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A few days ago I was looking at a thread about some Americans trying to find affordable hotels in NYC...the prices were ridiculous, and the suggestions for reasonably priced hotels mainly involved staying in Jersey.
There are several decent, affordable hotels in NYC (Manhattan). Anyone who can't find them isn't trying.
After a 7-week-long budget road trip through the north-east of the US and travelling through Europe all my life, I can assure you that both the US and Europe have pretty disgusting hotels. You get what you pay for...
Worst places were definitely a hotel in Porto and a hotel in Maine... I'm not complaining, though, cause it didn't expect much for 20€ (Porto)/35$ (Maine)...
I'm in the industry..in Europe, and we've been in the industry since birth. Hotels/Pensions/Rooms...whatever, are better in the US because in general, living standards in the US are higher, taxes there are not so abusive, they have more SPACE, and they are used to certain amenities that until quite recently were only known for rich peope in Europe.
So, if we compare say, a third rate Motel with a 2-3 star Hotel, the Motel is generally better, more modern, larger, better matteresses, more facilities.
It's just a matter of resources, they have more resources, less taxes, they don't have to cope with 15 different administrations that want to regulate absolutely everything, and they can build hotels from scratch. They don't have as many "protected buildings", they don't have to deal with medieval cities, with idiotic politicians that won't let you put a flower pot in the third floor because it¡s an attack to the "aesthetic integrity", blah, blah.
Of course there are large chains, monumental brand new hotels, etc, but I'm talking about family-owned concerns, the vast majority.
I'm sure that NY has shabby hotels...because NY is more European than American.
Last edited by cococorico; 03-28-2014 at 04:48 AM..
I'm in the industry..in Europe, and we've been in the industry since birth. Hotels/Pensions/Rooms...whatever, are better in the US because in general, living standards in the US are higher, taxes there are not so abusive, they have more SPACE, and they are used to certain amenities that until quite recently were only known for rich peope in Europe.
So, if we compare say, a third rate Motel with a 2-3 star Hotel, the Motel is generally better, more modern, larger, better matteresses, more facilities.
It's just a matter of resources, they have more resources, less taxes, they don't have to cope with 15 different administrations that want to regulate absolutely everything, and they can build hotels from scratch. They don't have as many "protected buildings", they don't have to deal with medieval cities, with idiotic politicians that won't let you put a flower pot in the third floor because it¡s an attack to the "aesthetic integrity", blah, blah.
Of course there are large chains, monumental brand new hotels, etc, but I'm talking about family-owned concerns, the vast majority.
You are deliberately comparing hotels in city centres to American ones along highways. What's the point of even arguing with you?
I'm also comparing hotels in cities. Any American city, except perhaps three or four, have enough space to build hotels from scratch without having to refurbish old buildings. You can't do that in any large European city, I'm talking about the dead center, or near the dead center...and I might say that the comfort level of American hotels (and also restaurants, etc) are far Higher. They grant more importance to comfort and they have the means.
For example, I have never seen any cafeteria in Europe as comfortable as the ones they have there, there's no space....even a greasy spoon is more comfortable better than any cafeteria here. It's just a matter of principles. If you were to install an American Style dinner or Greasy Spoon in the main commercial street of my town, you would have to occupy half town!!!
More so, their laws, we don't have "minimum hour" here, we don't have waiters that basically work for the tip, etc, etc. In the US, laws favours business, money making...
Last edited by cococorico; 03-28-2014 at 05:16 AM..
I've been to Europe a few times and stayed in fairly decent, but older motels. The one thing that scares me the MOST is that they aren't up to North American standards for safety. The ones I've stayed in are fire traps and I just prayed that there wasn't a fire. I doubt we would have gotten out of them alive... no sprinkler systems, confusing winding hallways, no windows, or tiny windows that didn't open, (too far to jump anyways), and tiny old decrepit elevators. The emergency exit stairs were halfway across the building through a maze of hallways.
I must say though, that Europe is FAR ahead of NA when it comes to energy conservation. The lights in the hallways in modern motels were motion sensitive. It was black as the ace of spades when you stepped out of your room or elevator, but one by one each light flicked on and quickly shut off behind you.
But most fancy and not so fancy Hotels, at least in Barcelona, are in the Old City or in the "Ensanche" (the part of the city built after the walls were tore down in 1860). Such urban space is mostly protected, extremely expensive and small, most hotels are refurbished old hotels or refurbished old buildings. No matter how much money you spend, a refurbished building will always be a refurbished building.
If you want to be in a new hotel, except for a few exceptions, you will have to choose a hotel far from the center, or even out of the city, in another municipality...and tourists want to be in the nitty gritty.
Most western European cities have the "historical center" (the Roman encampment, later medieval city, the medieval "burg" or the city built outside the wall by merchants and the 19th Century "enlargement", all three areas are now considered "center" and equally expensive, cramped and old.
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