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Cheap Hotels

Monday, August 24th, 2009
Best Western Logo
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Although some vacations are meant to be extravagant and expensive, such as a honeymoon or trip across the world, other getaways are intended to be affordable in order to not break the bank. The way to accomplish the latter is to find an inexpensive hotel in addition to cheaper options for transportation, attractions, and entertainment. There a number of nationwide chains that offer inexpensive accommodations for travelers, among them Best Western, Days Inn, and La Quinta. Cheaper hotels maintain their relatively low price tag by making slight adjustments and cuts wherever possible. This is not to suggest that cheap hotels are necessarily of a lower caliber, but simply that they are situated or minimally adjusted to provide the best prices possible.

Something as simple as a somewhat modified location can substantially reduce the operating cost of a hotel and subsequently offer cheaper prices to consumers. In other words, a hotel situated at the core of a city is considerably more expensive than one located a few miles away from the urban center. This is simply a matter of supply and demand – the land near a major landmark, transportation hub, or commercial center is much more desirable and consequently much more expensive than land located in less heavily populated regions. A practical example is New York City and its surrounding suburbs. Simply put, a hotel in downtown Manhattan will be considerably more pricey than a motel found in nearby New Rochelle. It’s a matter of deciding which is more important – convenience or price.

Generally speaking, cheap hotels need to make financial adjustments extending beyond the realm of physical location. Hotels cannot maintain a balance between low prices and top notch facilities, necessitating cuts in the latter category or increases in the former. Since the primary demographic of motels does not have massive quantities of disposable income, cheap hotels need to eliminate some of their services and more extravagant offerings. In other words, if you’re staying at a cheap hotel, you can expect to pay less than a hundred dollars a night, but don’t anticipate jacuzzis, a concierge, or an Olympic-sized pool. Phrased yet another way, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Some people might argue that the most important part of a hotel is the location and the amenities offered, thus making cheap hotels a flat out unacceptable option. While this might be true for the extraordinarily rich or those unconcerned with finances, otherwise this is just an absurd argument. The chance to save hundreds of dollars over the course of a visit should by no means be sacrificed for a few minutes less driving time. Additionally, the purpose of a vacation is not to remain in the hotel the whole time, it is to enjoy the culture and social life of the area being visited. If anything, a hotel with less than resplendent facilities improves the experience of a vacation, because it encourages you to get out of your hotel room and explore your surroundings. After all, would you rather have a photo album full of pictures of your hotel room or snap shots of the area you paid to visit?

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