Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with hotel

Help me celebrate my birthday in Las Vegas

Maisie — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:30:01 -0800

Are there any 2 bedroom suites on the strip in Las Vegas that don't cost a fortune? Mr. Maisie and I are going to Las Vegas in mid-January for 5 days. My sister and her husband are going to meet us there. I'd really like to find accommodations for the 4 of us such that we have 2 bedrooms that can be closed off and a common area that we can share (i.e., not just connecting rooms). We'd really like to stay on the strip. We'd really not like to spend $1000 a night on said accommodations. I've looked at the websites of pretty much every hotel I can think of: The Venetian (and Palazzo), Paris, MGM, Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, Caeser's Palace, Aria, you name it. Most seem to have 2 bedroom suites for the low, low price of a jillion dollars a night.

I beseech you my fellow Mefites: do reasonably-priced 2 bedroom suites on the Las Vegas strip exist? If so, how do I find them? Alternatively, are there tricks to getting a 2 bedroom suite on the strip for less than its advertised price?

Are there any soft/plush hotel beds in Seattle?

Leenie — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:32:15 -0800

Just had an uncomfortable stay in Seattle on a firm hotel bed. Heading back in two weeks and need a better bed. My wife and I just returned from a stay in Seattle. We stayed at a nice hotel with a firm bed. I had the worst night of sleep in my life. (No exaggeration). The longest stretch I was able to sleep for was 90 minutes or so. I was normally waking up every 10 to 30 minutes.

She likes a firm bed and slept ok on it.

At home she has her side of our sleep number bed set to 75, my side is set to 40. I think the hotel bed was a 80-90 setting.

The sleep number beds at the Radisson hotel chain are not very comfortable. I think they are a much lower end model than the one we have. The Temprapedic beds are not comfortable at all. Everypart of my body that is in the material when I sleep, sweats. That is not an option.

We will be going back in two weeks and I would like to sleep better. Most hotels we stay at have firm or very firm beds. Does anybody know of a hotel in the Seattle area that has soft/plush beds? Are there any chains that have some in some rooms in their hotels?

Is booking a hotel online really that much cheaper?

gillianr — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:27:16 -0800

I am heading to Lima tomorrow from Montreal. I have a 9pm - 5am layover at JFK airport. Can I decide at the last minute to get an airport hotel room? Or will I pay through the nose? Because of the snowstorm today, I'm not sure if my Montreal--New York leg is going to be delayed. If it is delayed, it might be a short enough layover to just wait it out in the airport. If it's not, I'll grab a hotel nearby and sleep. Should I book the hotel online now to get the best price? Or wait it out and take a chance? Will I pay more if I just show up to the hotel?

Downtown Louisville

tmharris65 — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:52:09 -0800

I am potentially going to be traveling to Louisville, Kentucky, on a business trip. I'm staying for 8 nights and I could stay in the company hotel, but they force us to share, so I'm looking for alternatives that will allow me to have a private room without completely busting my budget. I need to be within walking distance of the Kentucky International Convention Center on 4th between Jefferson and Market. I'm also curious about this neighborhood in general -- safe? walkable?

Avoiding a bed bugs infestation

grrarrgh00 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:14:13 -0800

I just woke up from a night in my Amsterdam hotel room and realized my bed has bed bugs in it. How do I make dead certain these things don't return with me to the US? Also, what should I expect from the hotel? I've spent the last two nights in a boutique hotel in Amsterdam.

Last night, I came back to my room and relaxed for a while reading on the bed. When I got up, I saw that there were bites down the back of one arm, but I didn't pay much attention; I thought an ant might have gotten into my jacket or something. I slept through the night, but when I woke up, I discovered another bite on my other arm. I suspected something was up, got up immediately, and inspected the sheets. I saw one dead bed bug, and several more live ones crawling around. (Ick.)

