For my second stay in a Summer Getaway to Lake Tahoe, I had picked the Rodeway Inn South Lake Tahoe, a Choice Hotel, as part of my research into the Battle of the Budget Chains. After the bad experience at the nearby Howard Johnson South Lake Tahoe by Wyndham, I braced myself for another bad night […]
United Airlines just introduced a no-frills “Basic Economy” fare – and it’s not something to look forward to. The fare class is stripped of of what few perks are left in Economy class on American carriers and it’s not even sure that you’ll actually going to pay less for it. It continues the race to
Rodeway Inn is a budget brand of Choice Hotels with over 500 properties in the US and Canada. They are mostly smaller motels outside the big cities and focus on the basics for a stay on a budget! Find out who they are and what experience you can expect at a Rodeway Inn! Who are
As part of my tour to research US budget hotel chains, I picked the Howard Johnson South Lake Tahoe for a summer getaway from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe. It’s in a good location, just steps from Lake Tahoe’s beach, but that’s were the good news ends. The rest of the Howard Johnson reminds me
On a recent trip through California, I needed a hotel in Woodland, near the capital Sacramento. As part of my “Battle of the Budget Hotels” research, I picked the Quality Inn & Suites. At a much lower price than the local Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn, I had low expectations. Yet, it turned out
The Philippine Tourism Office summarized Filipino history as “300 years in a convent and 50 years in Hollywood”. That American history and the close ties to the modern US has instilled a love of burgers in Filipinos as in no other country in Asia. And they are better in Manila than anywhere else in the
Howard Johnson’s, lovingly called HoJo’s, is one of the many Wyndham Worldwide hotel brands. It has a rather turbulent history, leaving it with almost 400 hotels in North & Latin America, Europe and Asia, ranging from old roadside motels in the US to upscale, full-service hotels in Asia. That turbulent history makes HoJo’s one of
I have previously reviewed Tripadvisor, one of my go-to internet sites to find hotel reviews – and I have pointed out its pros and cons. But Tripadvisor has moved beyond its roots and now also provides a meta-search function to find hotel prices from different booking sites around the web. Most recently, it started to
The Novotel Araneta in Manila is a brand-new, upscale Accor Group hotel a little away from the main business and tourist areas. Thanks to another Accor Promotion, I was only two stays away from reaching Accor LeClub Platinum status and its many perks, so we planned a weekend staycation – and were pleasantly surprised what
Allegiant Air, a low-cost carrier in the US, has a history of questionable safety policies and frequent safety incidents, yet the FAA has not taken any action and the carrier maintains an ok 5-out-of 7 safety rating. Yet the Tampa Bay Times published did in-depth research of air safety incidents in the US and came
On my recent trip “Bali on a Budget” I was looking for an affordable hotel under $50/night in Ubud that is a reflection of the town: a small, independent guest house near the center of town, with typical Bali decor, friendly service and modern amenities. Based on online and a site inspection, I picked the
In my introduction to Bali – an island that fulfills many dreams – I pointed out that you can enjoy all that Bali has to offer at any budget. You will find anything from hostels for a few dollars to private pool villas with butlers for hundreds of dollars per night. At any price point,