Lainey

Well I guess he's OK..he does put the seat down.
Good to hear. Every now and again I have looked at B&B's out of curiosity and there have been some that still have shared bathroom as an option. Rick would not be comfortable in B&B situation....people might expect him to strike up a conversation...He needs to hang with car people for that.

Emil St-Hilaire

tof

Mid priced (since that's usually where we stay on one-night stop-overs on the road.):
Courtyard by Marriott is always a safe choice.
Hampton Inn is very consistent and has good included breakfasts.
Most Holiday Inn Express locations are solid. Some have indoor pools.

Since the mid-range and budget hotels are almost always owned by a local or regional franchisee, there is variability in terms of staff, cleanliness, comfort, etc. I always check reviews for specific locations.

We stayed in a Best Western in Tallahassee overnight, recently. The breakfast was buffet style so the eggs were scrambled and everything was set out in warmers. But it may have been the best basic breakfast I've had in a year. The eggs were absolutely perfect, silky but not a bit runny. The biscuits must have come out of the oven less than an hour before we ate. The fruit was very good, especially considering the time of year. Coffee was bracing and flavorful without being overpowering in that burnt-bean Starbucks way. The hotel itself was fine, clean with no issues. Service was good. But I picked this hotel based on many ratings that raved about the breakfast.

tof

Re: B&Bs, we like them. It's a bit more of a roll of the dice vs. the hotel chains. But sometimes you are handsomely rewarded. I posted last summer about the B&B in Penn Yan, N.Y. where I stayed by myself while attending my class reunion. Not only was the place fascinating and the food better than most fine dining restaurants with several delicious and imaginative courses, but the owner took us for a spin in his old Citroen DS and let us drool over his perfect TR6. The two couples with whom I shared a breakfast table were fascinating and wonderful company for a two hour morning food experience. So, you never know.

Scooterboy

We generally choose Hampton. I have stayed at many good Hamptons but we have also ran into some duds. I do think that Super 8 could move off of the "Avoid" list. They are in the process of building new throughout the country and I have stayed in a few that would put Hampton to shame. Now don't get me wrong, there are some that still need lots of work but they are improving.

I have walked out of Hamptons, HI Express, HI, Best Western, etc that I have thought were dives. Most of the time all I want is a clean room, clean bathroom and a decent price.

tof

When traveling by car, we always bring our own pillows from home. You can't fix a poor mattress, but a friendly pillow can go a long way toward insuring a decent night's sleep on the road.

Scooterboy

gerry100

Hamptons never let me down for business travel.

Mostly HI Express where we travel during retirement.

Both have been reliably clean and meet my minimal requirement ...

Fresh cinnamon rolls

dlq04

Thanks Mike, my wife told me to take mine before we left but we didn't have room (ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha) with a totally empty truck bed except for some sand bags.

boltonblue

Generally my challenge is finding a hotel within budget when i'm on work travel.
We have to travel within "per diem approved rates"
Occasionally little secrets pop up that are worthwhile. Hyatt on occasion or Sheraton four winds but that's rare.

When it's our nickel it's usually Marriot residence Inn or courtyard.
The American club in Kohler was great but not exactly economy travel lodging.