I'm downstairs in the lobby now, waiting for the hotel's housekeeping manager to arrive. I imagine I need to get all of my clothes laundered; they were on a seat touching the bed all night. What should I do with my luggage? How do I get into a set of uninfested clothes (I'm currently wearing the outfit I wore last night when I got in)? What other steps can I take?

Also, do you have any tips on interacting with hotel management about this? What should I expect from them? If they offer to launder my things, should I let them?

I had originally planned to transfer to another hotel today (this hotel was covered by the conference I was speaking at; I had previously reserved another room for myself at a place in a different part of town). Should I call them and explain the situation? Is there a chance I could get my things treated well enough today that bringing the infestation with me wouldn't be an issue?

Thanks much for your help with this. These things are so nasty.

Can I stay in an American hotel without a credit card?

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:12:14 -0800

Can I stay in an American hotel without a credit card? I'm waiting for a payment to go through on a credit card, but need to stay in a hotel in the southern US before that payment is processed. Until then, I am essentially without credit.

Will I have any problems booking a room at a hotel/motel in, say, Nashville or Memphis with only a debit card or cash? Is there anything I should know about this?

Where's a good place to have sex in Chicago?

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:07:22 -0800

Does anybody know a decent place for a night of sex in the Chicagoland area? (NSFW) My wife and I are looking for a place (not too expensive) for a night of sex. We looked at the Sybaris and it's a possibility but it is kind of pricey. We want a place that isn't too pricey, (relatively) soundproof and clean.
Any ideas or recommendations?

I don't want to cuddle my pepperspray all night.

Ms. Saint — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:46:45 -0800

I need to go to a professional conference in New York City at the end of December. I'll be going alone. Where can I find a cheap, safe hotel? I've never been to NYC, and, really, I know more about the city through episodes of Law & Order more than anything else. I really don't want to end up staying in a bad part of town, or a sketchy part of town, but I also really need to find a really cheap hotel. And even though I already know that nothing bad would probably happen to me in sketchy areas, what I want is to feel safe while there. I don't care about size of the room, I don't care about any amenities at all (except internet access would be nice), mostly I just want a place where I can sleep without freaking myself out about being alone in a hotel in a giant, unfamiliar city. So I have some questions that someone more familiar with the town might be able to help with:

1) The hostels (Chocolat Hotel and Hostel, Candy Hostel, etc) look like really good deals, but I don't know anything about them. Does anyone have experience with them, able to tell me if they're good environments?

2) What general areas should I be looking at? I mean, I know the names ("SoHo," "Upper West Side," etc), but I know nothing about what types of neighborhoods those are. Where can I find something cheap, and what areas should I avoid (as being too shady)?

3) What can I expect from a hotel room with a shared bathroom? This whole concept is completely unfamiliar to me -- I've never had a shared bathroom in a hotel. I'm not against it, in theory, but I'd just like to know what to expect. Will I likely have to interact with anyone? Is it the sort of thing that often leads to frustration (the bathroom constantly being used, no hot water when you need it, etc), or is it really not a big deal?

4) Is there anything else I should know?

Thanks for any help you can provide. I looked through all the previous Ask.Me threads about NYC hotels, but: A) only one of them addressed the safety aspect, and it's three years old; B) most of the hotels that answers claimed were available for less than $200 are showing up in Expedia for way more than that.

Also, there's a chance I'll have to cancel my trip, so please don't suggest any discount webpages or anything where cancellations aren't accepted.

Again, thanks!

Hotel recommendations for Capitol Hill in Denver?

jroybal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:49:50 -0800

Can anyone recommend a decent hotel in Denver, somewhere in or around the Capitol Hill area? Up to maybe +/-$125 a night. Clean, good location to do shopping/sights/etc, but otherwise no major restrictions. My partner and I will be there for a long weekend in December and plan on doing some stuff northwest of Capitol Hill (Buell Theater for Spring Awakening, Denver Art Museum) and southeast of Capitol Hill (Room & Board, Nordstrom). A hotel in any of those areas would be great. I was looking at The Burnsley Hotel on Grant St.--any experiences there? Finally, any recommendations for good stuff for us (two mid-twenties guys) to do in the areas near your recommended hotel? Theater, shops, restaurants--we're pretty open. Thanks in advance.

