This is topic La Quinta - spanish for "beds harder than cement" in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-05-2006, 08:22 PM:
 
Need I say more?
 

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Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 04-05-2006, 09:26 PM:
 
Awww, poor baby...
 

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Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 04-05-2006, 09:42 PM:
 
I was told La Quinta was spanish for "Located Next To Denny's".
 

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Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 04-05-2006, 09:46 PM:
 
Ok, let's start a Motel/Hotel rant.

I did 20 days at the Continental Surf Hotel in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii. Let's just say it's the cheapest hotel on Waikiki. They were offering walk-ins a $50 rack rate. They used half the hotel for student housing for Honolulu University. All rooms come with a double bed and kitchenette. I could hear the sweet whispers of the Japanese family in the connecting room. The diesel roar of the buses tapered off after 2:00AM for the most part. But it was interesting doing the Halloween Crawl down the street by the beach. Let's just say that the warm weather encourages skimpy costumes.

I've done a bit o' driving about in the past few months. The last La Quinta I stayed at was in Sandy Utah in December. I can't remember if the bed was hard. I remember it being a bit like a Days Inn or a Super 8. It was unremarkable, but did offer a pool and a breakfast. I remember the TV seemed small. It seems that 20" TVs seem to be the norm. Don't remember if the had porn. They didn't have Wireless Access. I think I paid $60 for this room booked by Hotels.com.

I stayed in a Super 8 for a couple of nights in South Lake Tahoe. They also had 20" TVs. It was a large room, but hadn't been updated in 20 or 30 years. I find almost all motel beds to be too hard or under dressed or something. I got this room for $45 a night through Hotels.com and I thought it was a freakin' miracle because this is a ski resort town in the middle of ski season. But I could believe it after the snow was blowing in under the door and bathroom window.

I've stayed at the Best Western in Delta, Utah twice this year. It's extremely uninspiring as I find most Best Westerns. But they are clean, consistent and I have never had a staff problem. They did not have wireless Internet or Porn, but what do you expect in the middle of Utah. They also had the smallest continental breakfast I have ever seen. 6 mini poppyseed muffins and one pot of coffee. I figured they put out as many muffins as they had guests that evening. Perhaps I should go back for the annual goose migration in March. I got the preferred customer rate of $52 just by asking for it. I hadn't made a reservation.

I stayed for a week in Snowflake Inn in Aspen courtesy of the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. As I told the desk clerk, I broke a window at the Snowflake Inn with my Super Ball in 1974. I caught hell from my Mother because she had to pay for the window and we were really poor back then. The room was nice, all rough wood with a vaulted ceiling. There was a kitchenette and the afore mentioned 20" TV, which looked really small because it was twice as for away as normal, I figure about 20' away. They had wireless Internet but you had to stop by the desk and get a code each evening. I'm sure my computer still has 7 user names and passwords in it. They had a pretty kickin' breakfast with doughnuts, bagels, cereal, coffee, a full time hot chocolate machine and hard boiled eggs. The breakfast room was alway jammin' with people mostly Brits on package holidays. I'm glad I wasn't paying because the rack rate was $300 a night. It is Aspen after all. The bed was really comfortable, but don't go making a reservation because it's being torn down this summer for a Condominium Hotel. That's where you spend $500,000 for your hotel room that you only spend a week or two in and then the rest of the year the Hotel rents your room and takes 40% or is it you get 40%?

Then I stayed st the Clarion in Las Vegas. Clarion is the mid point in the Choice Hotel chain. I try to stay away from Econolodges because they have the air of Hooker Motel about them and the managers are frequently behind glass. The Clarion had a nice lobby with a restaurant. The rooms were spacious and the bed comfortable. They had free wireless access and porn. But the staff were singularly unhelpful. They never got my reservation and just looked at me like I was stupid. I had to ask them if they had any rooms available and they did and they insisted on charging me the walk-up price instead of the Internet price. Then they pissed off the people behind me. In Las Vegas I would think that customer service would be king. But I guess if you're any good, you would be working for Winn. I paid $100 per night for 2 nights.

Then coming back from Las Vegas I stopped at the Stardust Motel on Main Street in Barstow California. Basically I drove up Main Street until I saw a sign I liked. It was '40s neon from when Main Street was route 66. The room had wood paneled walls and the 20" TV. There was no wireless or porn. I think I woke up the Chinese lady who runs or more likely owns the place. She told me that when I checked out I should just leave the key in the room as she would be cleaning at that time. Although it was tatty, it was clean and I appreciated the $36 price. I paid cash.

I have a friend who swears by Priceline.com and is always touting his really cheap hotels for ShoWest. Maybe I'll have him do my booking. He got the Sahara for $54 per night when the Internet rate was about $95.

So yes the $100 room was the best and the $36 room the worst. No I take that back, the Continental Surf was the worst. But none of the rooms were hideous and made me want to run screaming in to the night. The last time that happened was at an Econolodge in Sacramento, about 8 years ago.

