For Sale -- One brand, new aviation themed hotel

[Trapper John]

To me, it is about a consistent experience.

And that's what I find maddening about certain chains, like Comfort Inns. The only thing consistent about them is that they are remarkably inconsistent. One town and they're nice, next town and they're only suitable for shooting up...

But some do a good job, like Hilton Garden Inns, Marriotts (Fairfield Inns excepted) and like you said, the Holiday Inn Express.


Trapper John

 

[jesse]

I used to be all about value, and low price was king. I seem to be preferring quality in my old age. Last couple overnight trips I took I stayed in suites, and I am beginning to like the experience. I seem to wind up spending time in hotel rooms during trips, and it is nice to have pleasant surroundings. Still sorry I haven't hit Ames. Who knows, maybe I'll get invited for a seminar.

Wouldn't find much in Ames. His hotel is in Iowa City, IA.

 

[steingar]

Wouldn't find much in Ames. His hotel is in Iowa City, IA.

Of course, my mistake. Jay frequently mentions the nearby University, and my mind automatically drifts to Ames as I have had colleagues there.

 

[jsbougher]

And that's what I find maddening about certain chains, like Comfort Inns. The only thing consistent about them is that they are remarkably inconsistent. One town and they're nice, next town and they're only suitable for shooting up...

But some do a good job, like Hilton Garden Inns, Marriotts (Fairfield Inns excepted) and like you said, the Holiday Inn Express.


Trapper John

Wow, perfectly said. I WON'T stay at a Holiday Inn, but Holiday Inn Express I've almost always had a good experience. Agree completely with Garden Inns and Marriotts ... may not be perfect, but always clean and good enough. I pretty much go Marriott if possible, then Holiday Inn Express, then I start digging through reviews. I love the concept of Jay's hotel and I'd do something like that as a destination or on a vacation, but when scheduling travel, I take the easiest path.

 

[dmccormack]

Wow, perfectly said. I WON'T stay at a Holiday Inn, but Holiday Inn Express I've almost always had a good experience.

I did too EXCEPT the HIE in King George, Va (outside Dahlgren NAVSEA base).

I agree that the most consistent chain is Hilton Garden Inn. Hampton Inns are mostly ok, but some are better than others.

 

[flyersfan31]

1) Porsche factory is free, but it is a plain vanilla walk around the museum which is pretty much a room full of 911s. There is a factory tour which must be arranged ahead of time. Try to get a factory tour.

2) Holiday Inn express is always a good experience

3) I have found that the more expensive the hotel, the more the wireless internet costs. This angers me greatly, given that your average HoJo, Holiday Inn Express/Courtyard etc offers it for free.

 

[dmccormack]

3) I have found that the more expensive the hotel, the more the wireless internet costs. This angers me greatly, given that your average HoJo, Holiday Inn Express/Courtyard etc offers it for free.

Spot on. I was at some ridiculously overpriced place in DC (Probably the Hilton near the White house) and reached for the "complimentary" water bottle -- uh-oh -- the tag said it was seven dollars.

 

[flyersfan31]

Spot on. I was at some ridiculously overpriced place in DC (Probably the Hilton near the White house) and reached for the "complimentary" water bottle -- uh-oh -- the tag said it was seven dollars.

At $7/bottle, that water had better turn my **** into wine!!

 

[Jay Honeck]

It depends.

When on work travel, my "hotel experience" is typically limited to sleep, shower, reading and internet access. I don't want or need chandeliers in lobbies, original artwork in the halls, or a pianist in the reception area.

I want to be able to control the room temperature and airflow (not necessarily the same thing!), have sufficient hot water, storage space, security, and enough room to do sitsups and pushups (since 95% of hotel gyms are useless).

When I travel on business I am not looking for an "experience," I need a room to rest, recover, and prepare.

I've found that when I book a room in a Hilton chain, I will get what I'm expecting (with a few small deviations).

That was (probably unintentionally) hilarious. You outline some fairly spartan hotel requirements, and then close by stating that you are happy with the HILTON?

That was good for a belly chuckle -- thanks!

 

[dmccormack]

That was (probably unintentionally) hilarious. You outline some fairly spartan hotel requirements, and then close by stating that you are happy with the HILTON?

That was good for a belly chuckle -- thanks!

Yep -- on business travel I am given to ecstatic paeans of joy and often break out in songs of thanks to the excellence of the service.

Oh -- and I stayed in a B&B once.

No thanks. If I want that I visit my parents.

