Motels

[okmac]

I for one would like to see a list of motels that other bike travelers would recommend . Based on how bike friendly it is, how clean it is , can you park in front of the door and last but not least , how much does it cost.

How many times have you been looking for a motel, getting one and then the next morning riding by a better one and with a better price.

I will start by naming my favorite in Grand Island, Nebraska.

Island Inn Motel---51.40$ before the senior discount. Large rooms, exceptionly clean and park in front.

I stop there when ever I can , when I travel thru Neb.

Mac

 

[rushes]

Some of the cheapest, best accommodations, and friendliest staff have been just stumbled on by pure luck...

My favorite was a Mom an Pop in somewhere, TN. One of those 50's cabin type motels...

Treated me like a king. The room was small, but newly remodeled. New bed, new bath, cable, only $35.00.

When I plan a trip, I've had purdy good luck with Choice Hotels They're always havin some kindofa deal going on, and are easy to negotiate a deal with. Right now, I think I've got a couple of free nights I need ta use..

And usually, if ya flirt just right with the girl at the desk, you can park wherever ya want...

I'm jus sayin...

 

[TILAM]

Just back from an 18 day trip to Cali etc and find that Super 8's are usually good value. Motel 6 can be a bit of a crap shoot. Never really disgusting but cam vary quite a bit.

 

[BwanaDik]

Generally good luck with Best Western. Since they have that motorcycle deal going on with Harley, they are usually pretty accomidating to bikes. A little spendy sometimes. If you've got the $$$$, you can't miss with the old Holiday Inn Holidomes. They always have a resturant and bar so you don't have to stumble, er..., walk very far after parking your bike.

+1 on the Motel 6 comments

 

[Patriot]

does the "Jimmy Swaggert Inn" count :blink:

btw: isn't there a utility that can run with instamapper called husband.com

when stopping at the Jimmy Swaggert Inn...it shows on the home PC at Cracker Barrel :yahoo:

I heard all this somewhere...

 

[Spud]

Hotel Nevada, ELY.

Reserved parking for bikes out front, discount rate for bikers ($39.00), clean rooms, cool casino on the main floor, lots of cool Nevada car and bike memorabilia inside...

 

[McRide]

I usually scope out a Holiday Inn Express. They have been on an upgrading binge for a few years now and most of them are the 'new and improved'. The rooms are very nice, great bedding and quite modern. Other than that, something with a free breakfast like Hampton Inn.

 

[okmac]

Hotel Nevada, ELY.

Reserved parking for bikes out front, discount rate for bikers ($39.00), clean rooms, cool casino on the main floor, lots of cool Nevada car and bike memorabilia inside...

This is more of what I had in mind. something under 60 bucks, mom and pop , parking by the door. One can always find a great room if you want to pay for it but I had in mind a poor mans budget.

Mac

 

[El Toro]

If I'm planning a trip, I get out the AAA guides for the states or provinces I'll travel through, and I look at the hotels along the route. If I have a question about parking or some other issue, I call them and discuss it with the concierge or front desk. You can also negotiate price with a phone call. Trips are generally more fun at 500 miles per day than at 1000 miles per day, so I keep this in mind when planning stops.

 

[Lee B.]

have stayed at the Blue Spruce in Lamar, CO and liked it enough to go back a second time. the continental brkfst sux but I prefer to grab a cup of coffee and a donut in the lobby and then find a restaruant or diner an hour down the road.

also stayed at a nice mom and pop in Chadron, NE that I can't recall the name. It was right inside the town limits. price was right, restraurant next door, very nice people running it.

I recently stayed at the Gordon Motel in Jasper, AR then later that evening while taking a walk around Jasper after dinner met the owner of the Arkansas House hotel across highway 7 from the Gordon. For 2 the Gordon was $40 total, in cash. It was a clean but had not been updated since the '60s. The owner of the Ark House gave us a tour of her last avail room and for 2 it would have been $75. We'd have done it if we hadn't already paid our money and moved in to the Gordon.

In Santa Fe, NM we really like the El Rey just south of the downtown area. it is pure '50s motor inn but it has been refurbished. It is like walking back in time 50 years. it is very popular so you probably won't find a vacancy there during the summer unless someone cancelled out. You'll need a reservation.

In Estes Park, CO I try to stay at Castle Mountain Lodge. It is right on the road that runs into Trail Ridge Rd that goes through RMNP. They have a paved and flat parking lot which is mc friendly. They also showed us where their old towels were so we could use them to wipe down the bikes after a shower or morning dew. Obviously, they did this avoid having us use their good towels which we wouldn't have done. But the gesture was nice. They told us where to dump them when we were done and even said if they were really soiled we could toss them or keep them.

That's about all I can recall off the top of my head. Most others are forgetable, I guess.