I have now stayed in Hotels and Motels in may of the 50-States, England, France, Amsterdam, India, Nepal, Tibet, Tunisia, Italy, Singapore and the like. I can say with assurance that the Motel experience in the United States is a pretty good one. Most are clean and tidy. Tibet was the worst, but I think that had a lot to do with the lack of toilets, or bathing facilities. 14-days in Tibet and we had one bath, and we had to drive 50-miles to take it.

The most consistent chain I have found is Holiday Inn Express. Don't go for any of the other Holiday Inns, they are usually old and worn down. Holiday Inn Express' are usually new clean, have a pool, porn, wireless and the breakfast. They are clean, genaric and do not offend. But they usually run North of $75 per night.
 

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Posted by Wayne Keyser (Member # 2420) on 04-05-2006, 10:39 PM:
 
Yet to find a hotel or motel I can stand. Biltmore Hotel New York (it's now an office building but was a luxury hotel in its day) every 15 minutes starting much too early there'd be a knock on the door: "Maid checking." Lady, let me sleep, please!

As for the few others I've been in whewn ripped from my own home, I think the managements must be working on new slkogan ideas:

8. Because you deserve better than the back seat of some car.

7. As seen on Cops.

6. Our sheets now virtually semen-free!.

5. Pay no attention to those screams from next door!

4. You rented the room, now buy the video.

3. We'll leave the Lysol out for ya!

2. We're working on that smell thing, too.

1. We put the "ho" in "hotel."
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-05-2006, 10:54 PM:
 
The Clarion here must be following the old 'Vegas motto: "Las Vegas Loathes Visitors."

Old Reno locals joke about 'Vegas:
Q: How can you tell when you're getting closer to 'Vegas?
A: The waitresses get ruder.

Never had the pleasure of staying at any of these places other than Motel 6 or Rodeway. If I'm picking up the tab I'm not picky. Have stayed in some really great hotels when the employer was paying for them.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-05-2006, 11:00 PM:
 

quote: Phil Hill

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Awww, poor baby...

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Geez Phil, not everyone likes sleeping on something hard!
 

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Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 04-05-2006, 11:11 PM:
 
When I travel, I only stay in certified 5* hotels and better, and then usually only in the Presidential Suite. Where there is none of the above in town, I book at the nearest available and simply commute in my helicopter. Oh, yes, I almost forgot, of course the hotel has to have a helicopter landing pad.
I also insist on fresh Beluga caviar and Pacific oysters, not older than 6 hours. Sure, I can have those flown in in my private jet, but I do expect a *minimum* of service.
 

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Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 04-06-2006, 12:42 AM:
 
Someone give Brad a hug... or a cuddle doll... something... anything...

I'm surprised there weren't bed bugs...
 

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Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 04-06-2006, 12:43 AM:
 
Brad, Maybe if you ask Phil nicely, he'll give you a back massage.
 

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Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 04-06-2006, 01:04 AM:
 
this is a timely topic! I stayed in a La Quinta back in January and found a joint sitting on my bed. Swear to god, a hand rolled fatty instead of a mint just lying there on my perfectly creased bed.


 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 04-06-2006, 07:14 AM:
 
I've never had a problem at a La Quinta. Ever. I agree with Ian on the 20-inch televisions, but I would put them in a higher bracket than Super 8 or Days Inn, neither of which I will ever use again. Actually, I'd classify the main Holiday Inn brand at Super 8/Days Inn level too by my experience. Talk about surviving on a heritage brand...

La Quinta's gimmick used to be that all locations were company owned...they didn't franchise. I don't know if that's still true or not. They do have a lot of older locations, but the ones I've stayed at have been kept up well.

My preference is a modern Fairfield Inn or Courtyard by Marriott. Marriott's new beds are great. Many Courtyards have excellent weekend rates.

I also find Holiday Inn Express to be as Ian described, but hardly ever use them because they tend to be overpriced.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-06-2006, 12:26 PM:
 
When we travel we usually look for one of the Comfort Inn/Sleep Inn chain. They're mostly pretty new and not too high priced.

The best hotel I've ever stayed in was the Yacht Club at Walt Disney World. (Business trips, my wife's job paid for it! ) Nice large rooms, comfy beds, great views, awesome environment, and it has about 20 restaurants within about 20 minutes by foot or boat, and it's a 10-minute walk from Epcot. And it's got the best swimming complex I've ever seen, in or out of a hotel.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-06-2006, 12:59 PM:
 
I travel to Reno a couple times a year and always stay at the Quality Inn at Virginia & Plumb. Quiet, clean, roomy, wired Internet, coupon for discounted breakfast, doesn't have the "casino hotel" feel (which I hate). Runs about $60 to $75 single, depending on when you go.
 

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 04-06-2006, 02:35 PM:
 
I have yet to stay at a LaQuinta. I pass them all the time but I try to stay at the Choice Hotel chain. Comfort Suites and Sleep Inn are their best. Comfort Inns suck. Choice was doing a promo for a while that gave you a free night for every two nights you stayed at their hotels. I used them up for a weekend with my wife as soon as I got them.