 

[Jay Honeck]

2) Holiday Inn express is always a good experience

AAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AUGH! PLEEEZE MAKE IT STOP!

"Holiday Inn Express" motels are the PERFECT example of marketing-turns-failing-motel-concept-into-success-story. In fact, their commercials ("No, I'm not a doctor...but I DID stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night!") are mentioned in graduate-level marketing textbooks as the quintessential best "Let's take a weakness and make people believe it's a strength" marketing ploy of all time.

Before those commercials, HIEs were perceived as the cheap red-headed step children of the motel world, and were failing as a brand. AFTER those commercials (which cost MILLIONS of dollars to produce) -- without changing a single thing -- they are now perceived as an "upscale economy motel", and are incredibly successful.

Game, set, & match goes to HIE's marketing department.

 

[flyersfan31]

AAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AUGH! PLEEEZE MAKE IT STOP!

"Holiday Inn Express" motels are the PERFECT example of marketing-turns-failing-motel-concept-into-success-story. In fact, their commercials ("No, I'm not a doctor...but I DID stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night!") are mentioned in graduate-level marketing textbooks as the quintessential best "Let's take a weakness and make people believe it's a strength" marketing ploy of all time.

Before those commercials, HIEs were perceived as the cheap red-headed step children of the motel world, and were failing as a brand. AFTER those commercials (which cost MILLIONS of dollars to produce) -- without changing a single thing -- they are now perceived as an "upscale economy motel", and are incredibly successful.

Game, set, & match goes to HIE's marketing department.

Well, that's one view.

From my perspective (and I don't go to hotels based on ads, and certainly not for repeat visits) they are clean, and reliable. Just enough accoutrements. Comfy room. Management has always been responsive.

 

[N801BH]

The bank may not have a lot of love, but your insurance broker will!


Trapper John

Yeah... Good luck on someone writing that policy..

 

[dmccormack]

Game, set, & match goes to HIE's marketing department.

Nope -- money goes to product that delivers.

In most cases, HIE is predictably adequate.

NOT true for Econolodge, Comfort Inn, Red Roof Inn, or Best Western -- all low end chains with big time marketing budgets but none of my business.

 

[jesse]

Well, that's one view.

From my perspective (and I don't go to hotels based on ads, and certainly not for repeat visits) they are clean, and reliable. Just enough accoutrements. Comfy room. Management has always been responsive.

+1, the breakfast is above average for the money you pay as well.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Yeah... Good luck on someone writing that policy..

Actually, getting that insurance policy took a single phone call. It's surprisingly easy to get, even on an island in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Nope -- money goes to product that delivers.

In most cases, HIE is predictably adequate.

NOT true for Econolodge, Comfort Inn, Red Roof Inn, or Best Western -- all low end chains with big time marketing budgets but none of my business.

Okay, now THAT is unquestionably true. As chain motels go, HIE is "predictably adequate". Of course, that's setting the bar pretty low, IMHO...

(And the other chains you mention don't spend 30% of what HIE spends annually on marketing -- HIE is the "Geico" of motel chains, as they've learned their lesson well.)

Not that I blame them; hell, I *admire* them, from a business standpoint. But that's different than wanting to stay at one. HIE is not a place I would choose to stay, under any circumstances. YMMV.

 

[SCCutler]

Well, I am in San Antonio for a seminar; waited too long to book a room at the conference hotel (Westin La Cantera Resort), so I am down the hill (about 3 minute drive) at the Sheraton 4 Points. The room is every bit as nice as any I have gotten in my many stays at the La Cantera (maybe a little smaller), very nicely appointed, well-designed and visually-interesting property. Very much business-traveler oriented. Big desk, free 'Net, etc. For this, I have to suffer through paying $90.00/night less (plus no "Resort Fee"). Plus, they charge for the Internet at the La Cantera.

I would not want this place when I go to the beach, but for a flop-into-bed-after-a-long-day-of-work place, it ain't bad.

 

[flyersfan31]

Not that I blame them; hell, I *admire* them, from a business standpoint. But that's different than wanting to stay at one. HIE is not a place I would choose to stay, under any circumstances. YMMV.

That makes one of us. Good, clean, cheap -- what's not to like?

