Because we travel so much, Ruth & I have to be careful where we stay. We will soon begin to find out how COVID is affecting accommodations. At the end of the coming week we will have our first venture out in several months. When we have traveled in the past, cost has been a deciding factor in choice of accommodations. We most often go for price and don’t tend to repeat much. This often means poor to interesting accommodations both domestically and internationally. Oh, there are places where we tend to stay in the same hotel or motel every time we go there. Three especially come to mind: the Hotel Edison, Springhill Suites, and Premier Inns.
Premier Inns is now the largest hotel system in the United Kingdom. There are more than 800 hotels in this chain in England and Ireland. They also offer rooms in Scotland, the place that some consider the most scenic and best destination on the planet. Premier Inns is also going international. There are now Premier Inns in Germany and The Emirates. Its website calls their accommodations “smart and well-presented”. I would call them “bare bones and decidedly basic”. Don’t expect luxury. Don’t even expect above average. But do expect good placement and a cheap room. Their many facilities now offer an enhanced cleaning commitment, whatever that means. Premier Inns are especially popular in London. There are well-placed Premier Inns in Covent Garden, at Leicester Square, and near Westminster Abbey. We have happily stayed at their inn almost across the street from the London Eye, their location with the most voluminous survey results. The last time we went to Great Britain, we stayed at a Premier Inn in Cheltenham. We had no rental car, but there was a bus stop in front of it that took us everywhere. One final word. These accommodations are very desired, so book long in advance of need to guarantee availability.
Our son has moved from St. Louis, but I still have 3 sisters and many friends and contacts in this Midwestern metropolis. We will be returning to St. Louis eventually, and we will more than likely stay at the Springhill Suites on the Chesterfield Parkway. This is truly a home away from home kind of place for us where we appreciate the staff even though our favorite employee has passed away. The word “suites” is quite appropriate in its name because all the rooms in this accommodation are the same. They all have a sitting area with a sofa for entertaining guests, modest kitchen facilities, and comfortable beds. They have thought through every comfort their guests crave. We have stayed in other hotels here, like the glamorous Moonrise, but we tend to return to the Springhill Suites most often.
New York is an expensive city to visit. Of course, we crave to be near Times Square. That’s why our choice in New York tends to be the Edison Hotel. This venerable place to stay has been in the area since art deco was popular, and many of the room we have stayed in have needed refurbishing. This is not universally true, however, since many of the rooms have been redone and modernized. The Edison is one of those places to stay where getting to know the staff is essential. Once you are in a room that works for you, you will find that the Edison Hotel is extremely well placed, within walking distance of many attractions, and reasonably priced for New York.
Hank
Security Conscious 