Orta87

Hi All,

Been using my weekends to explore the east coast far and wide and have had numerous bad experiences now with hotel/motel chains. Most recently I'm now locked in a fiasco drama with booking.com (please don't use them).

Back in the UK you could rely on Premier Inn, always well priced: always clean, tidy. Their website.would always tell you what pub was attached and whether there was parking or not.

What is the equivalent reliable hotel chain in the US that I can book equally without having to shop around. I've used Motel 6 in the past, some good, some bad. Used econo, wouldn't use again. I can't pay $200 a night, but for $60-100 a night (most locations), what chain can I rely on the quality? Clean, intact decor, reasonable wifi, free parking, reasonably priced and actually interested in good service?

Glasgow Girl

Perhaps try some of the local hotels and inns if you are in a smaller city. I find Trip Advisor to be reasonable starting point to get an idea of what is available in a particular price range in just about any city, anywhere, small to large, and you usually get a good number of reviews. I am sure some are fake but you can usually spot those ones. I would book directly with the hotel after you have made your selection. TBH you find be hard pressed to find what you are looking for in a chain with a budget of $100 or less

Former Lancastrian

Although I cant travel I used to use Expedia or Hotels.com as a search function. They give you hotels and prices and then you can either book with them or call the hotel directly. Depending where you are travelling to I used Country Inns & Suites, Holiday Inn Express and La Quinta chains but looking at prices lately they have gone through the roof.

kimilseung

In a place we got from booking.com right now. It's very good.

Rete

I've found Quality Inn to be reasonable and satisfactory. Don't expect a lot at any motel or hotel if you are coming to the US east coast anytime soon. I returned from a visit to Massachusetts and Lower Westchester County, NY early July and the prices were outrageous, service non-existent and places not full. Why? Because they don't have staff to clean rooms, make beds, refresh towels, etc. and any restaurant or breakfast service connected with the place are still closed due to lack of staff and included breakfasts have been discontinued.

BTW you travel to the US for a weekend from the UK often. An expensive trip for a few days.

PS Chains are individually owned and operated and each will differ in service and reputation

sarasota chic

We like La Quinta never had any issues whatsoever.

robtuck

The use of Premier Inn as the comparison gives me a clue, you are asking for constant consistency of product and service in the budget range. I've yet to encounter it in the USA - you see a lot of variation within the branded chains and I think the difference is the franchise model vs. corporate owned by Whitbread with Premier Inn. I'm not sure I've really seen the same here - luxury brands tend to be centrally owned but the budget end is all arms length, which creates that variation.

Holiday Inn Express is probably the one I've seen look and feel most similar from one location to the next but they are a bit pricey for a budget brand at times.

Orta87

Haha I'm an expat now living in the greater DC area.

I'll give it a go thanks.

Exactly consistency at a reasonable cost.

I'll try Holiday Inn as well, had hit and miss experiences with them in Europe but willing to give it another go.

Thanks everybody.

Rete

Then perhaps you might wish to change your location status.

OldJuddian

In my last great Road Trip before Covid that was the West coast, from border to border (give or take a few miles) I found that Best Western Plus was the biggest positive surprise. I tended to stay in Holiday Inns and lower end Hilton's.

In contrast I just stayed at Hilton Garden Inn at Raleigh airport (NC), and it was a nightmare, things like only 1 bulb out of 4 worked in the bathroom, the room thermostat had been pulled off the wall, presumably to change the batteries. The coffee maker was broken, and on the list went.

RICH

My experience of us hotels is limited. from the Vegas emporiums to the roadside roach motel. I could not name a chain, but as someone mentioned they tend to be independently owned and operated.

I sympathize with your dilemma. As it happens i started my hotel career at a Whitbread property 35 years ago. They seemed to know what they were doing! I moved on to Radisson, and then banking, if that helps!

scilly

W tend to use independently owned and operated hotels in the US, although we do use more expensive hotels as well.

We like character over "no surprise is the surprise", which is what many of the US lower priced chains offer .................. the rooms will be furnished exactly the same, same extras supplied. Sometimes you wake up in the morning and can't remember where you are because this room is the same as last night or last week.

Actually that's what we found years ago when we stayed in about 3 Premier Inns across the UK.

MidAtlantic

My first choice in the USA and UK has been Holiday Inn Express, and I have never had a bad experience with them. That is not plain vanilla Holiday Inn where my story is very different.

BritInParis

If you’re looking for a reliable motel chain I would take Super 8 over Motel 6 every time.

steveq

We use members of the Choice Hotels group, that ranges from Econolodge and Rodeway Inn at the budget end to Ascend and Clarion. We get a good deal on free nights, and travel a lot on company business to charge up free nights for our own use later.