Hotels from Hell

[Oracle of Delphi]

In my job for GM, I travel a great deal. I have had my share of bad Hotels/Motels, but nothing to compare to some of these.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18297117/

Edited April 28, 2007 by Pontiac Custom-S

[the_yellow_dart]

I can add to that.

Here is the lovely towel they left for us in a Hong Kong hotel:

Also note the size of the room - that door is against the other wall.

The bathrooms there were also lovely, but I didn't take a picture of them. Basically the whole bathroom was a shower stall. Just close the toilet and turn on the shower! Disturbing...

Edited April 28, 2007 by the_yellow_dart

[Robert Hall]

my worst hotel experience in recent years was a Priceline purchased Best Western at the Honolulu airport..cheap, but seriously sucky...the rooms faced a double-decker freeway and the traffic noise was deafening...only two lights in the room worked, the rest were burnt out.. the bed and pillows were lumpy, the ceiling and tub had stains, the carpet was stained, etc. It was only for 2 nights on a quicky/cheap trip, but still..

I try and stick with Marriott, Hilton/Hilton Garden Inn, and occasionally Holiday Inn when I travel... in Europe, I've stayed mostly in Hiltons, but also the UK chain Thistle (tiny but clean rooms).

[knightfan26917]

Yikes!

Luckily, when I travel ... I don't have to stay in hotels too often ... because I'm usually staying with friends/family on my road trips.

Sadly, I have not had to travel for work yet....wish I could.......

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I don't know where we'll go, but it beats where we're at" ... Lonestar ... 'What About Now'

[Robert Hall]

Yikes!

Luckily, when I travel ... I don't have to stay in hotels too often ... because I'm usually staying with friends/family on my road trips.

Sadly, I have not had to travel for work yet....wish I could.......

'

I travel for work usually one week every other month at most..did two weeks in a row last month though.. I don't really like it that much, if it's to a client site it means 10 hr work days for 4 days in blah places like South Sioux City, West Des Moines or Trenton (and less than ideal connecting fligts). Going to other corporate offices for meetings in Emeryville, CA or downtown San Francisco isn't bad, though. But the frequent flyer miles and hotel points make it worthwhile..

[AAS]

...

Also note the size of the room - that door is against the other wall.

The bathrooms there were also lovely, but I didn't take a picture of them. Basically the whole bathroom was a shower stall. Just close the toilet and turn on the shower! Disturbing...

I had the pleasure of staying in a similar room in London. The room was tiny and we had the same "modular" bathroom/showers. That was one of our more expensive ans $h!ty rooms we had the pleasure of staying in.

[Robert Hall]

I had the pleasure of staying in a similar room in London. The room was tiny and we had the same "modular" bathroom/showers. That was one of our more expensive ans $h!ty rooms we had the pleasure of staying in.

My first trip to London I stayed in a Thistle in the Bloomsbury neighborhood, close to the British Museum...the room was so small it was literally the 'bed's room'...i.e. no space to walk around the bed on either side, barely enough room between the end of the bed and the tv/mini bar unit. Had to sit the luggage on the bed to open it..

On a trip to Italy on the return I stayed in a Holiday Inn near Heathrow airport that had a wierd feature of lights that would only work if you inserted your key in a unit on the wall...had to get some from the front desk to explain it (no signs or anything).

One of nicest hotel stays in Europe I've had was the suite in Milan at the Hilton...a short walk to the main train station, and bathroom was huge, with additional side jets in the shower, heated towel bars, etc.. that one cost alot of points.

[knightfan26917]

I travel for work usually one week every other month at most..did two weeks in a row last month though.. I don't really like it that much, if it's to a client site it means 10 hr work days for 4 days in blah places like South Sioux City, West Des Moines or Trenton (and less than ideal connecting fligts). Going to other corporate offices for meetings in Emeryville, CA or downtown San Francisco isn't bad, though.

I know traveling for business is not all that fun ... that workdays are involved, mostly long ones. But, for someone like me who loves to travel, I'd love to at least try it someday.... Yeah, I may get tired of it, but right now ... would love to get it a try .

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"It's kinda like Nashville, with a tan" ... Shawn Mullins ... 'Rockabye'

[2005 EquinoxLS]

I traveled for work once. We had to go and inspect some boards at a customer. The one we were in was VERY nice. at $110 a night it was very good.

Edited April 30, 2007 by 2005 EquinoxLS

[sciguy_0504]

The worst hotel I've stayed in was the Howard Johnson in Williamsburg, Virginia. My parents tried to be nice and book a sort-of all-inclusive long weekend package to Busch Gardens through Liberty Travel. The first room we were assigned looked like it hadn't been touched in years. I've never seen such thick dust in my life. We requested another room and it was marginally better. I used the beach towels we brought along instead of the sheet/comforter.

My first time in London was at the relatively new Holiday Inn Express Earls Court. Very nice hotel. I'm aiming for The Dorchester next time my travels take me to see the Queen (and Princes William and Harry).

The Hilton bed is amazing, too.

