, great restaurant and beautiful grounds.
He has done this before and that provides a nice break as we do nothing at all , apart from read the papers, listen to music, and simply enjoy a little luxury with no pressure or chores. But that is rare. Usually if we have time off I prefer to see new stuff and leave the familiar behind.
We are somewhat rural and the closest town is 10 miles away and small. Shopping & entertainment are very limited. We do take a couple of long overseas trips every year, but still like to do overnight trips to the city (Glasgow). We need to take a ferry/bus/train to get there (or a very long drive). A few times a year we do this and I look for deals on our usual hotel and will go to museums, classical concerts, cinema, do some shopping. It's a nice getaway.
This question pertains to regular hotels/motels, not to major beach or casino resorts that you may live near.
I had an interesting experience recently. Here in Maryland we were expecting to be hid very bad by Hurricane Sandy and my local county executive was on TV telling us over and over again to expect to lose power for a week, so myself and my girlfriend booked a room at a local hotel, a Best Western Plus, the nearest hotel to my home for the night after the hurricane was expected to wipe out our power and water. So it turns out we did not lose power so I called the hotel and they said they could cancel the reservation plus because it was less than 24 hours before check in I would still be charged the full price for the room. So we decided to go stay in the hotel anyway, figuring if they were going to charge us, we might as well do a local getaway, use their indoor pool and jacuzzi, go to the hotel bar and get the breakfast the next day.
We do it occasionally here in the Chicagoland area. We generally score a 4* hotel for under $50/ night through Priceline, usually at the Hyatt Lodge at McDonald's HQ. They give you access to bicycles, the walking paths, and paddle boats on the lakes. And within a few miles, there are a lot of great restaurants.
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Now, one question for the OP. Why not head further inland, like to Baltimore to ensure that you are way out of the area?
I would be afraid that the hotel also be hit and you would be in a strange place in the dark.
We did this as a treat a few times just after Christmas, when our son was old enough to be left alone for a day. We would check into a very nice downtown hotel, usually the Sheraton, and have a nice dinner somewhere, and luxuriate in the hotel. It was a lot of fun, and usually the rates were low the day after Christmas.
We do it occasionally here in the Chicagoland area. We generally score a 4* hotel for under $50/ night through Priceline, usually at the Hyatt Lodge at McDonald's HQ. They give you access to bicycles, the walking paths, and paddle boats on the lakes. And within a few miles, there are a lot of great restaurants.
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Now, one question for the OP. Why not head further inland, like to Baltimore to ensure that you are way out of the area?
I would be afraid that the hotel also be hit and you would be in a strange place in the dark.
We need to be close to home since I work and she goes to school and we actually do live in Baltimore County. This hotel is located on the border between the city and the county. It was the county executive here who was warning us about losing power. I was told that hotel, the Best Western, has their own generators and usually doesn't lose power. We had called a cheaper motel and was told that if the surrounding area loses power, they also use power, and that was at a truck stop (the Baltimore truck stop at I-95 and O'Donnell Street) and they actually had different rates for professsional drivers vs regular guests.
Here we were very fortuante with the storm.....we were only expecting to lose power and water, not to have homes blown down or flooded. The only flooding of homes in this area were people who lived directly on the waterfront along the Chespeake Bay and some of the rivers.
In downtown Baltimore the Hilton advertises their most expensive suites on the top floor has a view into Camden Yards and some wealthy locals would book the rooms and watch the baseball games from there apparently but I don't quite get this. IImagine being at the farthest seat from the field inside the ballpark, and then step another few thousand feet further back from there......oh yes and one thing with hotels in this part of Maryland.....we have lots of nanny state laws here (even Baltimore County)....so even hotels are required by county law here to have a lifeguard at their pool. This often results in higher rates and/or frequent pool closures and/or limited pool hours apparently every hotel in Baltimore County and Baltimore City and neighboring Anne Arundel (which does lots of hotel business becaue of BWI airport and the major casino) is faced with this problem.
We did stay out at Disney a few years back mainly because we were to be there for all day events and the 45 minute drive back and forth was a pain.
I ended up feeling silly about the $$ we spent. Don't get me wrong, it didn't hurt us but I'm one of those that feel a hotel room is a place to sleep, shower and change clothes. I don't need fancy sheets and all that jazz so paying $200 a night is a waste of $$ to me.
So we have to be a couple hours away from home before it's considered.
Are you kidding? 75 bucks? If I needed to get away, I'd sleep on the ground in a park.
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