This thread hits home with me right at the moment. My last several stays at CY have involved problems of varying degree. Meanwhile, my last several FI stays have been flawless.

Fast forward to this past Thursday. I had a reservation at the Dallas/Stemmons Fwy. CY. I called that morning and asked for an 11:30am check in. "No problem", I was told. Unfortunately, when I arrived they didn't have a room. I was told there'd be a twenty minute wait. I said "okay, fine" but when they could tell I was slightly dismayed, a room suddenly materialized.

This is in the context of a security gated parking lot and a major construction project going on at the hotel.

So finally, I'm on my way to the room complete with the noise and the dust in the hall, but when I get there, neither of the keys I was given worked.

I'd be willing to shrug off any one of these, and even the whole chain of events might not have been enough to surpass my level of tolerance, but what happened next finally pushed me over. There were two chairs opposite the front desk that were stained and discolored from ground in grime. Not just "questionable" but absolutely filthy with glaring multiple stains.

I'd seen enough! I was starting to get the distinct impression that there were multiple issues at this hotel and began to wonder "what's next"?

So...I got on my cell and booked myself into the FI Parkside about ten minutes away. They told me to come right over. Sparkling clean, friendly greeting, comfortable well-appointed room. Decent enough free breakfast offerings.

The FI was perfect in every way (except for those dinky little styrofoam cups). And a sharp contrast to the CY I had left.

Now that the older and underperforming FI properties are seemingly being upgraded or weeded out, its becoming harder and harder for me personally to see any advantages of CY versus FI. (Except for what they give you to drink from!)