If you can walk barefoot in the room and have Internet or at least decent cell service (I have a huge data plan), I'm fairly happy. I've been in places that don't meet any of those criteria, though. Up north you're lucky if you get your own bedroom sometimes.
Do you pre book motels?
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Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
I found this webpage, a hotel price heat map: http://www.hotelmapsearch.com/ Not sure how accurate it is though.
I was sticking with the Choice Hotels group as I have a decent discount with them through work (Significant Organization Discount). I even got a Choice Hotels MBNA Mastercard which let me earn free nights with points, however that card is coming to an end. I still have the Choice hotel discount though, so they typically end up being the cheapest that I can find.
I sometimes pre-book, sometimes not. When I pre-book I make sure to push myself in the amount of miles I need to cover -- no point in going easy on the old boy. On my Newfie trip, while I was on the ferry I booked the next night (free with points) in Saint Johns, NB... so I landed in North Sydney, did the entire Cabot Trail and Meat Cove, and still had to go as far as Saint Johns on little to no sleep on the overnight ferry. Sometimes I push myself a little too hard.
Now I use the TD Infinate card which allows you to earn 1.5% (or higher) back towards travel, and you can apply that to any travel expense. I paid for my night in Blanc Sablon using points -- A night I didn't book and was almost homeless again for the night. Everything was no vacancy except for this one place in Blanc Sablon that had two nights left, and I took one of them for $139 with no breakfast and a leaky roof.
I was sticking with the Choice Hotels group as I have a decent discount with them through work (Significant Organization Discount). I even got a Choice Hotels MBNA Mastercard which let me earn free nights with points, however that card is coming to an end. I still have the Choice hotel discount though, so they typically end up being the cheapest that I can find.
I sometimes pre-book, sometimes not. When I pre-book I make sure to push myself in the amount of miles I need to cover -- no point in going easy on the old boy. On my Newfie trip, while I was on the ferry I booked the next night (free with points) in Saint Johns, NB... so I landed in North Sydney, did the entire Cabot Trail and Meat Cove, and still had to go as far as Saint Johns on little to no sleep on the overnight ferry. Sometimes I push myself a little too hard.
Now I use the TD Infinate card which allows you to earn 1.5% (or higher) back towards travel, and you can apply that to any travel expense. I paid for my night in Blanc Sablon using points -- A night I didn't book and was almost homeless again for the night. Everything was no vacancy except for this one place in Blanc Sablon that had two nights left, and I took one of them for $139 with no breakfast and a leaky roof.
I've been seeing the ads for Trivago but they don't get good prices.
I find Expedia and Booking.com get me decent rates with the nod to Expedia.
I sometimes search on TripAdvisor and ALWAYS check the motel on TripAd.
Nothing like first hand accounts.
I use the TD Infinite as well as the Royal travel cards. I can search on Expedia for TD and then pay for part or all with points.
A great deal of my travel is paid by points thanks to the business purchases.
I use the cards everywhere - groceries, going out, gas - insurance - anywhere they will take them.
Split a bill - I'll take the cash and pay with the CC to ge the travel points
Touring in the US can be pretty cheap compared to Canada - fuel is cheaper, food is cheaper, accommodation generally cheaper and lower taxes.
Still noodling camping but with the cost I've seen on campgrounds and the low cost on motels.....hardly worth it.
I find Expedia and Booking.com get me decent rates with the nod to Expedia.
I sometimes search on TripAdvisor and ALWAYS check the motel on TripAd.
Nothing like first hand accounts.
I use the TD Infinite as well as the Royal travel cards. I can search on Expedia for TD and then pay for part or all with points.
A great deal of my travel is paid by points thanks to the business purchases.
I use the cards everywhere - groceries, going out, gas - insurance - anywhere they will take them.
Split a bill - I'll take the cash and pay with the CC to ge the travel points
Touring in the US can be pretty cheap compared to Canada - fuel is cheaper, food is cheaper, accommodation generally cheaper and lower taxes.
Still noodling camping but with the cost I've seen on campgrounds and the low cost on motels.....hardly worth it.
I don't prebook if I don't have to, because I usually don't manage to stick to my riding schedule. Plus you can get better rates at the desk. Of course, the day will come where this will bite me in the ***.
Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
The one thing about trip adviser... I once stayed at a hotel in Niagara Falls that was a complete stinking dive but had good ratings on trip adviser. The reason: when you check out they tell you that you can get a $10 voucher for a positive review on T.A.. I reported them, as that is buying reviews, but I don't think anything ever happened about it.
Since I try to stick with decent motel chains, I will often book "ahead" same day by about 13:00, as I get a feel for where I expect to end up for the day, to be sure I've got a bed waiting for me that night.
If there is a special event (like a long weekend/holiday), it is often necessary to book at least the night before for small town destinations, and a few days ahead if you're heading into a tourist area or larger city and want an affordable deal. If you absolutely know where you're going to end up days ahead, might as well book as far out as possible, to get a better deal.
