Hotel thoughts

[eliza61]

Yes, but the OP has traveled with the friend before and has run into this same issue. She should have anticipated it. If she values the company of this friend more than the choice of hotel, she will go along with what the friend wants. If the issue is extremely important to the OP, she should find another traveling companion.

And you know Marionnette, there is really nothing wrong with that. I have one friend who I simply can't travel with. She is seriously into healthy eating so she tends to drive me and my other girlfriends crazy.
We went to cheesecake factory one time for lunch and every time some one ordered some thing she said "you know how much fat is in that?" You know how much salt is in that"?

So now when or if she goes on "girlie" trips we get seperate rooms and we warn her waaaaay ahead of time that we are not about to eat every meal while she plays food police.

Not every one makes good travel companions. I've got a few friends who in no way would I take to disney world with me.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

A place with a good breakfast AT the hotel is a huge plus if we're using it as a home base for something like Disney.

Otherwise, clean, safe, and good location are it. More upscale accommodations doesn't mean anything to me outside of a romantic getaway with my wife.

 

[sksjasams]

I have had this issue before. She won't let me pay the difference. I suggested that instead of the $94 La Quinta, we splurge on the $130 Sheraton (plus parking and breakfast) and she said, "But La Quinta IS a splurge!"

I am already surprising her by paying for the Fantasmic Dessert seating and possibly Blue Bayou.

How are the reiviews for the La Quinta? That seems like a good compromise actually.

 

[GracieB]

There are no motels cheaper than what I have found, except for a few very seedy, ghetto type places. Even Motel 6, where I stayed in Oct, is not much less due to Easter. Motel 6 has no breakfast.

I warned her about high season prices! Some of the motels closest to the gate are charging $200+, double normal rate!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I wouldn't go with that person because that is a sign they'd be complaining about the price of food in the parks and wouldn't want to souvenier shop because things are too expensive. All you'd hear is complain, complain, complain.

One of my sisters said she wants to stay with me the next time I go to Disneyland but she is someone who doesn't want to spend money, won't do table service and complains about the cost of everything so I've not gone back to Disneyland yet. I haven't decided how I'll be handling this one yet so I've been avoiding it.

 

[pryncess527]

One of my biggest pet peeves is traveling with someone who has different financial expectations of the trip. Honestly, I don't do it anymore, it takes too much of the fun out of it for me, I just find other ways to spend time with those friends.

The only viable solution in those situations seems to be to bend to the party that wants to spend the least. Offering to pick up the tab works sometimes, but more often than not, the friend does not want to feel like a charity case by allowing someone else to pick up their slack.

So honestly, I'd either suck it up and stay at the La Quinta or stop traveling with this particular friend and do something else with her instead.

 

[MomToOne]

I wouldn't go with that person because that is a sign they'd be complaining about the price of food in the parks and wouldn't want to souvenier shop because things are too expensive. All you'd hear is complain, complain, complain.

I don't think you can infer one thing from the other.

This can be about one person VALUING something differently than the other. Not that one person is cheap or unwilling to spend money on other things.

My sister and I have different opinions just like this on hotels. To me, they are a bed and bath, a place to sleep, and not much more. I'm not hugely impressed by fancier surroundings, etc. If the place is safe, clean and not run down, then I'm usually good with it. While I can afford to pay for more expensive hotels, I don't VALUE them, so I generally won't pay for them. I'm like the OPs friend -$100 seems like more than enough for a place to put my head for a night. (And parking fees drive me bonkers too.)

My sister, on the other hand, values things differently. If she's not in a Suite, with Club Level access, she's not happy. She values those things much more than I do. So she pays for them when she travels.

But when it comes to the parks, we flip roles...I value Disney more, so I will pay for a week of park tickets, overpriced food and souveniers with no qualms. She, on the other hand, will only go for a day or two (and then just to spend time with my DD), and won't buy a thing because she doesn't like it. She doesn't value Disney at all. She's usually complaining to leave the parks after we've been there for an hour or two.

[At Disneyland, we usually stay at the Holiday Inn Anahiem Resort. I can usually get them for around $100 a night (there is often a get 4 nights for the price of 3 deal). It is a good hotel, with free parking, a nice pool and even a hottub. No free breakfast, but they do have a fridge in the room, so we just bring breakfast stuff with us and eat in the room. While its not in walking distance, there is an ART stop there at the hotel that is essentially dedicated to the Holiday Inn and it only takes a few minutes to get to the park. I'm sure they are priced higher for Easter week - but I'd never go then. I don't value Disney enough to put up with that chaos or the prices. ]

 

[kerplop]

I'm honestly with your friend on this, minus the breakfast thing. All I want is a comfy bed and a nice shower and I'm happy. I also like a clean room, obviously, but I don't need to pay $150 a night or more for all that. I also don't like to swim, work out, etc. when I'm going to Disneyland or WDW or anything like that. I spend my time at the park and then sleeping, that's it.

