Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with motel

Tired of the Huge Overpriced Hotels and Hotel List Sites Showing Up In My Search Results

VC Drake — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:07:02 -0800

Does anyone know of any inexpensive motel list sites that specialize in mom and pop motels and weekly rates and let you search by price? So far, I've found these three sites:

Motel Trip
Motel Guide
Mom and Pop Motels

But they aren't providing me with the details I need. I'm not so much interested in searching only by location and they aren't consistently, if at all, showing the motel's web address or rates.

Also, I'm looking for one that may specialize in weekly rates.

I appreciate your help. Thanks.

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!

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.

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.

Motels in Del Rio Texas

Upon Further Review — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:07:49 -0800

I need a little Motel help. Spending a week in Del Rio Texas, end of May to the 5th of July. How are the local motels, anyone have any recommendations on any of the chains or perhaps other options.

Know a good Burlington, Vt motel and a cool restaurant?

Anonymous — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:18:31 -0800

Recommend a decent motel in Burlington, Vt, and the coolest restaurants in town? Going to see David Byrne at the Shelburne Museum next month. Trying to find a decent motel.

Don't need an indoor pool or anything, just clean and comfortable. Have seen the Vermont Cheap Motel List (http://www.motelguide.com/vtag.html) but it's just a list you apparently pay to get on. A little firsthand experience would go a long way.

A cool restaurant would be great too. Have read this thread: http://ask.metafilter.com/102050/Where-should-we-eat-in-Burlington-VT

... but it's not exactly what I'm after.

Seeking cool restaurants. "Cool" meaning memorable for its character while having good-to-great food. Not fine dining, necessarily, not the most expensive places in town. Just a place that's unique in its own way. A place you won't find anywhere else. Vermont has a reputation for funkiness, and I seek to bring in da funk to this trip.

Thanks.

(Anonymous because the trip is a surprise for someone who reads MeFi).

Soft-sided dog crate for large elderly dog? Will my dog be safe?

valannc — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:56:06 -0800

Who has used a soft-sided dog crate for a large dog? Will it provide secure confinement for short periods? We are moving from NJ to the west coast. Our elderly dog is too frail to travel by air, so we will drive a 6-day road trip. For the road trip, I need a portable crate that will stow in our car trunk. We need the crate to set up in motel rooms. I want dog to have his "den". We do not plan to leave him alone, but there could be situations where he has to be kept confined for his safety. Dog is 70 lbs. He's a slim shepherd mix, tall and long-legged. At home, he sleeps comfortably in a 48 inch metal crate.

This is the crate I want to buy.
I would order the 43" model. The carry weight is 27 lbs.

I spoke with the vendor. This is considered a light duty crate. She said a motivated dog can chew through the nylon. Our dog has never been a chewer. If he feels threatened, he would lunge and struggle.

My concern about confinement is if we have to admit someone (housekeeping, etc.) to our motel room. Or if we are moving stuff in our out of the room. I don't want my dog to escape out an open door. I want a crate that will keep him safely in place for short periods.

Any opinions on using this soft-sided crate?

Where is this cool round motel?

GaelFC — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:11:16 -0800

Where is this amazing round motel featured in an old issue of LIFE? Here is the photo, as displayed in LIFE's online archives. It was taken by Yale Joel as part of a motel essay...but that's all I got. Any information on location, city, country, year, is it still there? I think the photo is truly cool.

On the road again...again.

sandra_s — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:37:14 -0800

Is there an online resource for finding and viewing eclectic or eccentric or cheap motel/motor lodges that are preferably non-chain & independently owned? I asked this question on a sunday afternoon in May and got virtually no response, So I'm trying it again :-)

I plan to be traveling around the eastern half of the U.S. (basically the parts of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River, but not new england or NY/NJ) for the entire month of September. Id love to find motels that haven't changed their architecture since the 50s 60s 70s or 80s and/or have interesting/older furniture and decor. Theme motels would be very cool, as well. Amenities are not nearly as important as uniqueness. Half-star and one-star places can be cool finds too. My goal is theme-based photography.

Ive tried to go the expedia/hotwire/travelocity route and they don't seem to have what I'm looking for. I also found motelguide.com, but there are no links or pictures or details, just lists of phone numbers. interestingly enough, roadsideamerica.com didnt have anything like this either (their listings are mostly big-chain). unusualhotelsoftheworld.com/ also yielded few results.

Since the motel would be the next day's destination, pictures of the exterior and an interior of a representative interior would be greatly appreciated.

If anyone has any specific recommendations, they would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Where is the best collection of motel reviews on the web?

pernoctalian — Sat, 31 May 2008 10:33:44 -0800

I'm planning a road trip. Cheap motels vary wildly in quality, so it's helpful if they've been reviewed by other visitors. Where's the best site to find reliable reviews? I've checked Yahoo Travel and Tripadvisor, but I get suspicious when I see a string of five-star reviews that seem to have been written by the same person.

