Hotel/motel horrors. (rental, reservation, price, overnight)

[stanley-88888888]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Eeew. Did you get the room cleaned and new linens before you went to sleep?

got a new room.

[artillery77]

I got a room at a hostel in Prague once...wanting to try the free spirit thing. I was greeted at the door by a dude doing heroin and offering massages for cash. He also wanted to be paid in advance, but only in cash. He was all frustrated when I said I could only pay the night in cash but didn't have more for the rest of the trip. He was always there looking for cash...totally creepy style. I didn't see anyone else there. There was a strip club across the street that I didn't go into. He offered a free night if I'd pay in cash too.

2nd day went to another place that I'd stayed on a prior trip and was able to get in. I did my best to say I was sorry, but I was unable to get any more cash, in a weak sad manner. Then he wanted me out...which was exactly what I wanted.

Don't get me wrong. The place accepted credit cards, and he'd initially said he'd take them if he had too...but it was obvious that he didn't want to...and he was just weird and desperate enough to ping the fear factor a bit.

Anyway, the place itself looked nice, but rundown. My guess is the front desk guy was basically leaching off someone else's asset. Plus, the fewer the guests, the less he had to do.

[coschristi]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Funny. I do not get the church reference, this was a hotel, we were on our way to a church (where we slept in the sanctuary, or when they had a minister who thought it was disrespectful to sleep in the sanctuary, we slept on the ground under an awning). Both were better than the hotel IMO except that we had to build a shower before we could take a shower.

Taking trips with no money create the more memorable adventures in life. Well planned trips with people to take care of everything for you, are pleasant, but boring/not memorable.

Thank you for saying that! I subject my family to "memorable" trips ... I know my kids probably prefer the fancy opportunities they are so lucky to have; traveling with their friends & groups.

They have things like plane tickets. Itineraries. Itineraries with SHOPPING excursions planned? Condos on the beach booked 4 months in advance.

If I was to wait until I could afford to travel like their friends can? That's how they would remember me: Wishing & waiting. And waiting. Anything is better than that.

When you "wing it" on less than a dime? That's when you meet the most interesting people alive. That's when you get a sense of perspective.

[thenwhatareyou]

My husband stopped in Jacksonville Florida off 95 and got a room at a Motel 6. He said that the phone rang just after he entered the room and he recognized the voice as that of the woman that checked him in. She asked "want some compney". He claimed he declined. lol. I won't pass along the description he gave me of the woman but I believed him.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by coschristi

Thank you for saying that! I subject my family to "memorable" trips ... I know my kids probably prefer the fancy opportunities they are so lucky to have; traveling with their friends & groups.

They have things like plane tickets. Itineraries. Itineraries with SHOPPING excursions planned? Condos on the beach booked 4 months in advance.

If I was to wait until I could afford to travel like their friends can? That's how they would remember me: Wishing & waiting. And waiting. Anything is better than that.

When you "wing it" on less than a dime? That's when you meet the most interesting people alive. That's when you get a sense of perspective.

+ the BIG bonus!!! kids appreciate HOME more!!!

We homeschooled and did yrs of international travel / living and volunteering (on a shoestring, or less). Didn't hurt them much (They are still doing likewise 10+ yrs after college).

We met interesting people and invested our lives in their needs.

other 'hotel' adventures...

• Kids had a term for Hostels... (Hey, can we stay in another "Foster Home for College Kids?") Mom put down the hammer after a few Co-ed shower experiences in France
• In Italy.. only 3 people allowed per room, so we (as 4) had to rent 2 rooms
• "Breakfast Included" in Europe (Spain) kids were so excited!!! then came breakfast... Melba Toast and Hamen (petrified paper thin meat(?)) an a couple tomatoes to rub on the petrified bread. (Hey, where are the Waffles and Strawberries and whipped cream?)
• Breakfast in thailand... Go to the 3rd level, and at the steps... slide the large picture to the side, and step into a food court next door ... That was the Stella Palace ! Kids thought they were James Bond 'Stealth'...
• Thailand Hotel in Petchaburi(Dream D)... Karaoke 8PM till midnight; Pounding Disco Music(?) shaking hotel midnight till 4AM, daily dogfight under window at 4:30 AM, Roosters start at 5AM. 6AM all the workers race by on scooters (under window), Local mall (behind Hotel) blasts Loud Speaker Broadcast "Blue Light Specials" starting at 7AM. By 8AM you are off to work / play...(all rested up in the Dream D?)
• Thailand... Military Coup, company want to 'rescue' us from hotel via helicopter... we just waited for the 'World Cup' to start, (following week) and the new leader lifted the curfew on game nights! (to win points with the people). We just needed to be careful riding scooters after midnight (boss / company security didn't know about that... )
• Malaysia - booked an Island Resort... arrived and they were not ready... so they staffed a chef and a guy the size of "Tatoo" (Fantasy Island) to show us around... There were a few workers around to climb the coconut trees and get us treats... (Ironically it was a Muslim ONLY island, and we had just read the book In the Presence of My Enemies: Gracia Burnham, on the flight over (kidnapped from Malaysia)) ..
• U.S. Hostage Dead in Philippines - ABC News A tad spooky by ourselves...