 

[Jay Honeck]

Well, I am in San Antonio for a seminar; waited too long to book a room at the conference hotel (Westin La Cantera Resort), so I am down the hill (about 3 minute drive) at the Sheraton 4 Points. The room is every bit as nice as any I have gotten in my many stays at the La Cantera (maybe a little smaller), very nicely appointed, well-designed and visually-interesting property. Very much business-traveler oriented. Big desk, free 'Net, etc. For this, I have to suffer through paying $90.00/night less (plus no "Resort Fee"). Plus, they charge for the Internet at the La Cantera.

I would not want this place when I go to the beach, but for a flop-into-bed-after-a-long-day-of-work place, it ain't bad.

Sounds like a nice place.

And don't get me wrong -- often the high-end chains can provide remarkable amenties that a small independent can't.

But where we beat 'em every time is personal, caring service. I don't care how good your big-box "maitre' d" is, he's an hourly employee who, at the end of the day, couldn't care less whether you lived or died. Mary and I will take care of your every need, if it kills us. If that means tossing you the keys to our car, or replacing your mattress right frigging NOW, we'll do it.

In the case of the Harbor Inn (the motel we've purchased), it's been run as an economy independent motel for years, and it's going to take us months to turn it into what we want and our guests expect. Hell, it took us 7 YEARS to finish the Alexis Park Inn & Suites. Building a really nice hotel/motel takes time, effort, and a constant feedback loop, which is something the chains just aren't interested in doing. They're only interested in pleasing the share-holders, which means pleasing the lowest common denominator.

Call it the WalMart-ification of America. I don't like it much, in case you couldn't tell.

 

[Everskyward]

That makes one of us. Good, clean, cheap -- what's not to like?

I have no problem with the Holiday Inn Express either. Unlike others here I can't see too much difference in the major chains. They seem to all have their more upscale offerings and mid-priced choices.

 

[Jay Honeck]

That makes one of us. Good, clean, cheap -- what's not to like?

Nothing -- if that's all you want.

Hey, I eat at McDonald's once in a while, when that's all I want. I'll even stay at a Fairfield Inn in my hometown once in a very great while, when that's all I want. Of course, it's $57/night.

However, I must draw the line somewhere, and I will never, EVER pay $99 per night for a Holiday Inn Express room, in part because I know that a third of that room rate is going to their Holiday Inn franchise fees so that they can buy more of those dumb commercials...

 

[jesse]

Jay,

Your bandwidth speeds listed at http://www.alexisparkinn.com/free_hi-speed_internet.htm make little sense to me.

Bandwidth descriptions are generally always done in bits, whereas you're using bytes. The kilobyte numbers you say doesn't seem correct either.

At one point you say you installed wireless G with 56 kilobytes of bandwidth which would be 448 kilobit which would be a rather odd number. Perhaps you meant that wireless G can support up to 54 MEGABIT of bandwidth (but you don't have that much at your modem(s) so you don't offer that in internet)

At another point you say 11 kilobyte per second on wireless B. That would be a very very low bandwidth number, even for 2002. 88 kilobit internet access would be unusable. Perhaps you meant 11 megabit (wireless b standard) but I doubt you had that at your modems.

If I were a techie traveling on business and didn't care about aviation those issues above would make me steer clear.

 

[Everskyward]

In the case of the Harbor Inn (the motel we've purchased), it's been run as an economy independent motel for years, and it's going to take us months to turn it into what we want and our guests expect. Hell, it took us 7 YEARS to finish the Alexis Park Inn & Suites. Building a really nice hotel/motel takes time, effort, and a constant feedback loop, which is something the chains just aren't interested in doing. They're only interested in pleasing the share-holders, which means pleasing the lowest common denominator.

Call it the WalMart-ification of America. I don't like it much, in case you couldn't tell.

I think that the kind of motel you are aiming to be is great as a vacation destination. What most other people, including me, have been talking about in this thread are motels where we need to stay because we are forced to be in a particular location for another reason.

Going somewhere on vacation as a tourist is something that is hard for me to wrap my mind around since I pretty much never do it. I travel enough through work and other obligations that I don't think about doing it on my time off.

 

[flyersfan31]

I think that the kind of motel you are aiming to be is great as a vacation destination. What most other people, including me, have been talking about in this thread are motels where we need to stay because we are forced to be in a particular location for another reason..

Ah yes. I believe you are correct.

I would never stay in an HIE on vacation. But then again, for me vacation = 5 star.

 

[dmccormack]

Nothing -- if that's all you want.

Hey, I eat at McDonald's once in a while, when that's all I want. I'll even stay at a Fairfield Inn in my hometown once in a very great while, when that's all I want. Of course, it's $57/night.

