Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm travelling to the US in a couple of months (from Ireland), my flight is booked but I haven't as yet sorted out a hotel. I'm visiting a friend of mine and her family, I want to stay close to her but not under her feet. I'm curious as to the rating system for hotels stateside. Are the stars equal to the European rating system? I've read tons of reviews and it does seem that the standard expected is high in the US compared to Europe, particularly in the 2 star range. Also are motels ok, I don't expect to be there much just to lay my head at night. Thanks
You rarely go wrong with any Hilton, Marriott or Holiday Inn or one their associate chains, such as Hampton Inn (A Hilton hotel). Each chain has full service, 5-star hotels and limited service motels, but they're nearly always clean, comfortable and reasonably priced. In the Mid-West, Drury Inn's are good.
A lot of the others are mostly run by foreigners who don't seem to be up to speed on American standards of cleanliness, maintenance and safety. If you're traveling without making reservations, there are two good rules of thumb to remember:
1. The less expensive it is, the worse it is.
2. The farther you get away from the interstate, the worse the hotels will be.
The town/city/area 'where you friend is' may have some bearing on what is available.
Marriott, Hilton, et al, can be damn pricey for that length of time, and you may not need the 'amenities' those brands have/promote, for 8 hrs of eyes closed.
There are several brands of 'extended stay' motels around the US: most offer decent room, kitchenette, refrig, etc., and some deals on rates, especially in this econ times with less sales people on the road.
A idea of the 'area' you will be in, might help with more specific advice/opins...and, Trip Advisor is a decent site for motels by city/area, imo.
GL, mD
American hotels/motels tend to be very stingy on balconies/rooftop decks, and I won't stay in one unless it has a wrapround deck (like older Motel 6's), or a balcony, and if you're looking for those amenities, they may be hard to come by!
Reading reviews for hotels/motels can make you dizzy and indecisive. I've stopped reading them, too many pro's and con's, raving reviews counterattacked by bashing reviews! Sometimes, if you wade thru enough of them, you're no better off then when you started!
If you are just sleeping at the place it doesnt really need much more than a clean room and a comfy bed in a safe area., i'd go with any of the chain motels that seem to populate most highway exits, most cost from $60 to $100 per night but there are hotels/motels that are cheaper or more expensive.If you are staying in a big city like NY you may even consider a hostel..
Knowing where you'll be would help in suggesting specific hotels/motels in the area..
the most consistent indicator of the quality of a hotel is pricelines hotel guest rating IMO. its on a 1-10 scale. any hotel above a 9 is pretty much guaranteed to be good. pricelines name your own price function is also the cheaper way to get quality hotels in the US. the actual reviews are mostly useless. tripadvisor is mostly useless, it just pays a lot of money to have good google placement. 2* hotels are best avoided in the US imo. 2.5-3* hotels are the best value, anything above that and hotels will start nickel and diming you for stuff that is free and the same (or surprisingly even better) quality in the 2.5-3* hotels. if you're travelling on an expense account this might not bother you, but for most i think its important. full service hotels are best avoided IMO. flagship brands in particular generally suck. like compare a marriott vs a residence inn, or a hyatt regency vs a hyatt place/summerfield suites, or a hilton vs an embassy suites, etc. the limited service properties will win every time
I would recommend the Comfort Inn chain - it would be less expensive than the Marriott chain but every bit as clean. Perhaps fewer amenities ie full breakfast as opposed to continental breakfast and maybe smaller rooms.
Thanks everyone for the responses, I'm visiting San Antonio and my friend lives very close to I35 IN Live Oak, there are a number of motels 2* around the area so I'll probably opt for one of these. I may just book one night in advance and play it by ear from there. I've become completely bamboozled with all the reviews and websites I've looked at, one motel had 'windows that open' listed under amenities. Honestly. No joke.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
