So you’re traveling? Sounds like fun… I bet you are getting really tired and I will also guess you are looking for a great deal on a room. Well here is the thing, you will have to be wise about where you are going to stay. If you are on the highway it will be easier than if you are going to a more rural location. That is where you stand a greater chance to get raped by a drunk Asian with no teeth.
Maybe you are like me and have no standards when it comes to a hotel. I will stay anywhere no matter how trashy it is, that is, until I found the abominable Star Hotel in the wonderful town of Macomb, Illinois. I know I should protect this hotel by not using the name, but consider this a service to you; yes, by giving you the name of the hotel hopefully I can save you from the misery.
When you start out looking for a place to stay do not go thru the phone book. This will keep you from the bargain beaters that will be cheap and ridiculously filthy. Most of these establishments pride themselves in clean rooms and I know this because I can see it real bright all night long shining through the window in red neon. The problem is that their understanding of a clean room is terribly wrong. At least the pool was nice… except for the progressively green color as one moves toward the deep end. Then there was the nice acoustic ceiling tiles that actually did nothing for the sound coming from next door.
A word to the wise and I guess I should take this advice also: if the hotel where you are staying has permanent tenants then you are at the wrong place. Or, if the hotel you are staying has a glass guard with bars to protect the cashier maybe you are in the wrong place. How about if the hotel adds ten dollars for every extra person in your room then you are in the wrong place. Or, if the man in charge is named Fernando, Abdul, or bubba then I assure you, you are in the wrong place.
You may have made this decision, and now you don’t know how to get out of it. Well‚ there is no way out, you will be charged for the cancellation no matter what the excuse. The only way out is to beat the hell out of the man in charge. Now of course I am not condoning this behavior… it surely can’t be the best way to deal with this situation. The good news is nobody has to know.
So try and not make the same mistake I did, which is stay in anything less than a two star hotel. And especially stay away from the Star Hotel and any hole-in-the-wall rural hotel. The neon light is not a good thing, under that light lays trouble, and probably a hidden camera in the shower.
What you CAN do about cheaper rates on a hotel is when making a reservation at any hotel you can ask for the manager and tell them that you know that they will have empty rooms tonight. They will agree and then you say “I can help with that, I am looking for a room tonight but I am on a tight budget”. This is when you low-ball them. You will want to make sure that you get the price dropped fifteen dollars or more. You will be surprised how fast they will negotiate with you. Don‚Äôt take no for an answer. So now you are set… all you have left to do is buy some bubble wrap (usually used in packing). You will place this under the doormat to make sure nobody is sneaking in to try and rob or rape you in your sleep. With that said, good luck and good night.
Also, you could just go to Hotwire… I like them, they have some nice deals and have minimum standards for the 2 stars on the site. Now with that said, again, good luck and good night.