Jesus Just Left Chicago, But Is There Room at the Inn?

lukemeister — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:57:46 -0800

Can we find a room in Chicago for $100/night? My wife, 14-year-old son, and I are flying there for the first week of April. We'll split time between one sister in the distant suburbs who has room for guests and one in the city who does not have room. The sister in the city suggested City Suites in the Belmont-Sheffield neighborhood where she lives, which sounds nice, but it's close to $200/night. Can we find two beds for under $100? I read this thread, but the places mentioned there looked even more expensive. We'd consider a hostel, though I suspect my wife and I would be the oldest people there! We really don't want to stay in (say) Itasca. If we can't be in the city itself, we'll stay with sister #1 and commute.

Extra credit for suggestions on things to do in the city - plays, music, museum exhibitions, sports. My wife and I have been there lots of times, but our son has not. The Cubs will be in town. Is it already too late to get tickets?

Where to stay and how much to pay on the West Coast?

wackybrit — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:22:49 -0800

Have I got the right budget for my LA->SF drive? What are the hotels / motels really like? Are there any "bargain" towns or price blackspots? My wife and I are planning to fly to Los Angeles, hire a convertible, and do the clichéd drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco over a period of about a week with stays in LA and SF at each end. There are 12 total "nights" to budget for. Dates are approximately Oct 30 -> Nov 11.

I've budgeted $2800 ($233.33 per night) for the accommodations. But.. looking around the net, all I can find is marketing bumph and hot air (and overpriced "luxury" hotels). Is it practical to drive the coast, and find a reasonably comfortable non-seedy place each night without bookings and spend $233.33 per night on average? If we can spend far less than that, all the better, and we'll spend the difference on better hotels in LA and SF.

Basically, if you know these areas, or have done this trip before, we're looking for any and all advice on the accommodation front that you can give :) Thanks in advance!

(Note: We have no particular places we want to stay at on the drive, other than Santa Cruz for at least one night.. so your suggestions could shape our whole trip)

Wanted: life like Bob Newhart's

parilous — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:42:35 -0800

Any advice for a couple who are disillusioned with their jobs and want to become innkeepers? Have you left the rat race to become innkeepers and failed? Have you been successful? What resources did you need? What resources did you wish you had? How about suggestions for locations? I have found innkeeping/hotel management courses and anecdotal info online, but I'm also looking for personal experience.

We already know we won't make a lot of money; we're prepared for the scaling back of our lives. We don't want anything too big, nor too small. Ideally, we want this.

Or maybe there are similar jobs that we should explore -- something that makes us feel less like cogs in a widget-producing machine and more like human beings creating experiences for ourselves and positively impacting on others?

He loves the rural life and wants to be his own boss. I like to be around people. We have no children, but plan to.

Random couches? A good idea for a young, adventurous couple?

Asherah — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 11:33:49 -0800

Should my b/f and I attempt the couchsurfing experience for our upcoming roadtrip, or do you have any tips regarding the process? My boyfriend and I are planning a Pacific Northwest 9-day roadtrip this August, and we were considering couchsurfing to save some money, meet some new interesting people and perhaps talk to some inside sources on the key places to visit along our route.

In general, is this a good idea, or would we be better off staying in economy motel-type lodgings along the way? If we do contact various folks to try to schedule a night on a couch should we do anything for thanks, say, cook a great meal for the host(s)? Anyone with direct experiences welcome!

hotel in san antonio for under $100

CrazyLemonade — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 17:18:35 -0800

I need a hotel (or motel) for under $100 for June 23-25 in San Antonio, Texas. I have browsed through lots of hotels on expedia, orbitz and the like, but I could really use some firsthand experience or reviews. I'm looking for something cheap, but preferably newish and clean, in a good area.

I *have* been to San Antonio before, but they're usually trips centered around shopping, and with my whole family. I only really know the area near the airport, and are not really sure about other areas. This time I'm going with my boyfriend and another couple, to a concert at the AT&T center, so closeness to the place could be good, but not a must.

If you'd like to throw in some suggestions of what we could do, apart from the concert and some shopping, I'd appreciate that.

Help me find a Union Square hotel in SF for Memorial Day weekend

k8t — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 20:21:22 -0800

Hotels near Union Square in San Francisco that won't cost an arm and a leg? There is a big academic conference the weekend of Memorial Day. The rate at the hotel is $200/night! Us poor grad students are looking for something close to the Hilton (333 O'Farrell Street), but that won't break the bank. We're also trying to squeeze 4 people in a room. Any suggestions? Is hotels.com our best bet?

