I just got back from a brief road trip to Laughlin, Nevada. I had received two comped nights at one of the local hotels over there, the Aquarius. I'm sure many of you know of it. I just couldn't resist going since I hadn't been back there for quite a few years .. plus, IT'S REALLY CHEAP!
With so little time, I thought it would be a good idea to break up my drive and get myself a hotel somewhere along the route the night before DAY 1, somewhere in the Mojave Desert along Interstate 15. I figured I may as well take advantage of the Choice BRG and work it into this trip somehow. Besides, the older I get, the more I dread really long drives! Nowadays, anything over a few hours of continuous driving I consider long.
For lodging, I knew of only two options for me if I was to claim a Choice property: the city of Victorville, California or nearby Barstow. Well, Barstow lost this one! So I arrive at the Econo Lodge on Mariposa Road in the city of Hesperia, CA. Of course, this is the first of several free rooms I acquired from Choice Hotels.
I enter the hotel lobby where I encounter the clerk who I assume will check me in. I get that nervous feeling I used to get back in the day when I'd check in to a Days Inn or a Ramada. I always hated it when I'd meet with resistance from a manager who would give me grief over my comped night! This time, I didn't get any resistance, but just as I suspected, the clerk reviews my reservation on his computer screen looking completely bewildered. "Some beautiful weather we had today", I said. "Oh, really?", he barely mumbled. His response to my comment confirmed it - my $0-rate was all his mind could focus on at that moment! "It's a free night", I said. "Oh nice!" .. and from then on, everything went very smoothly. He asked for my I.D. but absolutely NO credit card was requested, not even for incidentals! I knew I was in the clear at that point. I love it when they don't ask for a credit card!
My room was very comfortable (best night's sleep in a long time) and very clean with 2 double beds, an alarm clock, microwave and fridge - a typical budget hotel. This is how my room looked upon arrival (you wouldn't want to have seen it the way I left it!):
There wasn't much selection for the continental breakfast, but I did grab the biggest freakin' chocolate chip muffin I'd ever eaten at a hotel, nearly as big as the plate! At check-out I was tempted to snatch a second one, but refrained.
Additionally, I had 99 channels of cable TV, good A/C and heating unit (couldn't decide which to use as the weather was 70 degrees in the day and 30 at night). Also, I love an A/C that doesn't cycle on and off! Everything fit the bill! No pool though :(
Overall, thumbs up Econo Lodge Hesperia! I wish I would've gotten the Comfort Suites just down the street, but Econo Lodge did me just fine! I do recommend them if you need a place to crash in the California desert on your way to gambling. I was wanting to post this hotel as a Choice BRG opportunity, but now I see that this opportunity is long gone!! .. which brings me to what I wanted to speak about next:
Okay, so I'm really bummed about the rumors that Choice is now offering their advance purchase (non-refundable) rate if the lower rate we find doesn't beat it. On my next Choice booking, I plan to test this rumor out for myself and see what kind of response I receive from Choice. I'm really not at all surprised, just disappointed, that they'd tighten the rules to make successful claims more difficult. I was even wondering if this was their plan all along .. to make it easy at first (to gain our attention) and clamp down awhile later. I tend to be overly suspicious. But whatever happens, I'm comforted by the fact that we have the Expedia Best Price Guarantee to fall back on, and many others as well, though others aren't quite as superior. The Choice BRG is still very good, but this just means more work (searching) for you and me if this change is real. And that I intend to do.
Another thought: Choice states that we can have only one free night per every 30 days per each name on a reservation. I wonder if the same goes for the address? If not, I may try using my middle name for a second free stay. I plan to test the waters out a bit, proceeding with caution of course! I want to push it a little, and why not, what do I have to lose?
