Taking 15-day Amtrak trip - Need hotel recommendations

[oregon pioneer]

We stayed at the www.lafayettehotelneworleans.com in New Orleans. It's walkable, if you can walk a mile (we did, both directions). Kind of a faded-glory place, not spotless (some complaints in the reviews), but perfectly adequate for our needs -- friendly, safe, convenient location, oozing charm, etc. I never expect them to be able to keep an older building perfectly maintained, I'm happy with "good enough" for what we can afford.

I stayed at a HI-hostel in Baltimore (not one of your cities) for about $30, and was more than satisfied. Just keep your electronics with you (all my dorm-mates were on the level and very nice, but you never know). It was winter, so the eight-bed dorm was only half-occupied.

 

[ehbowen]

When staying in New Orleans with my parents I've normally stayed at the Old No. 77 hotel not far from the casino. When by myself I normally stay at the Fairchild House bed & breakfast in the Garden District. (Of course, now that I'm a Hilton employee, that might change....)

Neither establishment is what you would call "walking distance" from the Amtrak station, although the Fairchild House comes close, and both are older facilities with a lot of character. You might want to give them a look.

 

[Old MM]

Looking at PL express deals on May 15th, just for kicks....I have to correct my earlier post. The taxes and fees (which are combined into some kind of proprietary formula) are NOT included in the initial quote; instead, the amount will be added to your total at the payment screen. So if your cap is $100 all told, you'd have to search for something more in the 80ish range.
You can still stay at a downtown hotel for your budgeted amount, but it requires daily searching and re-checking. There's also the Name your own Price feature although it's not always the savings bonanza it used to be; the Express Deals feature seems to have eroded that NYOP product somewhat. Also, Chicago DT in general has gotten more expensive, more and more when we go to Chicago we end up staying by O'Hare and taking the Blue Line back and forth.

 

[TylerP42]

Chicago, not exactly very close to Union but downtown for less than 100, and 4.5 Star rated on google: Ohio House Motel. Usually 93-100 a night. It's at LaSalle and Ohio St.

 

[tomfuller]

There is a HI hostel in Seattle (former American Hotel) about 5 blocks east of King St. station. Good luck on getting a reservation if there is a sporting event at the stadium nearby.
I agree on the HI hostel in Chicago (largest in the US). Taxi ride + hostel will be close to $100/night.
I will be staying at a non-HI hostel in New Orleans next month for less than $100. I am riding overnight on the CONO to Memphis and staying the night in a place in Memphis not far from SUN Studios.
I have never spent a night in San Diego.

 

[Charles785]

Here are some names of hotels in downtown Chicago that I researched about 10 years ago, so I don't know if the hotels are still operating or not. Anyway, like always, I was looking for unique hotels with, I guess what I might describe as old-world character or charm. My list included the Hotel Monaco, the Silversmith Hotel, the Hotel Allegro, and the Hotel Burnham, although as it turned out I didn't stay at any of them.

I'm curious if anyone on here has, and what their experience might have been like, for comfort, dining, and room rates.

 

[Charles785]

And I just noticed from my 10-year-old hotel list for downtown Chicago was the Blake Hotel that I overlooked in my previous post. Again, I don't have any first-hand experience with the hotel or its dining options.

 

[City of Miami]

Try the Moore Hotel in Seattle, near Pike mkt. They have a website.

I have used airbnb dozens of times in many cities and rarely pay over $70 total/night. No unpleasant experiences and many interesting ones.

Biddingfortravel.com shows you how to maximize current Priceline potential but it takes work and time. I used it a lot before airbnb and scored some sweet deals.

 

[SarahZ]

Chicago, not exactly very close to Union but downtown for less than 100, and 4.5 Star rated on google: Ohio House Motel. Usually 93-100 a night. It's at LaSalle and Ohio St.

Prepare to wake up as people come and go. All of the doors (hallways and rooms) have springs. They SLAM shut if you don’t hold onto them, which nobody does.

You can also hear every. little. noise. The maids woke us up at 6 am while they banged around. One even walked into our room (or tried to), despite the DND sign. Luckily, I had used the chain lock, so they went away after I yelled not to come in.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I'm currently staying at a generic two star chain hotel that is charging just shy of $300 per night. I remember when $300 was enough for a five star hotel in a major city or a fancy resort along a tropical beachfront. Now it gets you a Hampton Inn along an industrial spur just off the highway.

 

[JayPea]

Try the Moore Hotel in Seattle, near Pike mkt. They have a website.

I have used airbnb dozens of times in many cities and rarely pay over $70 total/night. No unpleasant experiences and many interesting ones.

Biddingfortravel.com shows you how to maximize current Priceline potential but it takes work and time. I used it a lot before airbnb and scored some sweet deals.

The Moore is my go-to place to stay while in Seattle. It's just over a mile from King Street station but it's within easy walking distance from both to the Link light rail.

 

[Twin Star Rocket]

Canal Street Inn in New Orleans is my choice. Not under $100 though! You can get to and from NOUPT using two streetcar lines.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I'm currently staying at a generic two star chain hotel that is charging just shy of $300 per night. I remember when $300 was enough for a five star hotel in a major city or a fancy resort along a tropical beachfront. Now it gets you a Hampton Inn along an industrial spur just off the highway.

Was $300 for the highway view or the upgraded "Industrial" view?

 

[chakk]

$100 a night including taxes in a downtown area?? Not gunna happen. Especially in Chicago.

It won’t happen in San Diego, either.

Outside of hostels, the cheapest prices for a half-way decent gotel would be the Motel 6 around the 6700 block of University Drive, which is a couple bus rides from the Amtrak station.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Random date in May on Priceline sees Sofia hotel, right next to the train station at $103 plus taxes. Looks like a great place.

There’s actually several hotels downtown in the $75-89 plus tax range. Not necessarily ones I would stay at, but they look decent enough.

 

[caravanman]

Someone mentioned the Silversmith in Chicago, I have stayed there some time back when visiting with a girlfriend. Very nice but not cheap.
I do understand that hostels are far from everyone's ideal, much like Amtrak coach travel, but they are both hard to beat for price and also entertainment! Met some interesting folk from all over the world in USA hostels.
Never had a problem with any hostel used, apart from the odd roommate who snored...
New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago, Santa Monica, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Portland, Seattle, Sacramento, all bring back happy hostel memories, and allowed me to stretch my tourist dollar a lot further.

Ed.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Was $300 for the highway view or the upgraded "Industrial" view?

The industrial upgrade of course!

There were pumps, pipes, tanks, and flames as far as the eye could see.

Looked a bit like a dusty rocky version of this...

 

[Asher]

As I have previously said, you are spinning your wheels looking for $100 max. Also on a 15 day trip, hope you will be able to make all the dates, $hit happens and reservations can go down the tube along with no return payments.

 

[Asher]

The industrial upgrade of course!

There were pumps, pipes, tanks, and flames as far as the eye could see.

Looked a bit like a dusty rocky version of this...

Wow, the sights remind me of a night I spent in Granite City Illinois and the sounds were what I heard all night in
A motel in Gallup New Mexico. It's all in the video except for the aroma of Granit City at night. I can't remember the price of lodging, but, im sure I was on the cheap and got what I paid for.