If anyone has a suggestion for Bemidji, MN I'd appreciate hearing about it.

 

[dustyrains]

Hotel Nevada, ELY.
Reserved parking for bikes out front, discount rate for bikers ($39.00), clean rooms, cool casino on the main floor, lots of cool Nevada car and bike memorabilia inside...

This is more of what I had in mind. something under 60 bucks, mom and pop , parking by the door. One can always find a great room if you want to pay for it but I had in mind a poor mans budget.

Mac

I have heard that you should always call for a room, even if you are standing right outside the lobby. Better pricing than walking in.

 

[RobT]

Hotel Nevada, ELY.
Reserved parking for bikes out front, discount rate for bikers ($39.00), clean rooms, cool casino on the main floor, lots of cool Nevada car and bike memorabilia inside...

This is more of what I had in mind. something under 60 bucks, mom and pop , parking by the door. One can always find a great room if you want to pay for it but I had in mind a poor mans budget.

Mac

I have heard that you should always call for a room, even if you are standing right outside the lobby. Better pricing than walking in.

As someone that owns and operates a small Mom and Pop motel in a poor economy, I've got to reply to that and disagree a little. For owner-operated places, the owner really doesn't want you to leave that lobby without selling you a room. "Hey, any chance you have a good deal on a room for a clean, quiet, tired guy?" -- That's the best way to start with us. Calling at the last minute might also get you a good deal, if lots of rooms are left empty. The dynamics are likely different for the corporate places, but that's how it works for us.

So, if you're ever passing through Northern Michigan, the Woodland Motel in Grayling is the only FJR-owner-operated place in the county that I'm aware of

 

[reecebike]

FOR A SHIT,SHOWER & SHAVE I LIKE DAYS INN!!!

 

[marcusorelius]

Since duke the fjr ride'n dog goes with me on overnighters, my fav is motels that allow dogs. Motel 6's have a pets no chg policy( the dukester hasn't got a job either) their everywhere & the newer ones ain't too bad!

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Hotel Nevada, ELY.Reserved parking for bikes out front, discount rate for bikers ($39.00), clean rooms, cool casino on the main floor, lots of cool Nevada car and bike memorabilia inside...

This is more of what I had in mind. something under 60 bucks, mom and pop , parking by the door. One can always find a great room if you want to pay for it but I had in mind a poor mans budget.

Mac

I tend to not choose 'chain' motels, initially -- usually looking for something more interesting, lodging-wise.

I've also seemed to notice that prices are often considerably higher in bigger, more popular, towns/places than smaller, more rural, areas. S.O. and I recently (on a m/c ride) had a nice stay at a motel less than 15 miles from a popular/touristy town for, close-to, half the money.

Keep an eye out for billboard ads (as you travel) -- one in E. NM advertizes a single in Tucumcari for $19.95.

All this is commonly 'in-flux' as the economy changes and the hospitality industry responds. You might get a poor room once-in-a-while, too --but, with practice, you'll soon notice the tell-tale signs (like, "weekly rates"). Altho, the 'Extended Stay' chain is fine...

Now, with the proliferation of 'full, hot, breakfasts', another variable has been thrown into the decision making mix.

 

[greywolf]

The Rosewood Inn in Bryson , NC https://www.greatsmokies.com/rosewoodinn/

The lady the runs it is a sweetheart , she gaves us towels for our bikes , rooms were clean , and only $45 for a weekend night.

It's right off 74 which runs up the Nantahala Gorge, or you can peel off on 28 and head up to the Dragon .. a superb stretch of road.

 

[frito1]

Iron Horse Stables in Eureka Springs, AR.

Cedars Motel in Ashtabula, OH

Nice, MC friendly folks in both locations. Mom & Pop operations and definitely qualify for a *notch above scuzzy* rating.

 

[okmac]

Thanks for all the replys. Some of you have the right idea, in my mind, Mom and Pop.

Wouldn't it be great if you had a list of Mom and Pops , about 4 or 5 in every state..If you are like me, you are not looking for a place to swim or work out, you just want to sleep in a clean , quiet place.

So it we had to make a list in priority order it would be this.

Priority 1. CLEAN

Priority 2. Under 60 $ (Mom and Pops.)

Priority 3. Park in front of the door.

Priority 4. Motorcycle friendly

The problem is you cannot usually go on the computer and find these places, only the chains. That is why I think , we biker travelers, need to have a list of the great Mom and Pops. I just want a good nights sleep, with out breaking the bank , and get up and travel in the morning.

From some of the answers above I have already added them to my list of places to stop when I am in that state.

Mac

 

[BwanaDik]

Maybe a new Forum section, kinda like the "Vendor Feedback" section only for lodging?

We could give a rating from 1-5 (keep it simple) for the four items you listed. And a "bonus section" for a pool and nearby bar/resturant?