Hotel BONUSES...
1) Had a Ski Lodge entirely to ourselves in Aug / Winter Park. "Chose what ever room you want, just leave a note on desk so we know which one to clean!) Refrig and bar is stocked, use whatever you want !
2) Same in Gunnison at a Hot Springs Lodge (only guests (off season mid week). Horses , hot springs pool, lodge, cafe... use whatever you want!

But... hotels stays are very RARE for us (Guest hospitality Stays 0 - $20 / night Worldwide) 200 + Guest stays in 2016 alone... on the road for a yr. ... only used 8 hotels. (early flights)/ terrorist issues while in Brussels.

[latetotheparty]

Originally Posted by GoCardinals

I think depending on the state of mind and the age group, these trips may vary from person to person when it comes to finding any fun in such "vacation" trips to "Time square".

There are LOTS of things that were great fun and that I loved to do back in the 80's that have absolutely NO appeal to me now......

[hertfordshire]

Originally Posted by GoCardinals

I think depending on the state of mind and the age group, these trips may vary from person to person when it comes to finding any fun in such "vacation" trips to "Time square".

Yep. I love Times Square, and usually go once a year or so. But the difference is that I'm nearly middle-aged (and more financially stable than I was in my 20's), am a theater buff, and never cheap out on accommodations.

[BD1978]

Hotel in the Bahamas for a good friend's wedding - wife was the maid of honor and we paid upwards of $300 per night for the room. As we're settling into bed an enormous cockroach runs across the bottom of the bed and continues running around the room. We call the front desk and it takes 30 minutes for someone to come by, who finally disposes of it. In the middle of the night I wake up to use the bathroom and another huge cockroach is lying on its back near our bed. Apparently they had recently sprayed for bugs and this roach was dying. We changed rooms the next morning (and there were no more bugs), but it was an AWFUL experience.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by BD1978

Hotel in the Bahamas for a good friend's wedding - wife was the maid of honor and we paid upwards of $300 per night for the room. As we're settling into bed an enormous cockroach runs across the bottom of the bed and continues running around the room. We call the front desk and it takes 30 minutes for someone to come by, who finally disposes of it. In the middle of the night I wake up to use the bathroom and another huge cockroach is lying on its back near our bed. Apparently they had recently sprayed for bugs and this roach was dying. We changed rooms the next morning (and there were no more bugs), but it was an AWFUL experience.

They say for every one you see, there are a thousand hiding someplace. When we lived in California, roaches were a huge problem. They were everywhere. Several apartments had them, our church kitchen, hotels, we kept them mostly out of our house, but we woudl find them once in a while and fumigate. One time a year in Santa Ana for a few evenings at night, the streets would be crawling with thousands and thousands of them, The pavement was literally moving. (Shuddder). One time we were at a high end restaurant/bar in Newport beach and between bands a roach came out on the stage, stopped in the middle and kind of looked around for a while. I think he was waiting for applause. After a bit of silence, he just scampered off to find a more appreciative audience. We told the waitress and she just said "Yeah, they are around/"

We really did not fault a hotel or restaurant that had them. There was no way to keep them out.

[BD1978]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

We really did not fault a hotel or restaurant that had them. There was no way to keep them out.

I understand and by no means do I think that a lone cockroach in an establishment means that the place is dirty or infested. This Bahamian hotel happened to have TERRIBLE service and we really didn't appreciate their attitude or slowness in dealing with the situation. And it especially stung because this was a very expensive hotel/resort that we were visiting for a special occasion, and was not merely a roadside motel for which my expectations would be much lower.