However, I must draw the line somewhere, and I will never, EVER pay $99 per night for a Holiday Inn Express room, in part because I know that a third of that room rate is going to their Holiday Inn franchise fees so that they can buy more of those dumb commercials...

I avoid Fairfield Inns -- rooms are tiny and construction is cheap.

I've found HIE are comparably priced. I am nearly always traveling on per diem, and HIE always meets or beats the local rate.

I have no idea what the franchise fees are, and I don't care. If the HIE chain spends 90% of its gross income on marketing yet still provides an acceptable product -- why should I care?

Long ago I was told that McDonalds breaks even on burgers and various sandwhiches. The profit generators are fries and drinks -- by a long shot.

So make sure you don't order any fries or drinks, jay, when you visit the golden arches, since that's what's paying for that inane "I'm luvin it" ad campaign.

 

[catmandu]

If I were a techie traveling on business and didn't care about aviation those issues above would make me steer clear.

Well, sometimes places with zeros and decimal points in the right places for their bandwidth call themselves an airport hotel, just a short 15 minute ride away . . . by taxi . . .

 

[RMCN172RG]

I'll lend a little more to the HIE concept and why it works for us.

Since 1997, daughter in college, all of my business trips have been two people, I take my wife with me at my expense. We joined the Holiday Inn preferred or whatever it was called back in the 80's for amenities like late checkout, free paper, free rooms, yada yada ... all pre HIE concept.

Now I try to use an HI hotel whenever possible. Their resorts are slowly being removed from the system but for the last three decades I've used their ocean front properties in FL for family vacations. We've used the points earned on busniess trips during the year to stay free for a week in FL, not a bad perk.

On business we prefer the HIE over their other properties because they generally cost less per night, include the "free" breakfast so we can eat together in the morning before I head in to work without dropping $10-$20 in a restaurant every day. Using the 2PM late checkout I can finish my business around lunch time, go back to the hotel, change and pick her up for the late afternoon or early evening flight back.

The same goes for belonging to the Avis or Hertz club, they're consistently as good as it gets for picking up a car quickly and the flexability and perks make it worth the company loyalty from us.

I have done driving vacations with no planned stops and every night was in a local hotel because the cities and locations don't have the chain gang present. They're usually great, but some are a little weird, but it's impossible to plan quick consistent business trips trying to use them.

.02

 

[dmccormack]

I'll lend a little more to the HIE concept and why it works for us.

Since 1997, daughter in college, all of my business trips have been two people, I take my wife with me at my expense. We joined the Holiday Inn preferred or whatever it was called back in the 80's for amenities like late checkout, free paper, free rooms, yada yada ... all pre HIE concept.

Now I try to use an HI hotel whenever possible. Their resorts are slowly being removed from the system but for the last three decades I've used their ocean front properties in FL for family vacations. We've used the points earned on busniess trips during the year to stay free for a week in FL, not a bad perk.

On business we prefer the HIE over their other properties because they generally cost less per night, include the "free" breakfast so we can eat together in the morning before I head in to work without dropping $10-$20 in a restaurant every day. Using the 2PM late checkout I can finish my business around lunch time, go back to the hotel, change and pick her up for the late afternoon or early evening flight back.

The same goes for belonging to the Avis or Hertz club, they're consistently as good as it gets for picking up a car quickly and the flexability and perks make it worth the company loyalty from us.

I have done driving vacations with no planned stops and every night was in a local hotel because the cities and locations don't have the chain gang present. They're usually great, but some are a little weird, but it's impossible to plan quick consistent business trips trying to use them.

.02

I've used the same plan with Hilton properties -- I'm Unobtanium member with them and have been for about 10 years.

 

[CJones]

It's interesting that the HIE and McD's conversation got put together...

In its beginning, the founder(s) of McD's fought the idea of making their place into a chain. Their reasoning was that "Nobody wants to eat the 'same' stuff everywhere they go! EVERYBODY wants unique foods wherever they go." Eventually, somone pushed hard enough and they ended up being the chain that they are today - the BigMac you get in Atlanta will be the same as the BigMac you get in Ames. Is it high quality? Definitely not. But when you're in unfamiliar territory and you just want something to fill you up, you know what to expect at a McD's - either good or bad.

Same goes for HIE. When you're travelling to new territory and you don't know what to think about the local privately-owned $75/night hotel, you will tend to lean toward the $99/night HIE because you know what to expect - good or bad.

It is the world we live in.

