Usually when I travel and have to pay out of pocket for a hotel stay {vs using my SPG points and staying someplace really nice for free} I try to book a hotel around the $100 a night rage that includes free breakfast, parking and wifi. Believe it or not I am not a fan of the whole Motel 8 scene and a nice hotel in a good neighborhood is one of the few things I’m willing to shell out extra bucks for.
So when The Girl and I had hit all our favorite spots up in Maine and found ourselves with an extra day to explore, we debated on whether or not we should drive over to Vermont to check out maple syrup farms or spend a day in Boston going to museums.
We decided on Boston.
After researching 3 museums we wanted to visit, we then started to look for a hotel within walking distance. We knew when we started looking for hotels in Boston that we would have to pay more than our usual $100 a night budget. Plus being in a major city we’d most likely have to pay for parking as well.
Well, one thing lead to another and we soon discovered we could get a room on Cape Cod across the street from the beach for the same price.
Ding.Ding.Ding!
We immediately changed our plans.
We thought we had narrowed down our hotel {by price} but then we did a quick check on Tripadvisor and found the reviews for the Chatham Bars Inn were crazy good and booked a room there for $199.
$199. I know. It’s a lot. BUT… I asked myself how many times in my life would I find myself with 24 hours to spend in Cape Cod? True, it was the middle of March… but the weather forecast for the day we’d be there? Sunny and 67 degrees.
You can bet your bottom dollar I booked us in the least expensive room {at the back of the hotel with no view} lickty split.
So. Imagine our surprise when we checked in we had been upgraded to an Ocean front cottage. A room which goes for up to $985 in the high season. HOLY CATS!!!!
Never before in my life have I been so in love with a hotel room or the surrounding area. I truly did not want to leave. Nor did The Girl. Practically every daylight hour was spent down on the beach or around the immediate area walking down streets admiring the weathered grey cottages.
That $199 we spent? I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Sometimes, it’s good to let loose of the purse strings once in awhile.
~Mavis
How about YOU? Do you have a favorite hotel? Do tell!
Kirsten G. says
Sounds wonderful! I haven’t stayed in enough hotels to have a favourite.
Laura says
Totally agree! I do this sort of trade-off often, as often as possible. When you value experiences over stuff, it isn’t a hard sell. Those cottages remind me of our family home in Newport, RI. Love the grey shingles on the siding. Such an area-specific design feature. Glad you had lots of fun with your daughter!
Kari says
Oh. My. Word. My dream vacation is Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. So happy for you. Please share more pictures.
TJD says
You lucky DAWG!
Crystal says
When I travel, I almost always have at least one dog with me. I tend to either car camp (my little hatchback is comfortable enough for a night or two) or stay at Motel 6. Motel 6 doesn’t charge pet fees and they are generally very affordable. I don’t go somewhere for the room, so as long as it is basically clean, has a bed, and the shower and toilet work, I’m good to go.
Mrs. C. says
Good to know about the pet policy. Thanks!
Athena says
La Quinta Inns are also pet friendly with no fees. We stayed in them for our 3 day drive to move from Idaho to Texas with 1 dog and 3 cats without any problems. Some are nicer than others, but for the most part we are very happy with these hotels. We even stay in them when we don’t have our pets with us. Just a tip in case you get tired of Motel 6! They have free breakfast too, which is such a nice savings!
Mrs. C. says
I have stayed on Cape Cod in the late fall – no people, cold, empty beaches – and I LOVED IT! The HH thought I was nuts!
Best/most beautiful hotels? Hawaii. There are a lot of resort hotels, and they are gorgeous, like The Grand Wailea on Maui.
Mavis Butterfield says
I thought it was BEAUTIFUL and told the HH I wouldn’t want to be there during tourist season. 🙂 I’d take late fall, winter or early spring on Cape in a heartbeat.
Lisa says
Hey I was right, you were at CBI !!!! Just a town over from me. If only I had known one of my favorite bloggers was on the Cape I could have had a fangirl moment 🙂
Marcia says
You should make sure to leave a great review on tripadvisor.
