TravelValue: Accommodations Of The U.S.: 2018

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Lawrence, Kansas: Not Bad, But Overpriced By $10 To $20 Per Night

Baymont by Wyndham Lawrence

740 Iowa Street

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone number (800) 337-0400

Website: wyndhamhotels.com/baymont

Prices: $$$$

At nearly $80 per night for a motel in the seediest part of Lawrence, Kansas, I was not overly impressed.

The front desk clerk was extremely helpful, friendly and professional - a good start. However, the room was very basic, relatively clean and the wi-fi and cable worked just fine, but because we were on the ground floor, the noise from the people upstairs was significant.

Breakfast was a bit better than your ordinary "continental" variety, but not by much. They had biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs, but the biscuits were as hard as rocks and the eggs were left extremely dry by the Sterno-fueled warming pan. We were told that they "normally" offer bacon and sausage as well, but because they had been throwing away so much as of late, they decided to stop doing so during the week.

I would expect to pay no more than $60 to $70 max for a room of this quality in the Midwest, so I cannot in good conscience give them more than an "average" rating.

CombatCritic Gives Baymont by Wyndham Lawrence 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

Friday, September 14, 2018

Seattle, WA: Private, Clean And Centrally Located, Liam's Cozy Place Is THE BOMB!

Liam's Cozy Place (Airbnb)
Mount Baker Area - Seattle, WA
Website: Liam's Cozy Place (Airbnb)
Price: $$$$

Seattle is not a cheap place to visit, but being a travel blogger focused on helping my readers get the most bang for their buck, I have to say that Liam's place is a definite TravelValue!

A clean, charming early 20th Century home on a quiet street and just a ten minute walk from Seattle's Mount Baker light rail station makes this a terrific base while visiting the Emerald City.

Liam was there to greet us, help us settle in, and provide details about the house and local area when we arrived. The house is immaculate and Liam has gone to great lengths to ensure guests are comfortable and have all of the privacy desired thanks to the separate living spaces. It was like having the house to ourselves because the main level has just one bedroom and a dedicated, adjacent bathroom in addition to the living room, dining room and kitchen. Liam's quarters are upstairs where he spent most of his time while we were there, only popping in to say hi on his way in or out. He was so quiet, we were not sure if he was home or not.

The bed was comfy and there was plenty of space to stow our things, including several hangers and shelves in the bedroom. The bathroom was for our use only and was well stocked with clean, plush towels, shampoo and conditioner, and other amenities for use during our stay.

The kitchen was also well stocked and Liam made us feel welcome to use it and its contents as much or as little as we desired. Coffee, tea, and sports drinks were made available during our stay along with sugar and half & half, so we did not need to go to the market before bed, a nice touch.

For all of the space, privacy, amenities, and its central location, Liam's place was astonishingly well priced. Parking was no problem on the adjacent streets, the Wi-Fi was fast and reliable, and the house secure. We felt safe and at home during our two night stay.

CombatCritic Gives Liam's Place 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF FAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians:

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Boise, ID: Attitude And Filth Earns Super 8 Boise A Spot On My "Wall Of Shame"

Super 8 by Wyndham Boise
2773 Elder Street
I-84 Exit 53 at Vista Avenue
Boise, ID 83705
Phone number: (800) 536-9326
Website: wyndhamhotels.com/super-8
Prices: $$$$

The price was decent, I will give them that, but you get what you pay for. I have stayed in other Super 8s and the experience was much better. However, there are some serious management, attitude, and cleanliness problems in the Boise location.

The front desk clerk was abrupt and unfriendly when I arrived between 9pm and 10pm after a long day on the road. When I got to the room the light on the phone was flashing, so I called the front desk. "The instructions are on the phone - I don't know how to shut it off", I was told and he hung up. There were no instructions on the phone, so the light kept blinking all night long.

The toilet seat had not been lifted by the maid for cleaning made obvious by the lone pubic hair (not mine) sitting atop the toilet seat when I arrived. There were poop stains from the previous gust still in the toilet and the TP roll was less than half full. There were three bath towels, but just one hand towel and no washcloths.

The AC unit had no markings, having been worn off over the years, so I could not tell what temperature to set it at for the night and the refrigerator was INOP, so I could not keep any food in it overnight. One of the pillows was black with filth of some type, so I had to use my own pillows.

At $73, including tax, I have stayed in much nicer and cleaner hotels on the sea at numerous places around the world. For Boise, this place should be in the sub-$50 range.

CombatCritic Gives Super 8 by Wyndham Boise 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My WALL OF SHAME ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

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