How do you see your hotel room?

[aprilgail]

At Disney have to stay on property at least at a moderate level resort. Other vacations it has to be a nice hotel or resort- we tend to stay with the Marriott brand since we are gold members (due to 60 nights in different Marriotts across the US on our road trip 2 years ago- we get concierge service and upgrades- free breakfasts, free apps and salads and drinks in the evening (we can make a dinner out of those!)- nd the rooms are nice. In Nashville we stayed at this Gaylord Opryland Resort which was really really nice- we spent more time in there than sightseeing!

 

[nkereina]

I agree with PP that it's less about the room amenities and more about the hotel/resort amenities as a whole. I inevitably use the hotel amenities - be it parking, dining options, etc. - so it becomes a part of the whole vacation experience. I wouldn't want a poor hotel experience to sour the rest of my vacation.

 

[cluvsdisney]

To me, it is more than a bed and a shower....
I need a good amount of down-time, so a clean, pleasant, comfortable, room is important.
We don't book the biggest, nicest, rooms. But, the hotel/resort has to be nice!

This is how I feel about hotels/resorts. We spend time at the resort and would like it to have some nice amenities and dining/drinking options.

 

[Julylady]

A long time ago, someone told me that she did not stay anywhere that was not as nice as her own house. I adopted that philosophy. I am a pretty laid back traveler and the resort is always an important part of the package. I also like a lot of space, so look for resorts with suites or condo type units. I don't like staying in a regular hotel room unless I am traveling alone.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

Count me as one that doesn't care too much about the room. I want it to be safe and clean, but in reality, I am in my room maybe 3 or 4 waking hours. When I go on vacation I am there to experience the locale, not sit in a room. Hiking, beaching, swimming, dining, shopping, sight seeing - those are what is important to me. So I save a bit on my room to spend more on my experience.

We are leaving tonight for a 7 night stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. I got a killer deal on it ($575 for the week!), It is a one bedroom suite so dd can sleep while we have some adult conversation, has a kitchen to store easy meals and snacks, and has an amazing pool area. Our days will be spent at WDW, the beach, possibly Legoland, and hopefully a day trip to one of the natural springs. It boggles my mind when people go on vacation to sit in a hotel room. I can do that at home!

 

[MIGrandma]

It depends on different things.

If we're traveling and stopping about 6 or 7 p.m. just to have dinner and make it an early night so we can get up early and get on our way again then all we need is a basic room with a bed. We don't care much about the amenities or view, etc.

But, if we're going to a resort and plan to spend some time in the room we want a suite with a living room, and definitely a balcony if there is a nice view.

At WDW we generally stay at Port Orleans Riverside. We don't spend a lot of time in the room, but we enjoy the landscaping.

When we vacation in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area we like a cabin, and if we are in Florida for a couple weeks or more we like a condo. More room to spread out, washer/dryer, etc.

On a cruise of 3-4 days we don't mind an inside stateroom, but a week or more and a balcony is a must. Love having room service breakfast on the balcony, and I like to spend an hour or two on it every afternoon reading, and we like spending some time out there together at night watching the stars and talking about our day before we go to sleep.

 

[BrianL]

I am more of a bed and shower type of traveler, so it doesn't matter too much to me. I go for convenience though, so the location can have an impact and I will pay a little more for that better location. At Disney that tends to mean POP Century because, even as a value, it has such a great, central location that beats pretty much all of moderates. Deluxe is just more than I want to pay, but I do dream of staying at the Contemporary.

 

[rastahomie]

It's a place to sleep and shower, nothing more. Of course, I expect it to be clean and inviting, but I care naught about concierge service or any of that jazz.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

So I've been lurking around the boards for a while now, and something that I find very interesting, is how different people see/use their hotel room on a vacation. Some people see it as a place to sleep, shower, and store their stuff and are happy with the cheapest option, but for others, the room is part of the whole vacation experience and worth spending a little more on. What is it to you?

I got interested to hear more people's persepectives, so I thought I'd open it up for discussion

For me personally, the room is definitely part of the experience on any vacation. Its more than just a place to sleep and shower, its where I can decompress after a long day and watch a movie or read a book, and where I can escape to for a rest and some quiet in the middle of the day. I've always been fascinated with interior design and living spaces, so the place I get to call home for the trip is part of the fun to me

With my eyes.....

 

[elaine amj]

It's just a place to sleep to me. I've stayed in fancy hotels and stayed in threadbare motels. Sometimes I will pay extra if there are certain amenities or whatever I want - but it all depends on price. Simple and basic works for me - fancy is nice if it doesn't cost too much extra.

My typical vacations at WDW is at a Value. My last trip was our first time upgrading - we stayed in a 2 bedroom at Saratoga Springs. It was really nice - lovely to have the extra space, the more deluxe features, the jaccuzzi tub, the beautiful grounds, etc etc. But we upgraded primarily due to our party size and because I got a really good price. Afterwards, we moved to All Star Music for our final night and it was just fine.