Where can we go for a Tuesday night getaway near Boston?

david1230 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:03:45 -0800

Where can we go for a Tuesday night getaway near Boston? Veteran's day is Wednesday and I'd love to take my wife somewhere to escape Boston on Tuesday night. By the ocean, in the woods, in the mountains, or in a city in Western MA would all work. It doesn't need to be fancy (but we'd rather rustic charm than Days Inn). Within a 2 hr drive, and under $150 would be great (< $100 even better). Anyone know of such a place?

Hotel and food recommendations for a solo traveller to NYC

une_heure_pleine — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:52:42 -0800

Visiting New York for the first time (from Australia) in a couple of weeks. Will be travelling solo, and am looking for hotel and food recommendations. (I did search, but the answers are a few years old now, or aimed at different budgets)

I'm perfectly happy with my own company most of the time, especially during the day. Even so, I'd like to meet a few people to go for a drink or dinner some nights, as I'll be there for two weeks. In the past when I've travelled solo, I've stayed in dorms. I'm a bit older now (late 20s) and have less tolerance for all-night boozing and general grottiness.

So, any suggestions for either a hostel with private rooms that's friendly but not party-central, or a budget hotel with a sociable common area where I might meet people? Budget is ideally no more than $80 per night but could stretch for the right place. Private bathroom is nice but not necessary.

Alternately, suggestions for other places to go/things to do where I might meet some people to hang out with for a night?

Also, I'm interested in checking out a couple of the better restaurants in town. I'm expecting to have to do this alone unless I randomly meet another foodie. Any ideas for restaurants in $30-for-a-main-course bracket where I'll be treated like a human being despite being there alone? My preference is for high quality, innovative food, rather than just wherever is hot right now.

Affordable parking in Washington, D.C.

billtron — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:47:54 -0800

Parking my car at the Renaissance Hotel on Mt. Vernon Square during a conference in Washington DC in November will cost $25 a day. Is there something else I should do with my car for the 4 days I will be in town?

Brooklyn, Brooklyn, take me in

thinkingwoman — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:37:52 -0800

Brooklynfilter: Does anyone have any experience with the Holiday Inns that have cropped up in Park Slope (Union St. and Butler St.) over the past few years? Planning a trip to revisit the old hood in Brooklyn (Park Slope), and thought we would splurge on a hotel for this visit. I used to live near the Union Street location (between 3rd and 4th) but can't recall that part of Butler St. (between 3rd and 4th)

Has anyone had any experience with either of these hotels? We don't need fancy, but clean and unsleazy would be nice.

Any other recommendations would be much appreciated. If there's anything in Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens/Boerum Hill/Windsor Terrace, we'd be open (also, I would be very surprised). Downtown Brooklyn or downtown Manhattan would be okay, too, but I doubt we could afford anything palatable there.

Planning for Las Vagas

dragontail — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:22:32 -0800

Planning a trip to Las Vagas with a couple of friends. We're students from the UK, so any help for making the trip awesome is welcome! Particularly getting the cheapest plane tickets, accommodation and things to see. We're planning the trip for summer, from July to September. Hopefully staying in Vagas for about a week. There will be 2-4 of us, all over 21.

1. Firstly, (and most importantly), which method will be best for buying the cheapest plane tickets? We don't care if we have to sit in the luggage hold :)

2. For hotel rooms, somewhere in the middle of the strip would be awesome, but keeping the price cheapish. Sub $40 a day/person would be great. Sharing a room is the way to go. Any recommendations?

