Imagine that you own a hotel, and you're putting together a web site or a promotional flyer in the hopes of enticing people to choose your hotel over another one. Is this the picture you would choose to display on the first page of your site? I am thinking that I would probably choose to highlight something other than the toilet. How about you? Now, maybe if my hotel featured especially spacious or elegant bathrooms, I might want to include a photo somewhere, but probably not this one, and not on the first page.
That is so unbelievable that they would actually do that. And it is just a plain bathroom besides; so not any kind of a special one (like a handicapped one) or anything like that. Most places either show a picture of a bed with a pretty bedspread on it, or maybe even an outside picture if there is unique landscaping. Of course, I like the ones with pictures of swimming pools; but that is just me. If that is the best picture they can come up with to advertise their facilities; I am thinking that I don't want to stay at Valu Stay...... the bedspreads must be seriously ugly ! !
By the way, this thread can be used to discuss whatever it is that you look for in a hotel, as the title suggests.
Ha , the name is probably in the title (Valu) ...I suspect that the rooms are less welcoming... If I had a hotel, one of my most important things would be larger than average rooms with larger than average beds with top quality mattresses... and excellent views from each room...and bathrooms with a choice of power shower, and jacuzzi baths.. I'd also have rooms especially adapted for physically disabled and would make those a feature in my advert.. Parking is a huge expensive problem with hotels here in the UK... many hotels charge for the parking additional to the room rate, so I'd make all parking free to guests..
I look for a hotel/motel that does NOT serve breakfast. Many times when I'm traveling I'm on the road before they start serving breakfast but I had to pay for it anyway in the price of the room. Additionally, the worst breakfast I ever had in a restaurant was better than the best breakfast I ever had in a motel.
Use hotel websites as well as Trip Advisor, AAA, Expedia and Orbitz to read reviews and see photos. Would rather have a hotel that is completely "non-smoking" b/c if it has rooms that are "smoking", and the hotel runs out of non-smoking rooms, the only rooms available are the "smoking" ones that we just can't stand. Had one once and it was terrible. Even sprayed with an air freshener, but didn't help. However, even in a completely "non-smoking" hotel, we will have an air freshener with us. During the summer, got to have a pool (which all do, I think) plus a Jacuzzi is a definite plus. Have stayed at a couple of hotels that had indoor pools.........that was very nice. Microwave and small frig is a plus, even though we always, when traveling in vehicle, have our large cooler full of drinks/food, with us. Breakfast, a definite yes. We've had some descent breakfasts, but will sometimes skip the hotel breakfast and go to a buffet. We've stayed a number of times at Holiday Inn Express as well as La Quinta. However, stayed at one Holiday Inn, near Disney World, but not part of it, that was a pretty bad stay. It was a 1-day Disney Pass, but stayed at the hotel for three days. Room was on bottom floor and we always like a bottom floor room. Unfortunately, room was right next to a Jacuzzi, and even though the pool/Jacuzzi area closed at 11PM, and we don't stay up that late, the noise from the people there was so loud we had to keep the AC on to drowned out the noise. After unpacking everything, we didn't want to switch rooms. Paid for a daily morning breakfast buffet in a Applebee's, inside the hotel, that was ok, but after two mornings, bought a regular breakfast. Have stayed at the Hilton, that had a frig full of beer and other drinks, but for every one you took out, it would automatically add on to the room bill. Didn't touch a thing! Stayed at one hotel, across from Sea World in Orlando. I was a very nice hotel (about $175 a night), but $20 daily parking and no other parking available. Pool area was literally fantastic, until a t-storm hit and everyone ran for cover, including us. This was our 1-day Pass to Sea World. Will not stay at a Motel 6, even though years ago, when I was single/divorced and done a little traveling, and stayed there.
I actually like some of the breakfasts that come with the room, although some of them are not much more than boxed cereal, cold sweet rolls, and coffee. But I have stayed at some hotels where they had a really nice complimentary breakfast, with scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, bran muffins and really good coffee. The bad thing then was that we had to leave early in the morning, and were not able to enjoy the complimentary breakfast. My favorite amenity is still the swimming pool and exercise room that usually comes along with the pool/hot tub. When we were in Washington a year ago for me son's heart operation, I tried to swim at least a little every night, even though we were all exhausted from the long hours spent at the hospital every day, and just the swimming relaxed me so much, and I slept much better at night. We had to rush off early in the morning; but thankfully, the breakfast bar was open early, and I would go down and have my morning coffee and fresh fruit before we left to go back to the thospital.