As far as Jay's new place - I would highly recommend some budget dollars going toward a professional web design. The Alexis Park Inn site is a GREAT start, but if you're going to be in a 'destination' location, a solid professional-looking web presence could make a ton of difference in online vacation research crowd. The 'frontpage' says to me 'Well, they're trying, but not *quite* there yet'... Just my $.02. Worth every penny you paid for it.

 

[jesse]

The Alexis Park Inn site is a GREAT start, but if you're going to be in a 'destination' location, a solid professional-looking web presence could make a ton of difference in online vacation research crowd. The 'frontpage' says to me 'Well, they're trying, but not *quite* there yet'... Just my $.02. Worth every penny you paid for it.

Agree

 

[wabower]

I'd think the sales pitch for the Iowa City property should emphasize the weather data to prove that guests have very little risk of exposure to skin-damaging UV rays from November through April.

 

[Jay Honeck]

I love the concept of Jay's hotel and I'd do something like that as a destination or on a vacation, but when scheduling travel, I take the easiest path.

Nothing personal, but it is this attitude -- multiplied by millions of people -- that has resulted in the lodging (and culinary, and shopping) mediocrity that has befallen the nation. It's becoming harder and harder to find unique, home-grown businesses of ANY kind anymore as the WalMarts, McDonalds and Holiday Inns drive out their smaller competition.

This is why -- even though I'm politically more akin to the Libertarian Party than any other, and it pains me to admit this -- I support communities that have outlawed chains and franchise businesses of all kinds. (Santa Barbara, CA; Door County, WI; Mackinac Island, MI; etc.) It seems to be the only way left to ensure the survival of cool, unique, non-cookie-cutter businesses like mine, and it results in some of the coolest cities/counties in America.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Jay,

Your bandwidth speeds listed at http://www.alexisparkinn.com/free_hi-speed_internet.htm make little sense to me.

Bandwidth descriptions are generally always done in bits, whereas you're using bytes. The kilobyte numbers you say doesn't seem correct either.

At one point you say you installed wireless G with 56 kilobytes of bandwidth which would be 448 kilobit which would be a rather odd number. Perhaps you meant that wireless G can support up to 54 MEGABIT of bandwidth (but you don't have that much at your modem(s) so you don't offer that in internet)

At another point you say 11 kilobyte per second on wireless B. That would be a very very low bandwidth number, even for 2002. 88 kilobit internet access would be unusable. Perhaps you meant 11 megabit (wireless b standard) but I doubt you had that at your modems.

If I were a techie traveling on business and didn't care about aviation those issues above would make me steer clear.

Wow. I don't even remember WRITING that page, and you are surely the first person to ever find it! What's funny, is I've since upgraded the hotel's service to Wireless N, so everything on that page is obsolete. (And, as you point out, it was probably wrong from the git-go.)

Nowadays, any mention of that sort of stuff on a webpage is probably a silly waste of effort. Everyone now expects wireless at a hotel, and they expect it to lightning fast. No one gives a rat's-patootie how it works, or why -- but God help me if it STOPS working!

It's funny -- when I first installed wireless, no one even knew what it was. That was just 8 years ago. Now, if the service goes down, I've got guests circling the lobby, lit torches in hand, shouting "Kill the owner!". Internet service has become more important than hot water, in a VERY short period of time!

 

[Jay Honeck]

I think that the kind of motel you are aiming to be is great as a vacation destination. What most other people, including me, have been talking about in this thread are motels where we need to stay because we are forced to be in a particular location for another reason.

Going somewhere on vacation as a tourist is something that is hard for me to wrap my mind around since I pretty much never do it. I travel enough through work and other obligations that I don't think about doing it on my time off.

I've got to say that what you have described would eliminate "travel" as one of the great pleasures of life on this planet -- and that would be very, very sad. There are few things I enjoy more than loading up Atlas (our Pathfinder) with a week's worth of luggage and no particular destination in mind other than "South".

Which, incidentally, is pretty much how we discovered Mustang Island. We were in Austin, TX last year for Spring Break -- a destination selected because the weather looked good that-away -- and the kids were looking for a beach. Someone here on PofA recommended Mustang Island, and the rest is history. Without an almost random travel choice, our entire future would have been quite different!

 

[Jay Honeck]

Using the 2PM late checkout I can finish my business around lunch time, go back to the hotel, change and pick her up for the late afternoon or early evening flight back.

I've got to say, that is one amenity that a big-box motel can offer that we could NEVER offer. Hell, check-IN is 3 PM, so it's impossible to offer a 2 PM check-OUT. We'd never have the suite ready in time.