3. We plan on playing a little low stakes poker and blackjack. Any recommendations for decent casinos? Is there anything else that is a must see? Free is best, but if it's worth going to, then our wallets will oblige I'm sure :)

Help me find a list of nice hotels outside of NYC?

coolguy#1 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:55:16 -0800

Please help me find an affordable, nice/romantic hotel outside of NYC. My girlfriend and I are looking for a nice, affordable hotel outside of NYC (so we can take public transportation into the city) for our anniversary. We're just planning on staying for a weekend, but neither of us have very much money, so we're looking for something between the 100-200 dollar a night range that still might be a step above a chain hotel.

I'm asking because I'm having a hard time finding an easy way to search hotels that aren't necessarily in NYC, but are still close enough for the city to be considered accessible.

We would really appreciate any advice or personal recommendations from anyone who has done anything similar!

Thanks in advance for the help.

Most romantic hotel in New York?

Falconetti — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:24:14 -0800

What is the most romantic hotel in New York? My girlfriend and I are celebrating our one-year anniversary in about a month and I wanted to surprise her with a night at a hotel in New York. We both live in New York, but she has mentioned before how she always wanted to stay at a nice hotel in the City. I thought booking a room for a night would be fun. What hotels would be the best for a romantic night celebrating an anniversary, especially for people who are young(ish) and actually live in the City (well, I live in Brooklyn)? I would like to keep it under $450, but all suggestions are welcome.

No room if you 'aint hitched?

smoothvirus — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:06:18 -0800

Do hotels or motels refuse to rent rooms to unmarried couples anymore? I took my girlfriend on a romantic getaway to the beach this weekend, and while I was not very concerned about it, I did wonder if it would be a problem. Back in 1991, I visited a platonic friend in Indiana and when she reserved the room for me, she had to lie and tell the manager that I was her cousin, even though she was not spending the night in the room. We were not romantically involved but the manager would not rent a room to an unmarried couple. This was a major chain motel in a big city in Indiana. I did go out on the Internet to see if this sort of thing still goes on but did not find anything, save one notable exception.

P.S. My girlfriend and I had an absolutely wonderful stay on Cape Hatteras in North Carolina this weekend. Go if you get the chance!

Are the taxes on an American sweepstakes win by a Canadian worth our while?

stungeye — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:28:22 -0800

SweepstakesFilter: My wife (a Canadian like myself) recently won a large number of travel rewards points from an American chain of hotels. Help us determine if the prize is worth keeping considering what we'll have to pay in taxes to the IRS. We have confirmed the legitimacy of the prize. (The contest was handled by ePrize and we've been in direct communication with a rep from the hotel chain.) To redeem the prize we have been asked to fill out an IRS W8BEN Foreign Status form. The instructions for the form state that "Foreign persons are subject to U.S. tax at a 30% rate on income they receive from U.S." Unlike casino winnings (for which the 30% tax can be recouped by a Canadian winner) I cannot find any information on the foreign tax liability for points-based sweepstakes.

When asked about taxes, a representative from hotel chain said the following:

"Although I cannot provide you with tax advice, it is likely that your tax liability will not be based on the published retail value of the points, but instead based on internal costs to provide the points."

The published retail value of the points was $35,000 and we've been told that the internal cost will be around $15,000. The points can be cashed in for approximately 12 round-trip overseas flights, or (for the sake of monetary comparison) converted into $10,000 worth of Amazon gift-cards.

So here are my questions:

Have you been in a similar situation? Care to share your "Canadian winner of US sweepstakes" taxation experience?

Can you suggest a firm to contact that will know how to deal with this situation? (So far the Canadian tax advisers we've contacted haven't been overly helpful.)

Should we accept the prize, even if it means paying $4,500 to $10,500 USD? (The former being tax on internal costs, the later being tax on the retail value of the points.)

If we accept the points and are surprised with a giant tax bill (say the full $10,500) can we return the prize to avoid the taxation?