 

[GracieB]

Eliza, we will be there for 4 nights. I share your attitude about breakfast and travel! I prefer to pay for the breakfast of my choice rather than hope for a decent free one. I am not rich, I do love travel, but my experiences need to be pleasant. After paying for air, $260 for park admission, car rental, etc, I find that cheaping out on lodgings to save a small amount is pennywise and pound foolish.

I work hard and deserve a treat on vacation.

 

[3Gsandme]

Do you feel a hotel is "just a place to sleep"? I am traveling to Disneyland with an old friend, and she is balking at paying for anything higher than $90 a night! Her theory is, we are just going to sleep there, so the full-service, nice grounds, better bedding, higher end surroundings, lounge, etc., do not matter anyway. I disagree! She also thinks it is crazy that the Hilton, Marriott, etc., charge a parking fee, whereas the cheap motels don't. Her other contention is the free continental breakfast, which she feels is a "must have", along with free parking. I don't feel it an issue. Most free breakfasts are not that great anyway, with the exception of Embassy Suites, so what is the big deal? We could always grab Denny's or IHOP, or something from La Brea when we get to the parks. So my question is, if you were traveling with someone who wanted to stay in a $60 Motel 6, and your taste runs more to Hilton, Marriott, Embassy Suites--how do you compromise? Thanks for any thoughts!

I am a hotel snob and there's no way is stay in a motel 6 unless I was totally beyond desperate.

I prefer mainline Mariott's, but do still like places like Hampton Inn's and Holiday Inn Express. A decent hotel is non-negotiable for me. I won't even stay in a La Quinta. Their beds are awful.

 

[bumbershoot]

His question is one that should be in the dlr forum because the hotels around there can be different from the rest of the chains. The motel 6 right near dlr (walking distance) is actually quite a good one not was th first in the country to get the redo when they changed to a pseudo European style (aka ikea lol). I don't recall ever hearing a bad thing about it.

Alas I haven't stayed there. Had a reservation and then I pricelined and got the Hilton convention center and to it for the same rate as the motel 6 rate I had.

So far I think my fave offsite hotel at Dlr is actually the ramada plaza. (Not maingate, that's a different ramada with different management). It's not as cheap but it's not awful either.

 

[GracieB]

The Disneyland Motel 6 is a decent value for $80. I stayed there in Oct. But, no breakfast. And the bath area has no door!

 

[djbleach]

I'd suggest Priceline. Put in the dates. On the first page you will see hotels and their strar rating plus price. On the express deals (sometimes they have a 5%discount code) Book with confidence on 2.5 star and above. As long as you stay above 2 star, we've always had great results.
This way you don't have to bid. You'll get a decent rate and both will be happy. I use Priceline whenever I can. Just got back from Palm Beach, FL. Comfort Suites $90 and the hotel was booked slam full from Bike Week and spring break. (It will also let you know what hotels are usually in the star rating. We sometimes get Courtyard by Marriot, which I think is a nice stay. The Sheratons we've gotten have had the best bedding!!!!
So yes, It is just a place to lay your head, but I don't like feeling like bedbugs etc are laying with me. (i know, i know, it can happen in the best hotels, but you get what I'm saying

 

[Sagginit]

One of my biggest pet peeves is traveling with someone who has different financial expectations of the trip. Honestly, I don't do it anymore, it takes too much of the fun out of it for me, I just find other ways to spend time with those friends.

The only viable solution in those situations seems to be to bend to the party that wants to spend the least. Offering to pick up the tab works sometimes, but more often than not, the friend does not want to feel like a charity case by allowing someone else to pick up their slack.

So honestly, I'd either suck it up and stay at the La Quinta or stop traveling with this particular friend and do something else with her instead.

i have a friend i don't travel with for this reason and one i do travel with for this reason. i would suck it up for this trip and stay at a clean, safe place that is lowered price and stop travelling with her.

 

[dduckfan1]

Best Western Stovalls is cheap, clean and has a free breakfast. You could get it for 90/nt, we paid something like 70/nt 2 years ago.

I stayed at Stovall's a few years ago and it was a nice basic motel but it was clean and I didn't feel like I was in a sketchy place either. It is a bit of a walk to the parks but check to see if they still offer a shuttle. They didn't charge for parking and they a small but nice continental breakfast.

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

Try being married to that person (which would be me in my marriage!).

It does need to be a compromise. Find your absolute must haves (for me it is a soft bed for more than a night) and find a hotel that compliments both of your must haves.

I also don't know that I would buy the dessert and BB for your friend. I would be a little insulted. I don't do the Fantasmic dessert because I think it is a ripoff. I have the money, I simply refuse to pay for certain things. It is all about priorities.

 

[njmom47]

We too are Hampton Inn lovers.

Have you checked for any type of discounts? (AARP, AAA, through an employer, etc?)

We went to visit a college, mentioned that when we arrived at the hotel, and they credited us $30!