Rarely found, but I like to have either a desk large enough for two people or a table that can be used as a desk. Rooms are most always set up for one person at a desk and the other watching television. Desks and televisions are most always arranged so that the person at the desk can't see the television. We carry a small folding table and hotels will usually bring us an extra desk chair.
If I owned a Hotel I certainly would not use a photo of the bathroom to "entice" people to come and stay in it. At most of the hotel/motel websites I have checked out there are pictures of the room, the pool area, breakfast and dining areas, etc. and a list of the "amenities" that come with your stay. If I were the Owner I would post pictures that show the best I have to offer a weary traveler...not the worst. All though there is not a person in this World who doesn't need a bathroom wherever they stay, this would never be the picture I would post to draw people to my place and I think the Owner of the place you posted @Ken Anderson should redo that website as quickly as possible. When traveling the cost of a hotel/motel room is important to us. Since we live within our means, even during travel and vacation times, the price of a room we are usually only going to sleep overnight in is definitely a consideration. Cleanliness and location is also a consideration. If we're traveling long distances we want to be near the major highways or Interstates we are traveling on. If it's summertime a pool is always something we appreciate since we do not drive at night and enjoy a dip in the pool to unwind after driving all day. A clean room, comfortable mattress, plenty of towels, etc., microwave and refrigerator plus coffee maker in our room is always a must for us too. I always have to call room service for extra pillows, blankets, and packs of coffee and sugar so I would appreciate if the hotel/motel would just store extra in the room because by the end of the day I'm not in the mood to have to call anyone for anything. Internet Service and a free continental breakfast is appreciated too. When we're traveling we are not looking for fancy...just clean, comfortable, and relaxing. And if I owned a hotel/motel that is what I would offer travelers too. And I would not be stingy with the amendities.
The morning, after the night, that I fell and hurt my left foot last Oct., I couldn't walk on it. Had no idea how I would get down to the first floor and to the parking lot. At the time, didn't give it a thought about going down the street to Walmart and buying a pair of crutches........which we did after leaving the hotel. Anyway, I got into the rolling computer desk chair and my wife pushed me down the hallway, into (and out) of the elevator and out to the front of the hotel. She brought the vehicle over to the front and, with the assistance of the door, was able to get in. We returned the computer desk chair and thanked the clerk.
What Do You Look For In A Hotel? .................... The way out Ken - knowing me I'd fall right into that toilet getting out of the shower
My wife reminded me of the Holiday Inn Express in Tampa that we stayed at. Believe it or not, at check-in, they gave each of us a bottle of Bud Light. Don't know if they continue to do this, but the last time we were there, three years ago, they did. The first time we stayed there, we were pretty shocked when the clerk gave us the Bud Light.
We generally stay at Choice Hotels (Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Hotel & Suites, Mainstay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay, Econolodge, Rodeway Inn, Ascend Hotel) because they include hotels that are comfortable, but mostly because nearly everywhere we go, we can find something in the Choice chain, and our points get us free stays. We also have a Marriott card, which includes Sheraton, but our favorite Sheraton hotel is now something else, and most of the Marriott hotels are too high-end for us to be able to afford on a regular basis.
I think we have a points card too for some motels...but I have no idea where I put it since we haven't been doing much long distance traveling for a few years now. I think we do get some discounts at some places with our AARP membership though. Sometimes even though we have family we can stay with in Florida we still like to have our privacy and stay in a motel room while we are down there. Our favorite motel room down there was inexpensive, clean but just your basic motel room. Right next to it was a Red Lobster but the reason we liked staying there was it was on the Bay Side and we could just walk to the back of the motel to the pier and do some fishing while we stayed there. We never caught anything worth keeping but fishing is fishing...and it certainly made that motel one of my favorite places to stay. It isn't a motel anymore as someone decided to make it into one room live ins and there is no vacancy there anymore.