Motel in Nebraska

kc0dxh — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:11:33 -0800

Help me find a nice mom&pop motel on I-80 between North Platt and Grand Island, NE. This should be nice enough to not go "eww" at the bathroom, but less than $70. It'll be me, the mrs and three little ones.

Why are there so many motels on Lincoln?

rbs — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 19:20:55 -0800

ChicagoFilter: Why are there so many motels on Lincon, ~north of Lawrence out to the city limits? You know, the pretty old ones with (mostly) neon signs. Driving north on Lincoln today I was struck by how many old motels there are on the strip of pavement north of Lawrence out to Lincolnwood. What's the history of this?

A checkout question.

rolypolyman — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 09:00:49 -0800

What typically happens when your stuff is in a U.S. motel or hotel past checkout time? No specific situation; I've just always wondered "what if". Assume you got a room for the night, slept there, went out in the morning leaving your stuff in the room, and decided to stay out all day.

Do the maids unknowingly assume it's just a multi-night stay and clean around the belongings? Or do they know you needed to be out of there already and work with the front desk to figure out what to do? And if the hotel is booked solid the next night, do they move your junk out AND charge you for an extra night that you're not going to use?

Just curious.

Creepy as in "Casper" hotel near NYC?

the jam — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 16:50:01 -0800

Looking for NYC-area hotels with stories of hauntings and/or assorted creepiness. Friends are coming to town this Friday 13th and are looking for some correspondingly creepy digs. I know about the Chelsea and the Algonquin hotels, but they're too expensive. We're looking for some less bourgeois ghosts. New Jersey, Long Island, and slightly upstate are ok, too.

Cheap hotel and meat on Christmas Eve

nitsuj — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 10:14:16 -0800

What are the cheapest h/motels near O'Hare in Chicago? Also, what are some restaraunts--open on Christmas Eve--in the area serving red meat? I'll be in Chicago with a friend on Christmas Eve this year, and I need a place to stay near O'Hare (nothing too seedy) before we fly to India the next day (which explains the red meat portion of the question).

Cheap for me means <$70

Near O'Hare means a quick cab ride away at the furthest

Red meat means a steak or something similar

Christmas Eve means a time for joy

Cheap, decent hotel in north San Diego?

moira — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 21:56:38 -0800

I'm new to north county San Diego, and have family coming to visit soon. Can anybody give me recommendations for a cheap - but not scary - hotel/motel? I haven't had any luck so far.

NZ with kids - where to stay, what not to miss?

chr1sb0y — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 12:52:24 -0800

Me, my wife, and our 2 sons (3 and 6) need a peaceful, pleasant, and somewhat inexpensive place to stay for 3 days or so near Auckland, NZ. We will have a rental car. Got any suggestions? (Bonus - what's not to be missed with kids, 'round Auckland, Wellington, and Nelson areas?) We will be in New Zealand in December/January for 3 weeks for a big family reunion, plus some general vacationing. We're coming from the states, and my wife and I have been to NZ numerous times before.

Where to sleep in Chicago?

muddylemon — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 00:49:39 -0800

Where should we stay in Chicago? Tonight we started a road trip to Savannah, GA with some friends - about 40 minutes into it, the trip disintergrated (thank god we weren't 10 hours into it!) Names were called, the car turned around... so now The Girl and I have decided to take a short trip up to Chicago for the weekend instead. Alone this time.
I've only been there twice - once for work, but we stayed in Skokie and didn't see anything but the inside of the office. Another time to Wheaton... and I'm awfully sure I don't want to go near there again.
So, I really have no idea where any particular neighborhoods in the actual city are, and where a couple of people should choose to sleep at night. I'd love cheap, but I'd also like to be within walking/public transportation distance from the most interesting things a newbie would want to do.
Note: I read the previous threads about what to see and do in the city, I'm just wondering where I should look for accomodations for the night time.
If it's relevant, we'll be there Friday - Tuesday(ish)

Where to stay in Manteo / Nag's Head (NC)

amtho — Fri, 12 May 2006 07:04:50 -0800

Manteo / Nag's Head (NC) lodging - 10-ish minutes or less from Jockey's Ridge, lets us microwave/refrigerate our own veggie food, clean (mold-free, non-stinky) -- where can we stay for a minimalist hang-gliding-school weekend? We'll spend what we have to, but less is definitely better. Next weekend, we're just going for the hang-gliding.

I've tried searching, but haven't found actual recommendations. I bought a book last night, but it only tells if a place is "conveniently located", not whether the non-smoking rooms are actually only recently non-smoking or whether they're just down the hall from the other kind.

This may sound petulant and picky, but we had a pretty bad room in a major hotel last time we were down there. Mold growing on the walls near the ceiling. Other ickynesses.

We don't care if we're next to the ocean. Manteo seems nice. Heard that the Elizabethan Inn wasn't so great.

Vegetarian(-friendly) restaurants nearby a big bonus.

Any recommendations?