I am not a hotel snob. Aside from spending as little as possible — my personal priorities are:
- safety
- location
- non-smoking
- room with a view
- clean
- free wifi
- comfortable bed
- indoor pool
- recreational amenities
- business center with printer
- free coffee or breakfast
In that order.
When I bid on Priceline, I like to get a 4 star hotel for a 2 star price. But if none is available, sure, I will bid on a 2.5 star hotel, or a 2 star hotel, and sometimes I will be pleasantly surprised.
What I really enjoy when traveling though, are unique, special, quirky, or historic properties. We’ve stayed in the teepee motel on Route 66, and the caboose hotel in Dunsmuir, California.
When nothing was available on Priceline in chi chi Laguna Beach, California, we ended up in a 2 star Best Western, a bit inland in San Capistrano. It wasn’t fancy, but the swimming pool was surrounded by fuchsia and coral bougainvillea, and we spent a delightful morning visiting the historic Mission at San Capistrano — a real gem.
1921 Postcard, Library of Congress
To be perfectly honest, I have never given the Choice Privileges program or their rewards credit card a second glance.
The hotels in this chain are just not very exciting. Think Rodeway Inn, Econolodge, Quality Inn, and Clarion. Comfort Inn and Suites is about as good as it gets.
Think again.