I'm on the road a lot, and finding decent accommodations can be hit or miss if you don't pre-plan. But if you're on a road trip that's not always ideal. I don't want to have to rush to get someplace because I made a reservation at a specific hotel in a specific location. However, that sometimes leaves you stuck with a potential dump. Believe me, I've stayed at plenty of those over the years. The places that smell of mildew, riddled with bugs, moldy bathrooms, where you sleep in your clothes on top of the bed. In some cases, you can't really tell what the interior will look like until you check the room out. I have, on occasion, opted not to stay, so the only alternative is to either drive to another motel or the next town up. Sometimes, though, just looking at the exterior is a major indication of what might be lying in wait for you. Only once or twice have I ever driven around a motel property and promptly left- I value my life. But most of the time I would just wind up staying in a sub-par motel.
If you have a large budget that's no problem (not that the luxury hotels can't have bed bug problems), but if you want a mid-range hotel I find sticking with the La Quintas, Hampton Inns or Holiday Inns the best choice, although I've stayed in a few duds. That's the problem with franchised ventures. But there are some you might want to stay away from, and the Fiscal Times has a list of those.
Based on surveys from Consumer Reports and J.D. Powers and Associates the 10 worst motels in the U.S. are, with photos:
Baymont Inn and Suites
Quality Inn
Clarion
Red Roof Inns
Super 8
Ramada
Days Inn
Motel 6
Econo Lodge
America's Best Value Inn
I've stayed at most of the above, and they most definitely deserve being in the top ten. I would also add Knight's Inn and Travel Lodge. I recall staying at a Travel Lodge in Montreal, Canada, the room was not inexpensive and I was treated to a room that had a bed that was more akin to an army cot with a layer of plastic covering the mattress pad, and the bathroom grout was moldy black.
If you don't care where you stay, by all means choose the above. But I know I stay away from those chains.