So, now that I’m in my mid-40s with two boys, I’m long past the motel 6/ Super 8. Our vacations generally are one of two things:
1. Trips to visit family – plane tickets required, but hotels not
2. Road trips – camping, hotels, condos, etc.
Our very very basic hotel requirement now is a Hampton Inn & Suites. Depending on the time of year and city, they are often $100 – but can be much higher depending on the city (I do live in CA, after all, so I’d say our average is around $160). Still not bad. These come with free breakfast, 2 beds usually, and a pool. Ding ding ding! (Though I feel really bad for the cleaning person in Vegas on our aborted trip to Utah, since both boys barfed in that room.)
If we are staying somewhere for more than one day, then I *really* try to get a condo or house (unless we are camping). So – in Utah (if we actually make it, ha!) we have a 3BR townhouse, for $930 for 5 days. Sometimes we will stay in “extended stay” places that are used by business people on the weekdays, so they are cheaper on the weekends. We stayed in a 2BR condo in LA near Disney a couple of years ago. It was so not cheap ($350 a night), but it had free parking, a shuttle to Disney (though not free), and a king bed, two queen beds, and a pull out couch. This meant we saved money by eating in AND there were 5 of us. My husband and the boys got the master and my MIL and I got the second bedroom.
For spring break last year we went to the desert – two nights camping in Joshua Tree, and then two nights in a condo resort with swimming pools and water slides.
We do enjoy trips to Legoland occasionally. We have stayed in a few different places, but have settled on West Inn and Suites as our favorite. Heated pool, free shuttle to Legoland, conveniently located from the freeway. The rooms are spacious. Free breakfast, free cookies and milk in the evening. On a recent trip (5 of us again, MIL was visiting), we had one night in a room with two queen beds and a sofabed. The room also had microwave, sink, and fridge. We enjoyed the stay so much we extended a day, but ended up in a smaller room. This was around $179 a night.
For a “drive by” stop where it’s only one night, we look for more budget with free breakfast. For slightly longer stays, niceties (and space!) matter.
Jeanie says
We have favorite hotels in different cities three are absolute standouts. The Hotel President in downtown Kansas City. This is our go to hotel in our go to city. We love the fact that it is a true downtown hotel within walking distance of bars, restaurants and clubs. We love that it is truly a very old hotel, modernized where it matters, that has retained its wonderful old school charm. We sleep like the living dead in that hotel.
The Athanaeum on Piccadilly Road across the street from Green Park in London. Obviously the location is everything. Within walking distance of tons of shops and Buckingham Palace and on the main tube route and bus route. We love the quirky charm of this hotel. It is old. It is a wee bit funky (it has a living wall in outside London) but John the doorman has always taken wonderful care of us and for that it is wonderful. Plus they accept pets. Sometimes a hard feature to find.
Cottage Inn by the Sea in Pismo Beach California. We have always been treated like royalty when we have stayed at this sweet little hotel. Each cottage is separate and most have an ocean view, all have fireplaces and luxury bathrooms. Divine!
Jeanie says
Plus I should add on that I am a bit of a hotel snob. I want good pillow and lots of them, although I travel with my own personal pillow, great bedding, nice big towels and yummy bath products. I want room service if I decide I want a glass of wine when I am already in bed or a cappucino. I like nice hotels and am usually willing to pay the price for one.
DebbieB says
My BF and I stayed in a lovely boutique hotel called the Melrose Georgetown in Washingon DC the week after Christmas. I suppose it was a slow time for them because it was only $105 a night. The crowds in DC were horrendous but the weather was quite nice and the city was beautifully decorated. For a more relaxing getaway I love to go to the ocean resorts in Maryland and Delaware in the off-season. I prefer to rent a privately owned condo with a kitchen to cook our meals. You can find some great rental properties on the HomeAway website!
Lana says
Vacation Rentals By Owner or AirBNB are are favorite way to stay but you usually have to stay two or more nights. On our big road trip last year we found that Red Roof Inns are nothing to look at from the outside but they have renovated all their hotels and they are lovely and comfortable inside and only about $69 a night. They have pet rooms with hardwood floors.