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Old 12-22-2017, 09:32 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia/South Jersey area
3,677 posts, read 2,546,126 times
Reputation: 12467

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Quote:
Originally Posted by gizmo980 View Post
I guess our perspectives are flip-flopped, since I was raised with money, and enjoyed many luxuries - including world travel and staying in 5-star hotels, often paid for by my father's company (a corporate perk). Then things changed dramatically with my parents' divorce when I was 20; followed by mother's financial issues, and now my father's rapidly progressing Alzheimer's. I had to grow up VERY fast, learn to support myself, and reevaluate what's important in my life. Now I'm happy with much less, and as far as motels/hotels go, I'd rather save $$ and skip the fancy stuff. To be honest, when my dad & step-mom put me up in expensive hotels on family vacations, I always feel a bit uncomfortable and nervous that I'll mess it up. Give me a clean bed, TV, and bathroom, and that's all I need.

For the record, though, I wasn't saying I'm opposed to people spending their money on fancy hotels... in fact, earlier in the thread I explained (to the OP) why some people DO want to spend that money. I was only responding to your adamant "I'D RATHER DIE" attitude about motels, when even my spoiled step-mother will stay in a Motel 6 if that's the only option. Your attitude is almost like someone with PTSD from a bad motel experience.
lol not far off from the pstd. had to hide under a bed with 3 of my gal pals in New orleans when a gun fight broke out and bullets started flying but that's really not it.

so I've always been frugal and a saver, scared to spend money. then between 2012-2015. I lost my husband of 30 years, my baby brother and my best friend to cancer. All 3 were less than 52 years old, I am the poster child for knowing that life can change in an INSTANT. So now I don't use money as an excuse to not have the experiences I want.

now I apologize, I was probably reacting to the poster who said that anyone who pays that price is a fool. I assure you I am not.

one of my favorite places is Disneyworld, I love staying at the Animal kingdom lodge, I love getting a Savannah room. I wake up with a balcony and outside my window I watch zebras, giraffes, gazelles walk by. I have a jacuzzi tub that fits my entire body, not the tiny version where my knees don't even get wet. Yes it is totally worth the 500 night imo to stay there.

You would rather save money and skip the fancy stuff, I would rather save up until I could afford the fancy stuff.

now you are right, I don't wan't to die, but for me there is always another option outside of a motel. there is the option of not going. now sure some times crap happens and there are emergencies, we were driving to Canada from NYC and there was a huge pile up that shut the highway down. so we got off and stayed at the first place we came across but if I am planning a vacation a motel will never be my choice.

my son is graduating from college this year so we are planning a trip to London. most likely it will be one of the last trips as a family we take. I want a nice hotel, centrally located. I fully expect to pay 350.00-400 a night, I may rent an apartment though since I'll need two rooms

Last edited by eliza61nyc; 12-22-2017 at 09:42 PM..
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Old 12-27-2017, 08:54 AM
 
Location: WMHT
4,564 posts, read 5,630,018 times
Reputation: 6753
Talking Little things all add up to a good (or bad) experience.

When vacationing, I'm happy to pay a significant premium not just for luxury as such, but also to avoid hassles and make the most of my time off. Little things all add up to a good (or bad) experience.

Stay at a pricey "boutique" hotel and you might never want to go back to the multi-hundred-room model.

Quote:
Originally Posted by karen_in_nh_2012 View Post
But at first, on a map I saw that the Westin in Indianapolis, just a few minutes' walk from the conference hotel, was $115/night. Yippee!!, I thought. But no, that was clearly an Internet error (and a GIGANTIC one!!). When I went to the hotel's site (the CHEAPEST site for its rooms), I saw that the rooms were actually around $400/NIGHT -- for a place to SLEEP!!
Some cities / times of year /events are just plain expensive, not much you can do about that.

For example, rates at The Westin Indianapolis vary from $110/night to +$600/night depending on the room type and date and/or what's happening in the area.

Quote:
Originally Posted by karen_in_nh_2012 View Post
And yes, I know I keep saying that, but seriously, for me that's all a hotel room IS -- a place to sleep. OK, I might watch a bit of ESPN on TV before falling asleep (especially if my favorite team is playing), but otherwise, I will mostly be OUT of the hotel room during the day.
I like a hotel with a nice guest lounge (e.g. "Executive Floor Lounge" at Hilton) upstairs with a view. Usually serving breakfast, snacks, and some sort of cocktail reception in the evening. Makes for a less stressful start to the day when vacationing, and reduces the load on my meal allowance (when traveling for business).
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Old 12-27-2017, 12:53 PM
 
