My point is that one can spend a lot more money by ordering over the
Internet
than going directly to the motel.

Hank, you have discovered the reason we (and many lodging establishments) do
NOT use booking agents like "Hotels.com" and "Priceline" or "Travelocity".
Like so many things that seem too good to be true, these companies are just
another rip-off. Each of these glorified booking agents demand up to 30%
of each reservation, which means that you, the consumer, are going to pay
more for those rooms in the long run.

I especially cringe at the commercials that portray "Hotels.com" as some
sort of an organization that goes out and checks each hotel to make sure
that they meet some sort of consumer standards. What a joke! All they
want is money, and they will say anything you want them to say in exchange
for cold, hard cash.

Take my advice -- follow these steps to get the best possible room rates at
any hotel, in any city:

1. Go on-line to the local Convention and Visitor's Bureau for the area you
wish to stay. (Smaller towns may only have Chambers of Commerce)
2. ALL reputable lodging establishments belong to one or both of these
groups.
3. You should be able to find any local hotel's website or phone number at
either of these two sites.
4. Find the LOCAL hotel number -- never call the 800 number.
5. Ask to speak to the owner or manager when you make your reservation. Only
they are authorized to give you the best rate.

Avoid the chain motels at all costs -- they are the biggest rip-off of all.
(See: "Holiday Inn Express" for the most blatant rip-off in the history of
lodging.)

Any hotel with an extra couple of words in front of the chain's name (I.E.:
"Plaza Center Holiday Inn" or "Five Seasons Hilton") is going to take you to
the cleaners worse than a turboprop FBO -- avoid them at all costs. Seek
out the privately -- and locally -- owned hotels. Call the Convention
center and ask the people who answer the phone which hotels are privately
owned AND OPERATED, versus which ones are run remotely by a chain through an
on-site manager. They will know, and this simple difference in management
makes all the difference in the world.

Chain hotels, by definition, must send between 10 and 15% of each booking
back to the chain owner. Now combine this with "Hotels.com" and you are
looking at paying 40% to 45% MORE to stay in an equivalent room at a chain
hotel, as compared with a privately owned hotel. The math is simple, and
it is only the genius of marketing that has blinded the consumer to this
fact.

Finally, aside from the price, you get the coolest stays in privately owned
and operated hotels. We've found some truly unique lodging establishments
by following the procedure I've outlined above.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"