Yes, of course I'll let you use our phone to call our competition!

[Midnight]

Lady walks in to our lobby.

SL: I'd like to inquire about rates.
Me: Okay how long would you be looking at staying?
SL: Probably a couple of weeks. Do you have any weekly rates?
Me: Yes we do. It's $*** a week roughly.
SL: Oh, that's too much. Do you know how much the hotels across the road charge?

(Our "competition" across the highway are a couple of outdoor independently owned hotels that are pretty crummy and don't have to many amenities)

Me: I don't know specifically what they charge on a weekly basis. I'd have to call them.
SL: Okay, can I borrow a phone book?
Me: Sure. *hands her a phone book*
SL: Alright, *says the name of the first hotel and looks at me* where is your phone?
Me: Um, I have to keep my main line open for calls coming into our hotel. Do you have a cell phone?
SL: Oh.....yes. I'll have to write down some numbers I guess.
(I let her borrow a pen and a piece of scrap paper and she writes a few numbers down)
Me: *as she's leaving* Have a good day!
SL: Sure.

Okay, seriously? Lady, I'm sorry our weekly rate isn't something you can afford at the moment, but I'm not going to let you use our main phone line, which our customers need to call in on to make reservations, to call our competitions about prices. It's 2010. Use your damn cell phone!

[Kristev]

Ooh, that's just horrible. Ridiculous.

[jjc927]

Wow, what a weirdo. And why would she need a hotel room for 2 weeks?

[Sapphire Silk]

Wow, what a weirdo. And why would she need a hotel room for 2 weeks?

Could be lots of reasons: in town for a conference, temp worker on a short term assignment, in town for family business but can't stay with a relative for whatever reason.

Seems to me the lady was just thoughtless.

As for amenities, well, it all depends on how much time you actually plan on spending at the hotel, what amenities are offered, and what need you have for them.

10 years or so ago I moved from North Dakota to California, and drove. Took my time, saw the sights, took four days to make a two day trip. However, I had less than $300 bucks on me, which had to last until I got my first paycheck, not due until two weeks after I started the job I was scheduled to begin about a week out. So I couldn't afford to spend $70-80 on a hotel, especially when I was only going to sleep: no tv, no pool, no food, nothing.

First night, I tried to negotiate a lower rate since I was checking in late (it was around 7pm) and was leaving first thing in the morning. No go. The clerk told me the only way I'd pay less than $70/night was to go sleep in a dump (yeah, she put it like that). I didn't make a scene, I just left.

I headed down the road, fully intending to find a place to camp for the night (I used to do a lot of backpacking and had all my gear with me) when I found a truck stop. Small, spartan, but clean. $20/night, if I was willing to put up with being next to a train track. Didn't bother me in the least, never heard the train I slept so soundly. Did wake to all the big rigs warming up about 5am.

Asked the clerk if there was an inexpensive but decent place for breakfast; she sent me to a diner the truckers favored. Heart, stick to your ribs, cheap, and quite good actually. $5.

Lather, rinse, repeat the next couple of nights until I got to California and the apartment my company set me up with.

Next time I drive coast to coast, I'm staying in truck stops

[Midnight]

Wow, what a weirdo. And why would she need a hotel room for 2 weeks?

I think she mentioned something about her son needing a place to stay for a couple of weeks, but she didn't really specifically say what for.

She didn't come back so I'm guessing she shacked him up in one of the hotels across the highway.