Location: Somewhere
4,194 posts, read 4,705,524 times
Reputation: 3174
I just left a resort in Cancun. It's going for over $700 a night right now. I didn't pay for the room as I used points for it but I have gotte. Used to staying in nicer places which makes it hard to stay in 3 star hotels. But I have more like a 3 star hotel budget lol. So if I'm paying I'm not likely to get a $400 a night room. But I try to do what I can to get rooms that cost a bit more but that I've found a way to not have to pay out of pocket for.
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Old 12-27-2017, 12:56 PM
 
Location: Somewhere
4,194 posts, read 4,705,524 times
Reputation: 3174
Quote:
Originally Posted by eliza61nyc View Post
lol, well there are a lot of wealthy folks who do it every day and if that is what is called being a fool, where can I sign up?

actually I think it's foolish to spend my hard earned vacation time in a car and traffic. If I go to a theme park the last thing I want to do is get on the bus or in a car before I can even have fun.

When I go to a beach resort, I don't want to wake up and have to drive (mostly likely in a crap load of traffic) to get to the beach. Yes I will pay the premium to look out my balcony at the ocean, to walk out my door and be on the beach. To leave my hotel and walk to Epcot. All those are worth my money.

Personally I don't need more junk and I'm not going on vacation to live in a place that is worst than my house.

To each his own.
I kinda side with Eliza on this. I'd use the car rental money to get a nicer room right on the beach if possible before I'd pay for a car to have to drive to the beach. If the cost of the car doesn't offset the hotel cost enough then I might cut my stay down by a day. But generally I prefer staying in as nice a place as I can afford.
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Old 12-27-2017, 01:02 PM
 
Location: Somewhere
4,194 posts, read 4,705,524 times
Reputation: 3174
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hefe View Post
You'll pay several hundred dollars to stay at full service hotels in major centers like NYC, London, Tokyo. I always preferred to go cheap on the hotel in order to travel overseas when I was young & solo since I figured I'm asleep virtually the entire time & I didn't have much money for travel & wanted to see the world anyway: hostels, B&Bs, 1 star hotels. Every place I worked booked economical hotels like Hilton Garden Inns.

Now that I'm much older I may book a 4 star for the first couple of days of a trip especially if it is a long flight, & perhaps a day or two also at the end, the rest of the time I will book mid level hotels/serviced apartments in non-touristy neighborhoods. Someday I might book an entire short vacation based entirely on the luxury of the resort/hotel just to experience that, but it will be a special event.
People should also consider the reason for the trip and how long one will be in their room. Like you mentioned above sometimes you were only sleeping in your room. I stayed one night in an Ibis hotel in London this time last year. Anyone who's familiar with the Ibis hotels knows they are straight up basic. Not my preferred style but it worked perfectly for me as I only had that one night in London and after check in I only came back to sleep. So at $100 to stay in the city it was a good deal for me considering I only needed somewhere close to the action for one night.
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Old 12-27-2017, 01:27 PM
 
Location: Top of the South, NZ
22,216 posts, read 21,551,395 times
Reputation: 7608
Probably not many people would want to pay $400 a night to sleep, but plenty pay $300 per person -I let out short term accommodation for 4 people at $600 a night, and about 40% of nights are taken by people who will happily pay full price, just for a couple.

There is even the occasional individual who will take it for themselves at full price, although I knock a few dollars off.
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Old 12-29-2017, 07:43 PM
 
Location: Columbus, OH
1,058 posts, read 1,242,023 times
Reputation: 1779
$400 a night isn’t really that high. Most places under $250 are dumps. Try finding something nice in NYC for under $350.....it’s tough. We spent $1100 per night at a beachfront hotel on San Diego last year, but it was worth every penny. Now we are not wealthy, but will spend a little more to stay in a nicer place on vacation.
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Old 12-29-2017, 08:24 PM
 
7,235 posts, read 7,014,169 times
Reputation: 12265
Not everyone thinks of a hotel room as merely a place to sleep. is it really so hard to believe that people have different priorities when it comes to money? \

OP, I'm sure if you listed your general spending habits, everyone here could find something that they, personally, would never spend money on the way you do.
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Old 12-30-2017, 03:36 PM
 
1,644 posts, read 1,655,984 times
Reputation: 6237
Quote:
Originally Posted by eliza61nyc View Post
some thing is horribly wrong and the world has gone off it's axis if I ever stay in a motel. I'd rather get caught in the hotel fire.
I’m just the opposite I love motels, but my favorite is several hundred a night so it isn’t exactly a run of the mill motel.
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Old 12-31-2017, 10:31 AM
 
Location: Columbus, OH
1,058 posts, read 1,242,023 times
Reputation: 1779
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccc123 View Post
I’m just the opposite I love motels, but my favorite is several hundred a night so it isn’t exactly a run of the mill motel.
What “motel” is several hundred a night? Motels are usually like $59 a night. You must mean hotel, not motel.
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