Favorite Hotel and Airline

[Ballah06]

Ok, so since i travel quite a bit for work i m always either flying to the work destination or driving a rental car there. Either way i stay in hotel at the work destination. For those of you guys who travel as well, any specific airlines, car rental companies or hotel chains you prefer and why? I mostly stick with Enterprise/Hertz or Budget for cars and Holiday Inn (for points).

 

[mastercamper]

LaQuinta because I work for one almost 700 properties new ones opening every week, all new ones are franchise properties and are new builds. The returns program is good you reach a higher tier quicker than with other brands. Only problem is the older inns are due for renovations and can be hit and miss.

 

[az_max]

I worked at Budget as a teen and have used them for personal travel without any problems. I worked at Discount, and wouldn't use them for anything. I've had very good luck with La Quinta.

For business, We used Hertz and Marriot. I never had a problem with either of them.

For airtravel, I used to like AmWest. I won't fly them anymore since they charge for all but the life preservers. It's SWA from here on out.

 

[dave_lucas]

Hertz and Hyatt, if there is no Hyatt then I try to stay at Hilton.

Hate Budget

 

[flyfisher11]

Ritz Carlton! Seriously though Hilton, Sheraton, Hyatt, and Crown are my favorites although I did actually stay at a Ritz Carlton a few times. It is the cat's ass. In Santiago Chile' you can get a room at the Ritz for under $200 a night! Fucking Amazing! FWIW I pretty much lived in Hotels around the world for many years as a strategic airlifter crew dawg. I have lots of points LOL!

 

[SDD2]

Singapore Air by far my favorite airline ...

 

[p m]

State-side, Best Western; La Quinta's been good, too.

Airline? Nothing beats Southwest. For business travel, we get cheapest shit tickets on American, Continental, United, whatnot - with nearly as many stops along the route, no food, always late, crappy service.
International - Air New Zealand, British Air and Air France have been good to me, too. Lufthansa sucks.

 

[oberdahill]

In the last two years, Delta domestic has been my airline of choice mostly because I get the bumps to Business/First Class on a regular basis. For international, United worked for me.

Hotels: LaQuinta or Holiday Inn Express. LaQuinta's perks program works smoothly. I just booked a room online with a nice discount.

Cars: Dollar, Budget (I've been lucky with them) and Enterprise on occasion.

 

[95.D1.Rick]

Jet Blue. That new terminal in JFK is a real pleasure to layover in. Comfortable, free wifi. New, modern. I'm 6-3, and its nice to have the extra legroom option on their flights too. Southwest is great too, particularly since they switched to boarding like humans, and not cattle anymore.

As far as Cars, anyone but Budget. I've only 2 real poor experiences, both were with Budget. The fact that many of their offices are privately owned means Budget has little say in service quality if the private is terrible, like at Newark airport. Steer clear.

 

[Rugbier]

Continental/British Airways
Enterprise
Any Starwood Hotels Property ( Sheraton - Westin - W - St. Regis )

 

[DJG]

I'm in sales and cover the Northeast. Cover 50-60k miles per year by car..... Always stay at a Hilton property. Hampton Inn, or Hilton Garden Inn. Always clean, generally priced well. Great points program too. My wife and I go away frequently and get free lodging. I've tried Marriott, and several other chains and found hilton to be the cleanest by far. Of course I'm sure this can change between regions.

 

[Ballah06]

I would have to agree with Budget being shitty to say the least. I made a reservation at the one in Fredericksburg for a large suv, two weeks prior to needing it. When i show up, the guy tries to give me a Toyota highlander with expired inspection sticker (while i told them i needed something the size of an Expedition or a pick up truck). So i ended up going to Enterprise last minute.
On the hotels, since i have to stick to the ones that honor a govt rate, its usually a Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn type. Made a mistake at staying in Equus in HI, that place sucked. Hilton there was very nice though.

 

[skydiver]

Hotels - for me - Starwood & Hilton.
Starwood has one of the best point programs out there, and you can convert 20k SPG to 25k airline. SPG is great when staying on points too - a very good value.

Hilton really shines when you hit gold or diamond. I'm currently diamond and get upgrades everytime I stay, free breakfasts,etc.

I earn enough points spending on my SPG & Hilton Amex cards, in addition to my work stays, that I never pay for any hotel when I go somewhere with my family. I convert the points to airline miles using SPG and fly us all for free too.

I typically fly AA or USAir. They just have the most flights in and out of my home airport. With the cost of tickets, and the hassle of the TSA and flying these days, I typically drive if it's less than 6hrs, so I don't fly quite as much as I used to.

