ABC News has named the top five hotels for having an affair, and the No-Tel Motel and Easy 8 are nowhere on the list.
hotels
How To Cook A Meal In Your Hotel Room
By 8.24.09
We’ve never looked at a hotel’s bathroom counter and thought, “I could probably roll out some dough right there.” We’ve also never tried to use an iron for a hot plate, or shoved uncooked spinach into the coffee maker. But now that we’ve watched this proof of concept video from George Egg, we may consider going grocery shopping the next time we’re stuck in a hotel with an overpriced room service menu.
Couchsurfing Can Help You Save Money And Make Friends While Traveling
By 8.11.09
CouchSurfing is an online community of friendly hosts who are ready and eager to throw their convertible couches open to travelers from across the world. The service offers more than a free place to crash; it connects travelers with like-minded people who are excited to share their enthusiasm for their hometown. But aren’t you going to be immediately robbed and stabbed by the opportunistic lechers lurking on the internet, you ask?
Ramada Overcharges Guy, Won't Give Full Refund
By 7.30.09
Every time you leave your credit card info at a hotel front desk, it’s natural to worry you’ll be overcharged. Tony’s fear came true, since his card was charged even after his girlfriend paid for the room. And he’s been tangling with Ramada over a hotel stay in which he was double-charged for a stay.
Marriott Is Nice To You When Jerks Charge Food To Your Room
By 7.28.09
Reader Stephen writes in to let us know that the Marriott Residence Inn in Boulder, CO was nice to him when some random jerks charged food to his room.
Complaining Via Twitter Works When Comfort Inn Won't Listen
By 7.20.09
Kristy and her husband were dissatisfied with their recent Comfort Inn stay while on vacation in southern Utah. The hotel manager resolved their cleanliness concerns, but then threatened to revoke their discount if they complained to corporate. Kristy tried to get her message across to the people in charge through the usual channels, and it seemed that nobody wanted to listen, Finally, she posted about the situation on Twitter and got the resolution she was looking for.
Thrift Lodge: Come For The Bed, Stay For The Hypodermic Needles!
By 7.13.09
Xmitter was checking his Thrift Lodge bed for bed bugs when he discovered a bag filled with hypodermic needles. The clerk on duty refused to offer either an apology or a refund, and explained that “you can even find needles [in] 5 star hotels.” When told that this was an inappropriate response, the clerk asked: “Is this a test?”
Surprise! Fees And Taxes Are More Than The Cost Of The Hotel Room!
By 6.26.09
Over at Elliott.org a reader has sent in a screenshot from a recent attempt to book a discounted hotel room in Venice. The price was supposed to be $375 a night marked down from $537. It seemed like a good deal until he saw the taxes and fees…
Simmons Fluffs Hotel Mattress Price By $500
By 6.9.09
UPDATE: Simmons contacted Charles today, and the situation has been settled. As some commenters here guessed, the confusion came from the sales rep misreading the number 3 for an 8 on the computer screen. Everyone can rest easy tonight, even if it’s not on a fluffy mattress.
By 6.5.09
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The next time you’re looking at hotels online, try www.biddingfortravel.com and www.betterbidding.com. Our readers recommend both sites for helping you figure out which hotels you’re being offered on Priceline or Hotwire. (Thanks to bohemian and picantel!)
Cash4Gold Goes On Tour – Consumerist Waits For The Live Album
By 6.4.09
Load up the VW bus and all of your valuables, everyone! Cash4Gold is on tour! Yes, they hold in-person gold-buying events in hotels—Sean ran across this one in Tyson’s Corner/Falls Church, Virginia. In case you trust them enough to give you a fair price on your jewelry, but not enough to send that jewelry through the mail.
Ways To Keep Mickey's Damn Dirty Hands Off Your Wallet At Disney World
By 5.11.09
Writing in the USA Weekend Sunday newspaper supplement, travel columnist Everett Potter provides some tips on how to save money on a vacation to Disney World.
Your Reservation At This 4 Star Hotel? It's Now At A Motel Down The Street.
By 4.21.09
Travel guru Christopher Elliott has 5 tips for avoiding what he calls the “newest hotel scam.” It’s called “walking,” and it’s the hotel version of being bumped to another flight due to overbooking. What’s the scam? Well, travelers used to be offered a “comparable” hotel if theirs was overbooked — but lately, hotels have been trying to save a few bucks by booking guests in inferior hotels — and keeping the difference.
Nighttime Itching? Bed Bug Infestations Up 500% Worldwide
By 4.20.09
Call it the Twilight phenomenon. The EPA held its first ever “bed bug summit” last week, to discuss the rise in infestations of the tiny nocturnal bloodsuckers. There was talk of more ‘bed bug task forces’ in big cities, possible federal research into new technology such as steaming or freezing the bugs, and lots of icky close-ups of parasites.
In Other Magical Lands Hotels Charge You The Price They Quote
By 4.9.09
Christopher Elliott, travel guru, has got to be a liar. In his latest blog entry he posts a story from an American who stayed in a hotel in Vienna... and was charged the room rate times the number of days he stayed. Can this magical hotel really exist?
Get A Cheap Hotel When The Airlines Fudges Up
By 3.17.09
If airlines are hooking up passengers with deals on local hotels (due to crazy weather, canceled flights, mechanical difficulties, etc), 888-895-2320 is the number to call to get a rate on a discounted hotel room. The number won’t work if the airlines haven’t notified the hotels in the area that they’re sending over passengers. “Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn…” (Photo: and parsecs to go)
Baymont Inn Doubles Their Prices, Tries To Charge You $2,000 After You Refuse
By 3.8.09
The Baymont Inn in Salt Lake City quoted Ryan a price of $739 for his stay, but when he arrived, the hotel manager claimed the rate was $1,400. The manager refused to lower the price, even after a desk clerk verified that Ryan had been offered the $739 rate. The manager finally relented after telling Ryan that the hotel would recoup the loss by taking the difference out of the clerk’s salary. Two days after Ryan checked out, he discovered that the manager had tried to charge over $2,000 to his credit card.
