Roadside motels in the USA: prices, quality, service

Writes blogger prohorov: “Their quantity, quality and variety on all US highways, including local roads, is impressive.

Before my dream trip to America, I started booking hotels along the way, and this broke my head. As it turned out later, I broke in vain - when, after leaving the East Coast on the I 80 highway, a dense snowstorm covered us, it became clear that we would not reach the right motel. Fortunately, literally every 15-20 kilometers, "hotel islands" appeared on our way, and we stopped at one of them.

On the roads of America, I have never seen that on such an “island” there was only one motel - there are several hotels and the traveler always has a choice, from which tired eyes run up. In this post, I'll go over the most common roadside hotels in the US and room rates so you'll know right away where to stay overnight and where not to."

(Total 42 photos)

But first, let's define the concept of "motel". In Russia, often, a motel is associated with the word "bedbug", but an American motel can be equated with a Russian 4-star hotel. The rooms have everything: a double bed (very often 2 huge double beds), TV, refrigerator, microwave, hair dryer, ironing board and iron, coffee maker, work desk, internet, parking. And that is not all. Usually, motels also have a pool, gym, breakfast. Yes, and more, almost everywhere you will be allowed to enter with your dog or cat. All this pleasure costs 40-70 dollars, depending on the region: in the eastern part of the USA it is more expensive, in the west it is cheaper.

1. Interior of the Quality Inn roadside motel in Little Rock, Arkansas

The most common motels on America's highways are Motel6, Super 8, Quality Inn, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Sleep Inn, Best Western, and a dozen other brands. As you might guess, all these hotels do not exist on their own, but are part of large hotel chains.

2. Our combat Chevrolet Camaro SS in the parking lot of the Super8 motel. St. Louis, Missouri

One of the largest such chains is Choice Hotels International, Inc., which has more than 7,000 hotels. Main chain brands: Quality Inn, Comfort Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn. Other popular motels such as Motel6 and Super 8 are owned by other chains, which is why the US hotel services market is highly competitive, which is always in the hands of the average consumer of their services, i.e. traveler.

How do all these motels differ from each other. There are few big differences, the main one is breakfast. Motel6 will have bread and junk coffee, Super8 will add a waffle machine and apples to this set, and Quality Inn will have scrambled eggs, sausages, buns, juices, water, coffee, tea, yogurts, fruit, soft cheese and something even on the little things - a normal breakfast, in other words, but from disposable tableware. But this is more of a plus than a minus.

3. Olga is nowhere without breakfast. Quality Inn Motel, KingMan, Arizona

Usually Quality Inn is $8-$10 more expensive than Motel6, but you can beat off this overpayment at the expense of breakfast, especially if you are traveling together. A similar breakfast in the diner will cost you 15-20 dollars, and even spend time. In addition, Quality Inn is noticeably more stable than the same Motel6 and Super8 in terms of quality and comfort - it was tested during a journey of 10 thousand kilometers from ocean to ocean.

As one example of the device and life of a classic American motel, I will show the Quality Inn, located in the town of KingMan, in Arizona. These are I 40 and Historic Route 66. Room price is $40.

4. Classic American motel - several 1 - 2-storey buildings forming a patio. The reception, as a rule, has a separate small building, there is also a kitchen with breakfast

5. It looks like a residential building. Each room has direct access to the street, to its own parking space

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7. Our room was marked with a commemorative plaque with the name of the American TV star Martin Milner.

8. And inside, on the door, hung his photograph

9. The room itself is modest, but neat and clean. Everything for life is here

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eleven.

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13. Move to breakfast

14. Since the hotel is located on Route 66, there are many nice details here - the interior is not empty

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17. The reception halls are also hung with all sorts of signs, posters and photographs. James Dean is a popular young American actor (Rebel Without a Cause). Died in a road accident at age 24

18. Marilyn Monroe

19. Feature film Dragnet starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks. 1987

20. A speed limit sign of 85 miles - I have never seen such a real one on the roads, the maximum that came across on the way is 75 miles per hour

21. Among other things, the hotel has a swimming pool and a gym

22. There is also a small conference room

23. And old school scales

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25. Workplace for those who travel without their computer

26. Here is this Quality Inn motel on Route 66 in the town of KingMan for $40. You can live here without a twinge of conscience for a week, and they will also give you a good discount in a few days

I will show you a few more hotels where we stayed on the way from New York to Los Angeles and back

27 Quality Inn, Texas

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29. Our first hotel in the States. Quality Inn, $70. Eastern part of the country

thirty.

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32. Not all motels have a structure with a separate reception and buildings with rooms. There are also hotel rooms. Super8, St. Louis. $60

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35 Motel6. Tourist town of Moab, Utah. $50

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37. If you are traveling with a family or a company of more than two people, it is more convenient to take suites - two-room rooms (and more). There can be either one extra-large bed with a sofa and armchairs, or everything the same, but with 2 huge beds. We had one, but two toilets. $80 Colorado Springs, Colorado

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39. And I also forgot to mention one budget motel - Travelodge. There are many in the USA. This is the town of Page, Arizona - not far from Grad Canyon and very close to the Horseshoe of the Colorado River and two Antelope Canyons $40

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42. As for hotels in New York, everything is much more expensive there.