OP did not mention Homewood Suites, which I also find good if the price is lower than the local HI or HGI as it can be. Better than Marriott Residence Inn, too.
Ah yes. There's very little I could say about Homewood. I have one, maybe two stays with the brand, which isn't enough to form a coherent opinion. One was quite old (Oregon?) and another in Albuquerque was brand new. The ABQ property did wow me - I was upgraded to a needlessly spacious 2 bedroom suite with a sizable living room and kitchen (remember: solo man, overnight), staff were great, and facilities (gym, conferencing, pool) looked appealing.
Originally Posted by
uncertaintraveler
In my experience, you are very lucky if you can find an edible banana at a Hampton, and you are even luckier if you can find an apple that isn't a basic "Red Delicious" or "Granny Smith" there.
At this point, I've taken to simply bringing my own fruits and beverages to breakfast, and hoping that the oatmeal is warm or that the cereal offerings aren't too sugary and that the milk is cold.
I haven't had the issue of awful bananas at Hamptons (Big Fruit Inc is quite good banana logistics). As for the apples, what can one expect? Those varieties are ubiquitous/easy for the distributors. I'd love some Pacific Rose apples from the South Island of NZ, but I'd also love
Simon Woods naked and ready-to-go in the back seat of my
Mulsanne. In reality, I'm a single man in 3-generations-behind XJ, and when I'm in Cornhole, Rural America, I'll eat Hampton's apple and be grateful for it. Moreover, I am not The Proclaimers, and if I've driven 500 miles, I won't drive 500
inches more to a grocery store...even if I know where one is.
Originally Posted by
BearX220
I concur with most of what you've said, especially the virtues of Hampton Inn -- hands down the best option in many small towns. Indeed, some people throw snark at HI because it's not the Four Seasons, but it's not trying to be -- it's trying to be 100% better than the local Shady Rest Motel for another $25 to $40. I'll take that offer 7 days out of 7.
Oh God yes. Compared with the Hooker's Arms Motor Lodge or Section 8 Suites that one finds on the peripheries of civilization....Hampton is a godsend.
I differ with you on Doubletree (though like your "Oddball" designation) -- my experience is so all over the map, from awful down-at-heel '80s-era properties in airports and suburbs to very comfortable in-city ones, it just reinforces my belief that there is no brand promise there and the name predicts nothing in the way of standards / amenities beyond a cookie my doctor won't let me eat anyway.
I recognize that I have clearly walked in the grace of a higher power given my luck with Doubletrees. I imagine i might have had a number of less favorable experiences had I begun experiencing the brand in 2007. My weakest DT experience was the OKC airport, but that was largely due to the rough-and-ready bar/restaurant experience forced by renovations. As far as "Worst. Hotel. Ever." experiences go, that's extremely mild.
Originally Posted by
ChinaShrek
There are several reasons why people (sometimes including myself) would select an urban Hampton over an urban Doubletree or Hilton: 1) Breakfast is free at Hampton; 2) Wifi is free at Hampton (even if you don't book on their website); 3) I know what I am getting with a Hampton. Doubletrees are often like unwanted stepchildren. They are older properties that can't pay for themselves as Hiltons. Hampton is predictable. The rooms are the same and they often have a pool for the kids.
I should have added I was thinking from what I imagine the average flyertalker to be: elite status, direct booking, travelling for business (solo), travelling for pleasure (solo or with spouse only; maybe a kid or two). I wasn't thinking of the average traveller/kettle who kvetches about charged internet and breakfast. Despite my pathological urge to research, I am not going to read up on 6 different price-competitive Hilton properties for a 1-2 night stay in A Given City and will book into the highest class of service, usually a Hilton or a DT.
Originally Posted by
Miesque
One comment on pricing across brands. Its important to remember that not everyone is Gold or Diamond and hence would paying for breakfast and often for Wi-Fi for anything not a Hampton or HGI. The ancillary fees for other services are also higher at the full service hotels (this is and the managers reception is why Embassy Suites tend to hold their pricing power, even if they are an older property).
Embassy Suites is a very old brand in the portfolio and its always tended to attract families so while there are some nice ones that keep well maintained there are plenty that are overdue for a renovation.
True, but for the purposes of maintaining the scope of this more manageable than a magnum opus, I limited my perspective to FTers with elite status. That said, I should have said that explicitly.
The ES's appeal is obvious. I played with the booking engine, pricing out 1 adult versus 2 adults/3 kids where I am currently staying in Palm Desert, CA. With the additional hungry & clamoring maws, the price increased by a total of $8/nt. Definitely an economical option given the market value of 5 breakfasts out.