Residence Inn Las Vegas

If you are looking for a convenient and reasonably priced hotel in Las Vegas the Residence Inn may be the place for you.

Conveniently located across from the Las Vegas convention center and a Las Vegas monorail stop it gives you plenty of flexibility.

The rooms at this property are set in a villa style and every room comes with a kitchen which is particularly helpful if you are planning a long stay and want to save on meals.

There is a free breakfast every morning with both hot and cold food options as well as fruit and yogurt.

One big plus for me is that I didn't have to deal with walking through a smoke filled casino or listen to the incessant ringing noise from slot machines that pervades most hotels in Vegas which makes this family friendly as well.

If there are any drawbacks to this hotel it is the location off the strip and far away from restaurants and shopping though that can be solved with a quick monorail or cab ride. The other negative in my opinion is the lack of wireless internet access. Each room has wired access that I couldn't make work so I resorted to using my Verizon card which is far slower than wi-fi.

On my next trip to Vegas I hope to revisit this hotel.

La Quinta Inn Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport North

I spent five days in this property which is located about 6 miles from the airport. There is nothing special about this particular LaQuinta. The rooms although they were non-smoking reeked of something upon check-in and was mostly offset by running the a/c constantly.

There was the standard free breakfast consisting of a variety of food. The muffins were individually wrapped Otis Spunkmeyer. They probably bought those from Sam's Club or Costco.

All the rooms face to the outside for the most part though mine was in a corridor of sorts even though there was no secured door for guests.

There was supposed to be wireless internet but I could only get it to work in the lobby and breakfast area and not in my room. I did report it but it was never resolved so I used my Verizon card for internet access.

The only redeeming quality of this property if you can call it that was that it was cheap. I paid about $50 a night including taxes so I figured it wasn't worth complaining about the smell or internet. Plus it is conveniently located just a few blocks from a shopping center that has a Target and some casual dining establishments.

My next trip to the Phoenix area will not include this property as a possibility.

Minneapolis Marriott City Center

I was in Minneapolis for a couple of days before the 2008 Republican National Convention and wound up at this great property. The meeting I was attending was at the Radisson across the street but for less money. As a silver elite member they upgraded me to a bigger room and it was very nice. On a corner it had two window lines a couch, easy chair and work table with what I estimate was a 32" flat screen television.

Convenient to dining and shopping this property is a great choice when in Minneapolis though the neighborhood is one that I would avoid walking alone in after dark.

Minneapolis has a light rail that is just a few short blocks away and provides an inexpenisve and convenient way to get to the airport as long as you are traveling during operating hours.

With the rates tripling for the convention I felt that paying $127 a night was a bargain.

La Quinta Inn Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport South

This is one of those properties you should only stay at if you are seeking a cheap place to sleep and for only one night like I did.

I have never been a fan of the motel type setting of many chain hotels and this is no exception. What I mean here is that every room has an entry door to the outside world rather than being in an enclosed facility. The room was stark but I managed to get a decent night's sleep.

The benefits of this property are the price $58.65 plus $7.09 in taxes, a free airport shuttle, free wi-fi and buffet breakfast.

My plane was departing at 5 a.m. which was too early for the shuttle or the breakfast so I needed a $15 cab ride that took 5 minutes.

This property is definitely not a place I would take my family on vacation, but as I said it serves the traveler who needs a cheap place to stay by the airport.

Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa

There is nothing like spending a few days in the Phoenix area in July and this trip was no different than my previous experiences.

The Hilton is located in Mesa, but is a short drive from the airport. It is a very nicely appointed property with an atrium at its core allowing for plenty of natural sunlight.

I can't say that there is anything special about the rooms, but they are clean and comfortable.

The hotel has a restaurant and I did eat there on my last night and was the beneficiary of a two for one special night. My other meals were at the nearby mall and and a local bar-b-que restaurant.

I paid $94 plus another $11.30 in taxes so it was a good but not spectacular deal.

Hotel Icon

A short trip to Houston in June and while the Icon wasn't my first choice it turned out to be a great choice.

I wound up at the hotel because I started searching far too late for a room and all the nearby hotels to the convention center were either sold out or too expensive for my taste.

This is a beautiful property bordering the historic part of Houston. As an old bank building converted to a hotel there are limitations, but the rooms are spacious and you even get a unique window from the bathroom into the bedroom so that you can take a shower or bath and still watch television.

The service by the staff is excellent and if you just need a quick trip downtown the hotel will provide it for free in one of their vehicles which includes a very old fashioned taxicab.

There are plenty of places to eat nearby and is convenient to shopping and other services.

The Hotel Icon will definitely be at the top of my list on my next trip to H-town.

Sheraton Greensboro Four Seasons

This hotel is conveniently located right by I-40 and I-85 and offers a wide variety of amenities. There are 990 guest rooms in this 28 story hotel as well as a convention center making it a great place to hold a meeting.

If you want to shop or eat there is the For Seasons Towne Centre mall next door or you can venture down the road for fast food or casual dining.

Overall I had a pleasant stay but I am sure that I could have found another property nearby for less money that probably would have included breakfast or free wireless internet or both had I spent more time researching my possible choices.

I can't say that I was overly impressed with the condition or appearance of the hotel but it provided a nice comfortable room for the price.

Richmond Marriott

Nestled in downtown Richmond and connected to the Convention Center the Marriott is really the only choice for those doing business in the city. The hotel has nicely appointed rooms and I used room service during the one night I stayed there since I couldn't find any fast food or other decent restaurants in walking distance of the hotel. If you bring a car you will have a choice between valet parking or using one of the city controlled garages nearby.

If you are looking for more places to eat or things to do it would be wise to stay outside the downtown area and drive in.

Country Inns and Suites Lousiville

I wasn't familiar with this chain when I booked my stay so I didn't really know what to expect. This chain is run by Carlson and was a very pleasant surprise overall. The room was spacious and even had a microwave and fridge. There is a complimentary breakfast every day and it offers everything from waffles to breakfast breads to yogurt and cereal. The breakfast room can get crowded when the hotel is booked and if everyone decides to eat at the same time. My biggest gripes were the wireless internet not working at all forcing me to use my slower Verizon broadband card. Also I don't know if the toilet was a low flush variety but it was very balky usually requiring two flushes to actually make anything happen.

As for dining options there are a few within walking distance like the Arby's next door or the Burger King down the street. But the best option is the Cardinal Hall of Fame Cafe across the street. They serve a variety of food and are very family friendly. Plus for the sports fans each booth is equipped with a small television to follow their favorite sporting event.

For the $99 price plus tax, this property is a very good choice for those that need to be near the airport and convention center.

New York Marriott Marquis

This property is located at Times Square in the Big Apple and is worth every penny that I spent on my stay this week. Granted it was only for one night, but it was quite enjoyable. The rate for my stay was $269 plus tax which brought the grand total to $308.

The room was large and comfortable by New York hotel standards and close to shopping, dining and of course Broadway.

One of the more unique facets of the hotel is the elevator system. Guests punch in the floor number they are going to and the system tells them which elevator to get on to reach their destination. The elevators stop at what appeared to be a maximum of five floors and I frequently found myself going directly to my floor.

As for dining I chose TGI Friday's directly across the street and was reminded of the fact that prices in New York are higher than in many parts of the country. My chicken meal ran about $22 which I estimate is about 50% more than what I would have paid in a smaller city.

Rather than fly, I took Amtrak from Washington and with an upgrade to business class had a very nice quiet and productive ride both to and fro.

I hope to return in the near future and plan to make the Marriott Marquis my hotel of choice.