I'm kinda picky about the motel/hotel; I want cheap, but I want bug free, and I want to wake up and still own a motorcycle. I've risked a few dives, and I know people who have experienced bed bugs on their trips. Thus far, with as many as 70 motel/hotel nights a year over 10 years, I have yet to experience bed bugs and I've only seen a couple roaches. Motel 6 at the least. Prefer Super 8's or higher. Love Hampton Inns though they're expensive. Ibis Hotels in Europe. Premier Inns in UK. Never Knight's Inns.
If there is a special event (like a long weekend/holiday), it is often necessary to book at least the night before for small town destinations, and a few days ahead if you're heading into a tourist area or larger city and want an affordable deal. If you absolutely know where you're going to end up days ahead, might as well book as far out as possible, to get a better deal.
I'm kinda picky about the motel/hotel; I want cheap, but I want bug free, and I want to wake up and still own a motorcycle. I've risked a few dives, and I know people who have experienced bed bugs on their trips. Thus far, with as many as 70 motel/hotel nights a year over 10 years, I have yet to experience bed bugs and I've only seen a couple roaches. Motel 6 at the least. Prefer Super 8's or higher. Love Hampton Inns though they're expensive. Ibis Hotels in Europe. Premier Inns in UK. Never Knight's Inns.
kiley
Well-known member
Ok I'll chime in 
I never book ahead.
I always just wing it
That being said...if there's a big event on like a Rally or whatever then I pre book.
My last big trip (the one I'm still posting about) I ran into problems in Billings MT.
I got there about 7pm on a Sunday night.
Couldn't find a room anywhere...they were booked solid.
I wanted to do Beartooth Pass the next day so heading more west on I94 wasn't convenient
I knew there were motels in Red Lodge so I headed that way.
if there were full I would of been screwed.....all is well as they had lots of room.
The next day the owner told me "make sure you start looking for your room for the night no later than 5pm"
summer after all is there busy time of the season
I grab coupon books at rest stops and also use this site
http://hotelcoupons.com/
I got a deal on just about every room I needed on this trip and no room cost me more than $100
I used mom and pops and chains.
It helps to know where your going.
That's why I do so much research in the winter
I never book ahead.
I always just wing it
That being said...if there's a big event on like a Rally or whatever then I pre book.
My last big trip (the one I'm still posting about) I ran into problems in Billings MT.
I got there about 7pm on a Sunday night.
Couldn't find a room anywhere...they were booked solid.
I wanted to do Beartooth Pass the next day so heading more west on I94 wasn't convenient
I knew there were motels in Red Lodge so I headed that way.
if there were full I would of been screwed.....all is well as they had lots of room.
The next day the owner told me "make sure you start looking for your room for the night no later than 5pm"
summer after all is there busy time of the season
I grab coupon books at rest stops and also use this site
http://hotelcoupons.com/
I got a deal on just about every room I needed on this trip and no room cost me more than $100
I used mom and pops and chains.
It helps to know where your going.
That's why I do so much research in the winter
BeastieGirl
Well-known member
I tend to be flip flop on this issue - and I've been burned both ways. I have found myself riding in circumstances where I really should have gotten off the road, because I had a prepaid reservation I had to make - or had passed the time when I could call and cancel. I've also just written off the charges a couple of times - once when I pulled into a town in Vermont with lightening strike sirens going off around me and it looked like midnight at 3:00 p.m. - found a room in a little Inn and just ate the cost of the room a few hours up the road I had already paid for.
On the other hand, I have overpaid for rooms because it was late, I was tired and they were the only game in town. And when its dark in the mountains its nice to know you have a place to stay at the end of the day.
In the end, if I know for sure my route, I prefer to pre-book, try to find the motels with the most liberal (i.e. same-day) cancellation policies and just add on a contingency fee for a lost reservation.
Nice thing about camping is at the very least you have shelter with you.
On the other hand, I have overpaid for rooms because it was late, I was tired and they were the only game in town. And when its dark in the mountains its nice to know you have a place to stay at the end of the day.
In the end, if I know for sure my route, I prefer to pre-book, try to find the motels with the most liberal (i.e. same-day) cancellation policies and just add on a contingency fee for a lost reservation.
Nice thing about camping is at the very least you have shelter with you.
Some real hardy folk out there. Kudos. Last week I was on a park bench enjoying a Timmies Dark Roast (medium black) when the sky literally opened up. By the time I saddled up and peddled 100ft. I was soaked to the bone and swishing around in my flip flops. Reality checks like that is what keeps me out of tenting.
Use due diligence.
My first choice in a motel is where you park in front of your room. These are usually older places as they don't build that way any more.
There are several posts on the subject if you do a search. The bottom line is that there are always risks. I have insurance and a credit card to get me home if crap happens. No risk, no reward.
I often ask the motel staff if there's a well-lit and observed area where I can leave the bike, like near the motel office. They are often quite accommodating.
An alarm disc lock is a good idea, but make sure you get one with a bungee cord you can put around your handlebar to remind you it is there; I've seen friends try to ride off having forgotten they used a disc lock.
For a while, I used a GPS Snitch, which I think has been replaced by the Escort Entourage. http://www.blacklineautomotive.com/products/escort-entourage-ps/index.html . Motion sensing, GSM and GPS enabled, would send me SMSs with events. Really helped me sleep better at times.
