With just enough time left of this summer to plan one more beach weekend get-away, I'm asking myself where can I go for an enjoyable weekend away from home for a decent price? Aside from the gas it will take to get there, the biggest expense is the hotel.
With hotels, it's obvious that you get what you pay for. I've found that the less I pay for my room, the less relaxing and stress-free the weekend becomes. But on the other hand, the more I pay for my room, the more stress my bank account feels.
My priorities when it comes to hotel rooms are cleanliness and location. I won't sleep on dirty sheets and I definitely won't walk more than a block to get to the beach.
Most hotels look pretty good from the website, but it's past guests that can tell you whether it's really worth your stay. To help me decide where to reserve a room for my weekend at the beach, I checked out what hotels our users are searching for. There was a huge variety in the results. Marriott topped the list with Holiday Inn right behind it. Other top searched hotel chains included Hilton, Best Western and Motel 6.
Do you know of any other hotel chains that did not show up on our list? If so, please tell us about them. Try searching for hotels on AOL Search or check out AOL Yellow Pages to find a hotel in your desired area.
Top Searched Hotel Chains on AOL Search:
1. Marriott
2. Holiday Inn
3. Hampton Inn
4. Hilton
5. Best Western
6. Comfort Inn
7. Days Inn
8. Motel 6
9. Hyatt
10. Sheraton
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COMMENTS
I've noticed that the customer service and overall cleanliness of Hampton Inn is incomparable to a lot of the other brand name hotels up there, and the prices aren't too bad either!
I found this hilarious video online for Hampton Inn that features a hotel guest rhyming about all his traumatic hotel experiences. I think every traveler can relate =] Check it out and let me know what you think!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=J2tgnUsj8NE
-Sammi Jo
By Sammi Jo on Jul 15th 2008 at 8:01PM
I hate that the hotels have gone down hill since many foreigners took over the monopoly of ownership. The standards are very low and often the rooms are not clean, the showers make me nervous, and God forbid I would bathe in the bathtub!
I love places like the Broadmoor in Colo. Springs, now THAT is my idea of a great hotel!
By Gail on Aug 24th 2008 at 2:25PM
We like Holiday Inn but stay at Homewood Suites a lot because of the kitchen facilities (full size refrigerator, microwave,coffee cups,glasses and silverware.Dinner provided weekday evenings. Barbeque pits on the property so you can cook out if you want to (in Texas anyway). We also stay at La Quinta. We travel with 2 small children and both hotels provide two bedroom suites with a separate living room. The suites at Homewood also have a wood burning fireplace if you ask.
By Susan Cole on Aug 24th 2008 at 2:56PM
The holliday Inn Select in Solomons Island md. Is the best Holliday Inn I ever stay in. I stay there last week. The service was great. The hotel is beautiful. 179.00 a night, pool, refig. in room, two bars, and more. close to water,, boats and ships
By Karmel on Aug 24th 2008 at 3:21PM
STAYED AT A DAYS INN ONE TIME , COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT WE SAW, PEANUT SHELLS ON THE FLOOR, DIRTY BATHTUB, AND SINK.....WHEN WE GOT HOME, COMPLAINED TO THE COMPANY.NEVER GOT A REPLY...WHEN WE ARRIVED THERE, WAS VERY LATE AT NITE, SO JUST WENT TO SLEEP...HORRIFIED THE NEXT MORN. NO MORE DAYS INN FOR US.
By vivian bagley on Aug 24th 2008 at 3:56PM
I don't see "Drury Inns" on your list.
I tried them for the first time last year and now keep an eye out for them. They're definitely not a luxury hotel, but everything has been well-kempt, the staff friendly, and the price right.
By Jess_Wundring on Aug 24th 2008 at 4:01PM
I always look for a LaQuinta and plan my trips around them.
First rate and right price.
By Ron Harsley on Aug 24th 2008 at 4:17PM
hampton is the best all round rooms are the same everywhere, and if your reservations get messed up you immediately get an upgrade. the breakfast is superb and if your going to spend $20 for breakfast consider adding it to the cost of the room.i've staye4d in them for over 2 yrs both personal and the company i work for
By frank on Aug 24th 2008 at 4:39PM
Besides cleanliness and location, always factor in the noise factor. Noise, from in-room air conditioners, mini-refrigerators and from outside your room, should always be factored into your decision. Especially if you are a light sleeper, these issues can interrupt your sleep cycle.
