I have written about hotel experiences several times on this blog, from the soap and towels to the not-so-safe safe to hallway noise to why I don't want the room cleaned every day. Ken Levine has a column today full of his own rants about hotels, particularly all the hidden charges they slip into your bill, which must be costing them repeat customers.
On my recent Vegas trip, I avoided a lot of those extra fees by staying at Extended Stay America. I got a one-bedroom efficiency with a living room/kitchen with full-sized refrigerator, toaster, and microwave, plus lots of parking right next to my room (I always rent a car in that town because I like to play in different poker rooms, get some food and beverages from the supermarket a couple of miles away, and not have to ride in cabs with drivers whose mission is to convince me to go to a strip club they're getting a kickback from).
Extended Stay doesn't have daily maid service (which I don't need), restaurants, a casino, or anyone bothering me. In fact, the only employee I ever saw was the guy at the front desk when I checked in, which meant no bellman or doorman with his hand out. There were none of those hidden charges, either -- no resort fee, no charge for wi-fi or local phone calls, no mini-bar -- and the price was less than $60/day.
I've recommended this place to lots of poker players who've liked it, too. We're not going to spend all that much time in the room, anyway, so we don't need luxury accommodations with features we won't use. I figure that the more of us who stay there, the better chance it'll be quiet in the morning, because none of us are up and out before 10am!
Here's the link.Labels: poker/vegas