Originally Posted by
frugal_flyer
Knights Inn is unquestionably the most bottom of the barrel chain out there. Motel 6 looks like the Ritz in comparison, in my experience. Having said that, I am not happy that Wyndham is divesting itself of the brand. As bad as they are, Knights Inns are almost always the cheapest option for the budget-conscious.
Honestly, if there was a minimal level of consistency across the board regarding cleanliness, I could accept the shortcomings of Knights Inn. Even the horrible shower/toilet area not big enough for an amoeba!
I agree with sdsearch that the Wyndham redemptions work best during big events at regular hotels. Staying at the Wyndham Baronne Plaza during Carnival in New Orleans on points sure beats paying upwards of $300 a night cash for a room. The hotel is nice, but certainly not extravagant. Its location during this busy time is what it had going for it.
One thing I hope Wyndham doesn't change is letting you book reward nights anytime. As opposed to, say, Choice where most people have to wait until within 30 days out to book.
Motel 6 looks like the Ritz...that's funny. There is no longer a Knights Inn in Asheville near the airport...it's now a Super 8, which also sucks in my dad's experience. Thank freaking God Knights Inn is leaving, as my dad never liked that hotel back then.
Originally Posted by
jebr
Agreed. For me, the biggest current problem with Wyndham is there's too many budget hotels that don't meet a basic minimum standard of cleanliness. (Well, based on Google/TripAdvisor reviews, anyways, though I've been to a couple that are borderline.) If a hotel has bugs consistently listed in the review, doors are broken, etc. then that shouldn't be a branded hotel under any chain. Wyndham seems to have too many properties that are below that minimum standard, and Knights Inn seemed to have an especially large degree of such hotels.
If Wyndham can make their bottom experience be essentially a clean Super 8-type experience (though the offered breakfast isn't required if it's not part of a brand standard) that would be a huge improvement. The rewards program has the best value when it's seen as a ticket to get a decent, if not aspirational, property in an aspirational location. The fact that I can build up points on inexpensive Super 8 rooms and redeem them for a decent hotel in a downtown core is really the selling point of the program for me.
Choice Hotels is better in every regard, unless you listen to my aunt's opinions on Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn.
Originally Posted by
TTT103
I'm shocked that Wyndham sold Knights Inn for only $27M. Maybe they ran the brand into the ground as much as they could, and decided to dump it.
Well they deserve it. Anything you see in Wyndham's brand collection all entails the cheapest rooms just like Vantage and Accor. They are all inconsistent, which is why Marriott and Hilton are way superior (Hyatt counts too, even though they cost more). Choice Hotels is nowhere near as inconsistent as Wyndham, Vantage, and Accor, save for some properties that get 1/2-star averages on Tripadvisor.