Of course, they can offer that because they have 100 rooms all exactly the same, they know they aren't going to sell out, and you couldn't care less which of those 100 rooms you're assigned to.

That model doesn't work when each suite is a different era of aviation history, and we've promised you a 1930s-experience in the "Stearman Suite". If I was to blithely substitute (for example) the Blackbird Suite (a 1960s theme, and a totally different experience) because the last dude in the Stearman Suite decided to stay until 2 PM, you wouldn't be the least bit happy!

Of course at this time of year we often run our "Second Night Free" offer that lets you have the second night 100% free (with the purchase of the first night), so then you could conceivably check out any time...

 

[Everskyward]

Nothing personal, but it is this attitude -- multiplied by millions of people -- that has resulted in the lodging (and culinary, and shopping) mediocrity that has befallen the nation. It's becoming harder and harder to find unique, home-grown businesses of ANY kind anymore as the WalMarts, McDonalds and Holiday Inns drive out their smaller competition.

Business travelers and/or the people who book hotels for them don't generally have the time to be researching lodging options in different locations so I'm sure that is a big part of the reason they stay with the chains. Like others have said, your independent hotel may be great but there are others that can be pretty bad. I don't know if you are close to an airport or if you are counting on airport business but it would be a good thing to get on the list at the FBO if you are. We normally ask the FBO to recommend and book the hotel if it's not in a familiar location, or sometimes even if it is.

This is why -- even though I'm politically more akin to the Libertarian Party than any other, and it pains me to admit this -- I support communities that have outlawed chains and franchise businesses of all kinds. (Santa Barbara, CA; Door County, WI; Mackinac Island, MI; etc.) It seems to be the only way left to ensure the survival of cool, unique, non-cookie-cutter businesses like mine, and it results in some of the coolest cities/counties in America.

Psst... I don't know about the other locations you mentioned but Santa Barbara, CA has a Holiday Inn Express.

 

[Jay Honeck]

As far as Jay's new place - I would highly recommend some budget dollars going toward a professional web design. The Alexis Park Inn site is a GREAT start, but if you're going to be in a 'destination' location, a solid professional-looking web presence could make a ton of difference in online vacation research crowd. The 'frontpage' says to me 'Well, they're trying, but not *quite* there yet'... Just my $.02. Worth every penny you paid for it.

We're on the same wavelength, Chris. I wrote the original webpage in FrontPage 2002 (which was, of course, brand new, back in '02 when we bought the Alexis Park Inn), but that software is now sorely out of date.

I've been tinkering around with new software for the new Harbor Inn (eventually to become Amelia's Landing) website. You can see the first VERY rudimentary pages by clicking the link in my signature line, below. It promises to allow for many more modern niceties like Flash, etc.

 

[Jay Honeck]

Psst... I don't know about the other locations you mentioned but Santa Barbara, CA has a Holiday Inn Express.

Interesting. I was going off of what a good friend has told me about his mother's hometown, which I *thought* he said was Santa Barbara. I am obviously mistaken -- it must be another "Santa" something-or-other city in California.

Door County (Wisconsin's "thumb" that sticks out into Lake Michigan) and Mackinac Island, on the other hand, I know from personal experience. In fact, the delivered-to-the-suite breakfast we offer at our hotel was modeled after a similar service offered by a marvelous (non-chain) hotel in Door County called the White Gull Inn. You won't find a chain motel on the Door peninsula, nor will you find an Applebees. It's like a breath of fresh air, every time we visit.

 

[Everskyward]

Interesting. I was going off of what a good friend has told me about his mother's hometown, which I *thought* he said was Santa Barbara. I am obviously mistaken -- it must be another "Santa" something-or-other city in California.

Lots of "Santas" in CA.

I was just suspicious because Santa Barbara is a pretty large town and I couldn't imagine it having no chain motels. That said, the couple times I've stayed there have been in non-chains, as I recall.

Door County (Wisconsin's "thumb" that sticks out into Lake Michigan) and Mackinac Island, on the other hand, I know from personal experience. In fact, the delivered-to-the-suite breakfast we offer at our hotel was modeled after a marvelous (non-chain) hotel in Door County called the White Gull Inn. You won't find a chain motel on the Door peninsula, nor will you find an Applebees. It's like a breath of fresh air, every time we visit.

I've never been to Door County, WI but I've been to Mackinac Island, MI so I know what you mean. It is a cool place.