[sciguy_0504]

I travel for work usually one week every other month at most..did two weeks in a row last month though.. I don't really like it that much, if it's to a client site it means 10 hr work days for 4 days in blah places like South Sioux City, West Des Moines or Trenton (and less than ideal connecting fligts). Going to other corporate offices for meetings in Emeryville, CA or downtown San Francisco isn't bad, though. But the frequent flyer miles and hotel points make it worthwhile..

If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for work? I'd love to travel (preferably international) on business after I graduate but I'd rather not become a members of the cabin crew.

Do you mean Trenton, NJ? If so, it's not really blah. There's a lot of, um, action on the streets.

[Robert Hall]

If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for work? I'd love to travel (preferably international) on business after I graduate but I'd rather not become a members of the cabin crew.

Do you mean Trenton, NJ? If so, it's not really blah. There's a lot of, um, action on the streets.

Yes, Trenton, NJ. It was cold, gray and depressing when I was there in March..

I'm a software developer/architect...so occasionally, my company sends me to customer sites-- to give technical presentations on our product, to troubleshoot production issues, to work with a client's developers, etc...and my company has offices all over the US (big Fortune 500 financial services/insurance services company) so I travel to other offices for meetings on occasion.

I'm glad I don't travel every week for work..living out of a hotel and airport time gets exhausting after a while...(my sister is a management consultant and travels every week, Phoenix to Sacramento or San Francisco--I couldn't do that).

The upside of traveling for work is the accumulation of hotel points and frequent flyer miles... which I do use to my advantage for vacations.

Edited May 1, 2007 by moltar

[trinacriabob]

If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for work? I'd love to travel (preferably international) on business after I graduate but I'd rather not become a members of the cabin crew.

I would hate to travel for business...especially INTERNATIONAL. I rarely ever have traveled for business...more for conferences or meetings, but not to do work. I'm a creature of habit and get more done when I'm in a routine and in familiar surroundings. Traveling for pleasure/leisure? I'm all for it.

Worst hotel ever: Just this last October, I was en route from Montreal to Syracuse NY. I left Montreal about 5 hours later than expected and I saw an exit marked with a Rodeway Inn. So I stayed there. As I drove my rented Allure (LaCrosse) into the lot, I knew I didn't like the place. It was creepy, but it was very late. The sheets and bedding were so musty that I smelled musty for a day or two. I took about 4 showers a day for the next 2 days.

I can't believe I paid $ 53.99 for this crap in the middle of nowhere, whereas I stayed at the Travelodge at SFO to see the Queen Mary 2 arrive and had a fantastic night's sleep for $ 39.99. When I got my e-mail to rate the hotel stay at the Rodeway in upstate NY, I blasted them. Unbelievable.

Best hotel ever: A toss between the Westin Calgary and the Doubletree LAX. Neither hotel is special in a historic or landmark sort of way, but the beds were so comfortable (Heavenly Bed and some other marketing name at the Doubletree) that I turned in early and got up late at both places. The other thing was the price: about $ 89 CDN at the Westin and $ 79 at the Doubletree. For the nature of the hotels, the price-quality relationship was fantastic.

Edited May 3, 2007 by trinacriabob

[Robert Hall]

On the subject of best hotels, I would say the nicest overall I've stayed at in the US (quality and condition of room, comfort of beds, etc) were probably the Hilton Hawaiian Village (Waikiki, Honolulu) and the Loews Santa Monica.. the Grand Hyatt, Union Square San Francisco is quite nice also..stayed there several times when I've been in SF for conferences and work meetings.

[trinacriabob]

Loews Santa Monica..

I H-A-T-E Santa Monica. Period. The only thing I like about it is the ocean breeze, which is available elsewhere. I was born there and grew up 3 or 4 miles east of there. It used to be a nice but regular kind of place. Now it's so trendy. Parts of it are downright bleak and the only parts that are nice are north of Wilshire. Anything around Pico going through it are nothing short of gross. Plus, now it's got that Cameron Diaz/Charlie Sheen/Robert Downey Jr. patina. Bleh.

There are so many other areas in the Southland I would rather live that don't have that hype.

[Robert Hall]

I H-A-T-E Santa Monica. Period. The only thing I like about it is the ocean breeze, which is available elsewhere. I was born there and grew up 3 or 4 miles east of there. It used to be a nice but regular kind of place. Now it's so trendy. Parts of it are downright bleak and the only parts that are nice are north of Wilshire. Anything around Pico going through it are nothing short of gross. Plus, now it's got that Cameron Diaz/Charlie Sheen/Robert Downey Jr. patina. Bleh.

There are so many other areas in the Southland I would rather live that don't have that hype.

The times I've been there, I've usually hung out on the beach south of the pier and the 3rd street mall area...there are definitely some scruffy areas around..my next CA beach trip, I'll probably go to Hermosa Beach..I like it quite a bit.

Last summer, I spent a week in Pacific Beach in San Diego...I like that area a lot..kind of funky old beach townish yet modern..