| The surprising answer is yes, they CAN deliver | | | | around the country, probably 90% were for Days Inns, |
| substantial savings on your hotel stays. So few people | | | | Super 8's, Ramadas, etc. These are generally |
| use them, hotels and motels generally feel they can | | | | regarded as budget hotels and their amenities are |
| afford the discounts without severely diluting their | | | | usually skimpy. |
| average room rate. Plus, they can control whether | | | | Also, the reviews for sites offering coupons almost |
| they will even accept them, so there is everything to | | | | always rank at the low end. In my research, I found |
| gain and little to lose. I worked at a quality property that | | | | comments like the following prevalent at the motels |
| offered a coupon for $54, which was a substantial | | | | offering low priced coupons: |
| savings off the $79 walk in rate. This is not to say that | | | | DON'T STAY HERE. This was a dismal property; |
| the consumer has nothing to lose however. Here are a | | | | DON'T STAY Moldings coming off of the floor in the |
| few things to consider that I've learned from | | | | bathroom. Big burn holes in the blankets. The furniture |
| experience. | | | | old and the walls were yellow from smoke;WORST |
| Every coupon I ever saw said something to the effect | | | | HOTEL EVER I've been booking hotel for a long time |
| that they are not valid at certain times, like weekends, | | | | but this was the worst one ever. |
| holidays, high seasons or when the hotel has high | | | | On the plus side, a few upper scale budget hotel |
| occupancy. Unfortunately, only the hotel can determine | | | | chains like Jameson or Baymont or Quality Inns offer |
| when that is and for that reason it is best to CALL the | | | | coupons but they seem expensive because they |
| hotel/motel and ask them if they are honoring the | | | | generally run in the $69- $89 range. When compared |
| coupon. No sense driving seven miles out of your way | | | | to the cheaper rates of $39 or $46, it makes them |
| only to be told the rate is substantially higher. Motels | | | | appear expensive. But if you gravitate toward the |
| know most people won't want to get back into their | | | | lower tier motels anyway, there is no sense paying the |
| car and drive off (especially at night) so they will likely | | | | Super 8 $59 if they accept a coupon for $49. My |
| stay at the higher rate anyway. | | | | advice is to make sure they are honoring coupons by |
| Coupons may say only valid for two people or for one | | | | calling various motels before you drive there and as |
| bed only, so they may not fit your particular needs | | | | always, think about security and quality of other guests. |
| necessarily. | | | | My experience is that lower priced motels tend to |
| It is my experience that as general rule, only the lowest | | | | attract riff-raff, especially monthly guests who treat |
| quality motels offer coupons. Often, the coupon rate is | | | | the motel as a temporary home and have constant |
| not much lower than they offer rooms for anyway, so | | | | parties and where problems seem to constantly pop |
| they are not really losing anything at all. When I | | | | up, many requiring the police to be called. They may |
| researched coupon books on the internet for cities | | | | not be the places you want to take your family to. |