By rational1 on Aug 24th 2008 at 4:45PM
My family went to PA a few weeks ago, and we stayed at what was once a nice clean motel, and to my surprise and horror, the bathroom was awful. I didn't give my grandson a bath, just washed him down. Then we stayed at a supposedly new Days Inn, in the same town, it was taken over by foreigners, it was nasty as well, but lot better then the last place we stayed.
By Mary on Aug 24th 2008 at 4:58PM
Hampton Inn is awesome. Their free breakfast is wonderful and the rooms are so, so clean. The beds are comfy and it's just the perfect place to stay as far as I'm concerned. Alot of Hamptons even have snacks in the lobby, besides round the clock coffe and tea. You can't get better than Hampton Inn.
By Susan D'Amico on Aug 24th 2008 at 4:59PM
I used to stay at LaQuinta a lot until a few years ago in New Orleans, we found a used tampon tube in the towels. Needless to say, I don't stay at LaQuinta any more!
By DCYATES on Aug 24th 2008 at 5:27PM
I used to stay at LaQuinta a lot until several years ago in New Orleans, we found a used tampon tube in one of the towels. Our last stay at LaQuinta!
By Dale Yates on Aug 24th 2008 at 5:08PM
Cleanliness and location are not the only factors to consider. Noise, from inside the room (mini-refrigerators and wall-mounted air conditioners, etc., should be considered. Especially in downtown areas where rooms facing the street can impair your ability to sleep peacefully.
By rational1 on Aug 24th 2008 at 5:12PM
One problem with Best Western is that many franchise owners have run them into the ground with poor maintenance, smelly pillows and generally slipshod management.
By mkgw824 on Aug 24th 2008 at 5:16PM
I always try to find a "Suites by Ayres",it has as good of quality in their rooms as the Marriott, and they serve a full breakfast, even have a chef cooking eggs a la carte for the guests.
By Evelyn on Aug 24th 2008 at 5:35PM
love the marriot and all of its branches...some family memebers work for them...so we get great discounts, even if we didnt get the discounts we would defiantely always pick marriot.
By zac on Aug 24th 2008 at 5:29PM
The article reads, "Aside from the gas it will take to get there, the biggest expense is the hotel." Unless you're driving something like a Hummer for several hundred miles every day, the lodging cost of a vacation far exceed your fuel costs.
By Mike on Aug 24th 2008 at 5:42PM
I just got back from my trip in Washington State. It was wonderful. The rooms were clean, the bathrooms were clean etc. I stayed at Alta Crystal Resort at Mt. Rainier, it was absolutely fantastic. They have a bbq on Sunday and Thursday, Mt. Rainiier welcome session Monday night, bonfire w/smores on Tuesday, Bingo on Wednesday and Mt. Rainier something on Friday and something else on Saturday, I was there the 12, 13, 14 and 15. They change the sheets after every three nights.
Then I went to Mt. St. Helens and stayed at Mt.St.Helens motel, the price was right, and the room was very clean, the lady who must run the hotel was friendly and we asked for a hair dryer which my mom used, I take a bath at night so I do not need a hair dryer, I just let it air dry all night long. My mom asked for an extra pillow and to use the laundry, which they did have. The room we stayed in had new furniture and an HD TV which I did not care for when I watched the weather channel, It made Kristina Abernathy look heavier than she really is, the other channels were good. I was there the 16th.
I then did Seattle, I stayed at Comfort Suites Seattle Center. It was very nice and very quiet. Our room was two rooms away from the elevator. We had a view of the court yard, which was very nice. The room was clean and the bathroom was clean. My mom and I sleep on the same sheets for a week in her room and I sleep on the same sheets in my room for a week at home, so it wasn't big deal sleeping on the same sheets for four nights in Seattle.
My mom and I did hiking and sightseeing in Mt. Rainier. It was very beautiful, the weather was right It was 72 on the 13th, it was 86 on the 14th, it was 93 on the 15th at Alta Crystal. Then we went to Mt. St. Helens and saw 98 on the 16th according to the temperature gauge in the car, 83 on the 17th, 67 on the 18th, 74 on the 19th, and 63 on the 20th. We left Washington on the 21st, we turned in our rental car, checked the luggage, went through secuirty, and got on our plane.
By Elizabeth D on Aug 24th 2008 at 6:11PM
dont stay at the days inn in branson,mo. nasty!!!!
By rick on Aug 24th 2008 at 6:21PM