 

[ptschram]

Ritz Carlton! Seriously though Hilton, Sheraton, Hyatt, and Crown are my favorites although I did actually stay at a Ritz Carlton a few times. It is the cat's ass. In Santiago Chile' you can get a room at the Ritz for under $200 a night! Fucking Amazing! FWIW I pretty much lived in Hotels around the world for many years as a strategic airlifter crew dawg. I have lots of points LOL!

I've stayed in Ritz hotels in London, Paris, either Munchen or Frankfurt, and Detroit. Ritz DOES NOT mean the same thing in the US as it does in ROW!

When the Dead was still touring, I stayed in a lot of hotels, when I worked for American Electric Power, I stayed in hotels four nights a week, three weeks a month. One of the things I learned during this time was that there could be huge differences in the same chain hotel. I hate to think of the number of times I checked into a hotel, went to my room, didn't even drop my bag before I headed to the desk to check out and find a better place to stay (Keep in mind that when I was bringing my Series truck back from the port, I stayed in a room behind a bar in Dubose PA that had no windows but did have bullet holes in the door!).

I don't think I could make a recommendation of a hotel based solely upon the brand as I've seen such huge differences in all of them.

I am so glad that I don't travel for work like that any more!

Now when I travel overseas, I no longer make reservations beyond the first night. When we last went to the UK, we again stayed in pubs and had great adventures at least partly because of that.

PT

 

[DiscoJen]

I like La Quinta too, they are usually pet friendly. Heck, I like any motel that doesn't have roaches and is pet friendly.

I hate flying, but the few times I did, I really like British Air. I love getting to "raid the lard."

 

[Rugbier]

Ritz are not the same company; they are not Ritz Carltons, they are not Managed/Owned by Ritz Carlton / Marriott.

Although there are plenty of Ritz Carltons overseas, all bearing the Ritz Carlton name no simply Ritz, the only one ( If I remember correctly ) exception was/is the Ritz London in Picadilly is a Ritz Carlton Partner Hotel not a Co Hotel.

The one in Paris has no afiliation with the Company at all, and in Germany the only to Co ones are in Berlin and Wolfsburg.

I've stayed in Ritz hotels in London, Paris, either Munchen or Frankfurt, and Detroit. Ritz DOES NOT mean the same thing in the US as it does in ROW!

PT

 

[landrovered]

Singapore airlines by far! Favorite hotel was a small private hotel in Bogata, don't remember the name but it was nice. Domestic hotel, The cloister.

 

[ptschram]

Ritz are not the same company; they are not Ritz Carltons, they are not Managed/Owned by Ritz Carlton / Marriott.

Although there are plenty of Ritz Carltons overseas, all bearing the Ritz Carlton name no simply Ritz, the only one ( If I remember correctly ) exception was/is the Ritz London in Picadilly is a Ritz Carlton Partner Hotel not a Co Hotel.

The one in Paris has no afiliation with the Company at all, and in Germany the only to Co ones are in Berlin and Wolfsburg.

I misspoke WRT to the German Ritz. When I stayed at the Ritz in London, it was not affiliated with Ritz/Carlton (early 70s). My mother had an habit of staying only at the Mayfair or the Ritz when in London. BTW-it is on Piccadilly, not in Piccadilly. IIRC, it's closer to Hyde Park than the Circus.

 

[montanablur]

I fly Virgin American or Virgin internationally.

I will generally stay at a W or KOR hotel group if a boutique hotel is not available.

The Hotel On Rivington is my home in NYC. It's a hotel Stanley Kubrick would have designed.

 

[mastercamper]

All hotel chains are going to vary. I woked at Ramada, DoubleTree,AmeriSuites, Hyatt Place and LaQuinta. I've stayed at places that made me sick. If a property is a franchise you probably get different standards than ones's that a corp property. All brands have problems, the Hilton in Buckhead was busted for housekeepers washing glasses with the same rags they cleaned the toilets with. The more you pay does not always mean that its a better place, if the staff gives half a shit you should have a good stay. When you check in if the desk clerk acts like its a problem to help you then you will have a bad stay, people in general will find things wrong, i see it everyday. I've given more rooms, food, movies away that I can think of. These people were having a terrible stay and if you can make it right they will be back just because you tried and took care of them. So the staff will make or break a place. I refuse to work at a place where the GM hides in the office, I've been cornored in rooms and thought I'd never get out because of all the problems.

Its all what you expect but the more you pay does not always mean a better stay.

And please don't give the desk folks alot of crap 9 time out of 10 your problem is not their fault, I know I've been on the other side of it.