East Lansing hotels?

rocket88 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:16:41 -0800

MSU Football road trip advice: Where to stay in or near East Lansing, MI? I'm planning a trip to Michigan State this November for some football, and need advice on where to stay. Some of the prices I'm seeing make me suspect that local hotels/motels jack up their prices on home game weekends. Is this true? If so, how far away do we need to stay to avoid this? My group just wants a couple of nice clean rooms in a non-sketchy neighborhood but not too pricey. We're traveling from Southern Ontario.

Maybe not the Sleep Eazy Motel, though

hwyengr — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:25:49 -0800

I'm visiting San Francisco this weekend, but I don't want to stay overnight in the City. What's your favorite Bay Area cheap-ish hotel? BART accessibility a plus. The ladyfriend and I are driving up from LA this weekend for Folsom. We'd rather spend our money on gear than hotels, so we were hoping to find a hotel/motel outside of San Francisco proper.

We're coming up the 101, but it looks like the East Bay is the best bet for BART access, right?

We're open to anything, I'd just rather not bring home bedbugs.

Help me find a hotel a short subway ride away from a conference in Philadelphia

croutonsupafreak — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:04:57 -0800

Every hotel room within a mile of my upcoming Philadelphia conference is booked. Where can I stay that has easy weekend, weekday and evening public transit access to the University of Pennsylvania campus, specifically Jon M. Huntsman Hall at 3730 Walnut Street, Philadelphia? What do I need to know about using public transit to get back and forth? Must be safe after dark. Bonus points if it's affordable, as I'm paying for this out of my own pocket. My travel dates are Oct. 17 - Oct. 21, an apparently there's a much larger conference that's overlapping and eating up all the close-in hotel rooms during that time. I'll be arriving as early as 8 a.m., and leaving the conference as late as 9 p.m., and coming and going on weekdays and weekends both.

In the ultra-cheap realm, I found Apple Hostels, 32 Bank Street, which appears to be on a SEPTA line that connects directly to my conference. It looks like a pretty touristy/historic neighborhood, which leads me to guess that it's safe. But I've never been to Philly, and don't really know the ins and outs of anything.

I'd love advice on how SEPTA works, too. I've ridden subway systems in a number of systems, and most aren't too difficult to figure out. But SEPTA's Web site talks about tokens, which I've never used anywhere.

Where to stay and what to see in Berlin?

gramcracker — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:11:41 -0800

Where should I stay and what should I do in Berlin for a 4 day trip? (Single, clean, safe, cheap, easy to get to the major sights.) Heading to Germany to see a friend who recently moved there, but going to spend some time in Berlin first, never been there. Single, late 20s gay traveler, see the museums, shop a bit, maybe grab a drink. Neighborhoods/sights/attractions to avoid or not to miss? Thanks!

I said a hip, hop...

LSK — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:17:29 -0800

Which songs use the lyric "Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn?" I'm pretty sure it originates in "Rapper's Delight" but I've heard it elsewhere. It seems to be a fairly classic lyric; where else is it used?

Related.

Un poquito mas baratito en DF?

cachondeo45 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:04:26 -0800

Which hotels do you recommend that are close to (within 15 minute walk or 10 minute combi ride) MELIÃ MÉXICO REFORMA but far more affordable and in safe areas? Conference in Mexico City (Woo!) but I can't afford the conference hotel on Paseo de la Reforma. I found a few hotels closeish that are around $68 / night, which seems much more reasonable. I will be sharing the hotel with three other people and am not adverse to a B&B or an apartment.

We will be there from Nov. 18 - 22.

I will be staying by myself until Nov. 27, so if you have additional recommendations that are WAY cheaper for just one or two people in a hip and safe part of town, that would be great!

Oh, and FWIW, we all speak Spanish at a near-native level.

New York (Bronx) Hotels

Jakey — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:14:54 -0800

New York Hotels. I need to travel to New York at short notice for family reasons. For the same family reasons, our customary free downtown digs are not available. Are there any reasonable and reasonably priced hotels in the Riverdale area of the Bronx, near Henry Hudson & 238 St? Any other reasonable options between there and downtown would also be OK. Any suggestions welcome, thanks.