Clarion LGA: to be avoided! We had to stay because it was the only hotel near the airport that wasn't booked solid during last summer's US Tennis Open at Shea Stadium. Now I know why! Dingy rooms (made worse by the fact that they were only available in smoking flavor ), and rude front desk employees.

Quality Hotel and Suites on 46th in Manhattan: rooms are in dire need of renovation, and pretty small. On the other hand, this is NY, and the rates are never as exorbitant as in other dumps nearby, and they always managed to find us a relatively quiet (tiny) room.

Mr. Honu was disappointed w/the Comfort Inn Old Town SAN: very close to a noisy freeway and no airport shuttle.

The SFO Clarion has some very nice rooms and polite employee, and, occasionally, their rates are a steal.

I vaguely recall a very nice Comfort Inn in Bakersfield, and an ok room at the Comfort Inn Santa Cruz Boardwalk.

Here are a couple of q's:

1) in most properties, we don't get upgraded, even though it should be a Guest Privilege feature. Most of the time we don't even bother asking, as there doesn't seem to be much to be upgraded to, but what is the success rate w/other members?

2) How did the recent fall promo work? It was double or triple points on the FIRST stay after August and through December, or double or triple points on EACH stay until the end of the year? I'm asking because Mr. Honu got the points on most but not all of his stays...