If you happen by here at all and read one or two posts, you'll get the gist that I travel a lot for work (at least for now). Some areas I end up going to more than once, and I usually know what hotel I want to stay in and don't want to stay in. Hotels don't mean a whole lot to me. When I'm on the road I'm usually working 12hr days, then I go out to eat, end up at a bar, and go back to the room late to sleep. As long as the bed is more comfortable than my couch, I'm good. I don't have any particular loyalty to a brand, but I'm usually in Priority Club hotels just to collect more points (It's paying for 10 nights in Amsterdam coming up). But sometimes you get a hotel that is just right.. location, room, etc. There's a great Hilton Garden Inn right in Ybor City in Tampa, FL that I'm fond of. A Holiday Inn across from Bayside in Miami, another one in St. Paul that has a great Irish pub attached to it. The ones that have the combo of being in walking distance to good food and bars, and a good bed, give me those warm fuzzies. It's probably a strange thing to feel about a hotel, but when you stay in them for 6 months a year, it's nice to find one that has all the amenities I look for. This week I'm in Michigan, and I'm back at a Crowne Plaza that I've stayed at a few times before. In the past, they had a decent restaurant/bar onsite, and plenty of food/bar options within spitting distance. But I got a woody today when I found out that the No.IV Chophouse (a Matt Prentice Group restaurant) has taken the place of the bar. They now have a very upscale restaurant and bar there. I almost felt out of place in jeans. If you're ever in Novi, stay here, you won't be disappointed.
Badhouse on the Web
http://www.badhouseontheweb.com/article.php?story=20090506215745145