Hi! We just did the drive from Maryland and we stayed at the same place both times....the Super 8 in Dillon, SC, although the first room we got was great and the second was horrible-both in the same hotel! Got a gov't rate of $45 on the way down and $51 the way back (that was a Saturday night)
On our last trip (sept '01), we stayed at the Best Western in Yemassee (where the Sabatier outlet is--we usually pick up a knife each trip!) and even though it was undergoing renovations, it was great.
The previous trip (April '01), we stayed at the Travelodge in Savannah-nothing special, but clean. On the way back, we stayed in Fayetteville and I can't remember where we stayed!
I used an I95 website and created a page of each state's hotels and restaurants from NC to Georgia, removing chains we'd never heard of. This was so that we'd have food we'd eat nearby, but we bought a refrigerated cooler and never ate near the hotel, opting instead to give the boys yogurts and we ate fruit.
Good luck!
Suzanne