Price is my primary driver.

 

[diznygirl]

I'm with the others that say It Depends.

At Disney I don't need much room and just want to be safe and comfortable for a few nights. For spring break it's about the resort amenities like pool/spa and having space to spread out in the room to read, relax, eat and play games. On other trips to visit family it's just about the room and having the perk of the maybe having laundry facilities.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Depends on the actual vacation. For instance while it may not be the cheapest option (though usually fairly inexpensive) we prefer Hamptons/Hiltons. We're not people that tend to use the hotel amenities all that much (though I love getting the free coffee and USA Today at Hamptons lol, as well as places that do allow printing for free) but we want safety, reasonable price, location is usually important, etc. Sometimes we have used the pools at hotels but it's not a deal breaker. If we're vacationing with family (usually my in-laws) then at times we'll need to be more attentive to room set ups-meaning depending on the vacation we may choose a for rent by owner place rather than a hotel room (where we may need to do 2 rooms, etc).


For Disney this trip we just got back on was the first one on Disney property. We had no issues whatsoever with All-Star Sports other than since our room was sooooo close to the main building we did hear service vehicles move around and could hear the beep beep beep when they were backing up (that could be considered a down side to booking Preferred). It was just the two of us. We also never used the bus transportation Disney offered (we used the ferry for MK and the monorail for MK and Epcot) and drove everyday. We didn't have an aversion to the bus we just found it was more convenient for our plans (we were doing park hopping as well). In general I'm not one to pick apart the room and be like "omg there's a scratch on this table and the carpet looks worn I'm never staying at a value again" which I have seen been said on the Boards.

So in a nutshell--it depends on the vacation and the variables of that vacation.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

Like others have said, it depends on the vacation/destination. We have been to WDW 5 times and it was always a value hotel. We are out at 7 a.m and return late at night from the parks. At Hawaii, however, we stayed ocean front in Waikiki beach because those sunrises/sunsets and ocean views from our balcony are what made the vacation.

 

[Realfoodfans]

Like many PP's it depends on the type of trip but generally I want a really nice room and bathroom where I can enjoy a rest or a drink or some TV. If it's a sunbathing beach type holiday I must be able to see the ocean - preferably with a balcony or patio.
If I'm travelling I'm happy for it to be an overnight stop in a basic accommodation as long as it's really clean.

 

[Meriweather]

We spend a lot of time in our room, especially ar Disney. We go for long times and often enough that we love quiet time in the room or the lobby.
We are not commando tourers anymore, so take it slow with breaks.
Other vacations we have evenings, so do like a clean nicer room to go to.

 

[rer1972]

I used to be all about spending as much time as possible in the parks and on/in attractions. Now we (family) enjoy soaking in all the little things about WDW. So enjoying the resort/room is part of that (part of why I bought DVC). Some of my most enjoyable times aren't even in the park; such as in Wilderness Lodge sitting around the upstairs fireplace with my parents on a rare cold December with some Hot Chocolate. Just spending time with them and people watching. Enjoying the boat ride to and from the Magic Kingdom while chatting with passengers or CMs. Watching the animals from an AKL room with my wife and daughters during a thunderstorm (the girls loved it).

Don't get me wrong, the parks and attractions are still #1 during the visit; but now we like to enjoy so many other things about WDW.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Where I stay on vacation is very important to me. I want it to be a bit luxurious.

This year when we did DC we stayed at the Wyndham in a one bedroom suite. When we did Punta Cana it was one of the nicer resorts and we did a family suite. We aren't overly fancy but I like some nice things.

When at Disney the pool is VERY important. Pool slide, nice pool bar, etc. So we haven't done a value.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

There are 2 types of trips for me. 1) When I travel to a big city to explore. For these types of trips, it's all about location, location, location. I like being able to walk out the hotel lobby and walk to where I want to go. I don't mind paying more for that convenience. 2) When I go to the beach, I prefer the room to be a little more luxurious since I'll be spending more time there.

 

[Micca]

At WDW resorts are a big part of the attraction, we're DVC members so it's "deluxe" level for our trips. For other trips we're unlikely to spend much money for a room--Hilton, Marriott, whatever is fine.

 

[kmb584]

Our hotel room is really a part of our vacation for us. I know a lot of people who will opt for the cheapest option as it's just a room where they'll be sleeping, but I can't relax or sleep if I'm not comfortable in a room, and I wouldn't be comfortable in a cramped, worn, dirty room. I like to have space and to have enough room for everyone to have their own. I don't like worrying about who is going to shower first, second, third. So, I splurge. When we go to WDW I book a 2 bedroom villa, usually at BLT, but we've stayed at other Disney and non-Disney resorts too. When we go elsewhere I book a suite.