Now I have been staying with Holiday Inn. I have been in some pretty nasty ones too. I hate the kind that face the outside. They have really thin glass and every car that pulls up shines it's lights in your room. Plus all the drunks get rowdy outside your room. The last one I stayed at was last week near New Orleans. I was out front on my cell phone (cell phone reception sucked) and a roach about 3" long walked past me.

While I was in Louisiana I went to dinner with these two cajun guys from the shipyard I was setting up equipment at. They took me to a cajun restaurant and we ate a couple of pounds of crawdads. I always wanted to try that. Not too bad once you get over looking at them. That is one of the nice things about this job. You get to meet so many nice people from all over the place and learn about their way of living.

I was in Houston a few weeks ago and was trying to find a room. I usually make reservations when I am going somewhere but most times they have rooms available anyways. So when I went to Houston I forgot to make a reservation. I went to 7 hotels before I found one with a room! I drove into Houston from Texarkana at about 11pm. It took until 2am before I got into a room. I was exhausted as hell the next day.
 

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Posted by Fred Georges (Member # 505) on 04-06-2006, 02:55 PM:
 
I was pulling a six-plex (sounds Dirty! ) in Northern Ca. a few years ago & stayed at a nearby LaQuinta (which is owned by the Merry-ROT chain) I agree that the beds were like sleeping on a pile of Rocks but, the pool & spa were decent & same for the Free breakfast. Room was cheap so I guess it's a tradeoff. I'd stay again if the price was right.
 

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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 04-06-2006, 04:01 PM:
 
We used to use LaQuinta a lot when I was with ASC. I loved them. Of course, that's been some time back.

In and about Texas, the choice was usually Texian Inns (they're no longer around, I hear), which were also good for the money.
 

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Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 04-06-2006, 09:16 PM:
 
H-A-M-P-T-O-N I-N-N baby.

That's all there is to say. And all the other lovely members of the Hilton Hotel family. Hampton Inns are great. Free high speed internet, always a clean room, nice beds, and you can join the HHonors program and get free hotel stays like I have. My entire vacation I'm on right now -- FREE HOTEL.

I stayed at the freaking Waldorf=Astoria in NYC for FREE because of work. And I'm staying at a lovely Hampton Inn in West Memphis, AR right now, FOR FREE.

Hilton Hotels -- the official hotel of Cinematour.
 

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Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 04-07-2006, 08:21 PM:
 
I stayed at a LaQuinta recently and slept like a baby.
 

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Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 04-07-2006, 09:17 PM:
 
Choice Hotels, Clarion just lost points because they called me and tried to get me to come back to Las Vegas or Reno For a vacation. She asked me if there was anything they could do for me? I told her that would she please remove my name from the list and not call me and ask inane questions.

I have got to remember to lie about my phone number on forms. Does anybody really need it?
 

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Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 04-08-2006, 01:52 AM:
 

quote: James Westbrook

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I was told La Quinta was spanish for "Located Next To Denny's".

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That's the one I always remembered too. Amazingly they always ARE next door to a Denny's!

-Aaron
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-08-2006, 03:09 AM:
 

quote: Chris Hipp

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I stayed at a LaQuinta recently and slept like a baby.

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quote: Sam Graham

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My preference is a modern Fairfield Inn or Courtyard by Marriott. Marriott's new beds are great. Many Courtyards have excellent weekend rates.

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Agreed. I took in a factory training seminar from a Eugene, Oregon radio automation company. The rooms were comfortable, including kitchenette, wireless, TVs in the front and bedrooms (I didn't notice if there was porn), free in-room coffee, tea, choc & popcorn.

The wierd part was the quart-sized bottle of water they put in the room, with a card that tells you they'll charge $3.60 to your room if you drink it. What they don't tell you (but you figure out on the first night), is they have smaller bottles in the foodservice area that you can grab for free.

Gotta make a buck, I guess!
 

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Posted by Mike Fitzgerald (Member # 1304) on 04-08-2006, 06:41 PM:
 
Since I have been on the road for the most part of the last year and a half, I have stayed at a variety of hotels. The worst one was in Decauther Alabama the Ramada Limited. I could count the cockroaches on the wall. Iam in town usually for up to a month at a time so I have taken to trying to find the Extended Stay type hotels. If I am able to like here in New Jersey I have rented a apartment in Delaware for the month. When I have to look for a hotel if I can not find a extended stay I look for a newer Comfort Inn. In the Moline ILL. area last year I stayed at a hotel called The Lodge and it was very nice. The room was clean and spacious as well a coupons for free breakfast every day and a drink in the bar every night.
 

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Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 04-08-2006, 11:40 PM:
 
The Holdiay Inn in Louisiana had a deal where if you paid $92 instead of $75 you got 4 drinks in the bar and a breakfast. I found myself not really wanting four beers every night but I felt I needed to so I would get my money's worth.

[ 04-09-2006, 08:36 PM: Message edited by: Joshua Waaland ]
 

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Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 04-09-2006, 01:57 AM:
 
About the "Located next to Denny's" comments:

Here in Huntsville, AL on University Drive (US 72), there are now 2 La Quintas within a tenth of a mile or so, and they have a Dennys between them!
 

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