Neat Motel rooms you found by accident

[GH85Carrera]

OK, opposite of Hugh's thread about crappy places how about one where you found a decent place by accident.

Back in July of 2007 I drove out to San Diego in the 911 without my wife. She did not have the time to ride so she flew out to meet me. Anyway I get in my 911 fire up the GPS and the instructions are merge to I-17 in 876 miles.

After a long day of driving I get to Flagstaff and start calling motels for the night. I know most of the cheaper motels in Flagstaff are right next to the rail road tracks so I want to avoid them.

I start calling and every place is full. I finally asked if some big event was in town and it was some international bike race. Great.

I really did not want to press on to Phoenix and the heat. I started south on I-17 and started looking for motels. Ahead in Pinewood was "The Motel in the Pines" and they had a room. They have a parking lot with a good safe spot for my 911 and I unload. It has a refrigerator and a comfortable bed. It is not fancy and new. Their big claim to fame is Buddy Hackett stayed there when his car broke down.

Anyway it was cheap ($40 something), clean and quiet and had a good spot for my Porsche to park. It was not a fantastic place you just have to see, but it was by far the cheapest night on the two week trip. On the same trip I stayed ant a Holiday Inn Express in San Francisco that was $300 per night. and nothing to write home about.

Oh the bonus fact. It was exactly 911 miles from my house. The next morning it was 45 degrees outside. It was 111 in Phoenix.

[Seahawk]

Twelve years ago my son and I camped across the country. My Dad lived in Bend, Oregon at the time and he wanted my old Toyota truck, since I was upgrading to a Tacoma, so I take Jack on an adventure.

Great trip. The last few days of the trip, we camped in the Clearwater National Forest in Montana, just off the Lewis and Clark Trail. I had the right topos and GPS so we drove to the top of ridge lines, hiked and had a ball.

We left CNF about two o'clock and decided to stay in Lewiston, ID for the night, clean up and push into Bend the next day.

When I got cell phone reception, I called the Holiday Inn Express. They had a room.

While I like the chain, they run hot and cold, so I wasn't expecting much. Was I wrong.

The hotel is built above Lewiston on the side of the hill two stories with a full basement floor built into the hillside where the indoor pool was...that looked out on the mountains across the River far below.

Our room had the same view, really stunning. The whole place was perfect.

The manager, Tim, was also unbelievable...cookies and milk were offered, whatever you need, the restaurant he recommended off the charts, etc..

I asked him if they has a washer a dryer available, mentioned we'd been camping and needed to wash some clothes. Tim said that he'll take care of it...why don't you and your son go for a swim, get some dinner and your clothes will be ready.

He was so exemplary I wrote the HIE chain a letter.

[Embraer]

Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg, TX (T82). VERY cool place.

Hangar Hotel

[shadowjack1]

Give the "B" Inn in Hot Springs Ark. Neat little place.

[HardDrive]

Its not fancy, but we had a very pleasant stay here. Pride of ownership shines through. Sheridan, WY.

Mill Inn

This Best Western in Mathura, India. Came upon it 100% by chance. Clean, good food, and its only about 30 miles from the Taj Mahal. The Taj is fantastic but Agra, the surrounding city, is an overpriced, dirty crap hole. Nice to stay away from the action.

BEST WESTERN RADHA ASHOK, New Delhi (INDIA)

[Nostril Cheese]

Manzanillo, Costa Rica..

Found a little hotel right on the beach, nice rustic cabana and beautiful view for $15 a night.

$1 Imperials at the bar.

[Hugh R]

Last time in Toronto I stayed at The Cosmopolitan. The place is a condo building primarily. Living room bedroom laundry, kitchen, balcony, hardwood or laminate floors. About the same price as the dump I'm this week. But no availability this trip.

[scottmandue]

There is a chain in the PNW called Phoenix Inn, three star rooms for $50-$60.

[Bill Douglas]

GF did a good deal on a hotel in Melbourne a month ago. She was reading the spiel on a mystery destination hotel and it sounded like the Stamford Plaza so she bought it at about 1/3 the normal price. Yes! it was so we a luxury hotel at buget price.

[dtw]

Not necessarily by accident, but it still wildly exceeded expectations. Hotel Casa Deco in Bogota, Colombia. Situated in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, all very Spanish Colonial-era architecture. Within walking distance of great museums, sight-seeing attractions, restaurants. Breakfast cooked to order, and a guy playing guitar in the dining room on weekends. Private balcony in the room, and rooftop terrace. Friendly and personalized service. Huge room, hardwood floors, large glassed-in shower.

All of this, and the hotel was something like $105/night. Anything like this in NYC or LA would be 3-4 times that amount.

[Noah930]

Red Jacket Motor Lodge in upstate NY. I thought it was in Horseheads or Canandaigua, but Googling around it seems as if it might have been Elmira. And it looks like it's since been demolished.

It wasn't fancy. But I think it was the first trip my wife (then GF) and I took together. We went up to Watkins Glen. The place was just a routine motel. But I still remember the polished flagstone floors in the large room, and the wall-mounted bottle cap opener next to the toilet. We got such a kick out of that years later Mrs. Noah bought me bottle opener to mount in our house. (Though it's in the kitchen, not the bathroom.)

[TimT]

A few years ago, I found myself in Costa Rica for a wedding.. Stayed in Tamarindo... found a nice $60/ night place near a casino.. The hotel management was pretty good about keeping non paying guests off the property..

After Costa Rica I flew down to Peru, where my camera broke... I did get some pics.

This was a neat little place in Lima...$90 rings a bell....

Clean, discreet help... nice place...forgot the name... ...



View from balcony to courtyard and dining room




This is the interior courtyard of a hotel in Nazca, Peru. Many of the pics I took are corrupt and gone.... This place was quite near the Nazca airport.. and a whopping $50 night burden...

[TimT]

the wall-mounted bottle cap opener

That's a standard feature in Southern Tier Hotels... I have one of those openers between my kitchen and mudroom , complete with coffee can on a nail underneath (chock-ful-o-nuts) to catch the caps...

[BeyGon]

Here is one we found in Loreto Mexico, it was cool, right by the Mission, the inside picture is looking up at the Glass Bottom Pool, we liked this place and next visit went to a sister spot at a place called Punta Chivato, it wasn't even close to as nice.

[Nostril Cheese]

Originally Posted by BeyGon

Here is one we found in Loreto Mexico, it was cool, right by the Mission, the inside picture is looking up at the Glass Bottom Pool, we liked this place and next visit went to a sister spot at a place called Punta Chivato, it wasn't even close to as nice.

I've spent quite a bit of time in Loreto. Good fishing there.

[widgeon13]

The Eliot Hotel in Boston, good deal for a small hotel in a big city. Was in town for a hockey game and booked a room which included valet parking and continental breakfast.

[azasadny]

Humphreys in San Diego was a very pleasant place to stay when we were there about 12 years ago. I hope it hasn't changed....