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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
In the past, facilities in Motel 6 rooms tended to be somewhat Spartan, but certainly adequate and the rooms have always been clean and the beds comfortable. Over the last few years the quality of facilities in Motel 6 rooms has been considerably improved in many of their locations. Many Motel 6 properties have now been completely renovated, with much improved rooms which include desks instead of just small wall shelves, baths instead of showers, and more space on each side of the beds. The Motel 6 directory indicates which properties have these new rooms. Many locations also now have coin laundries for use by guests and all now provide free coffee in the morning. Motel 6 now offer even better value for money than in the past and compare extremely favourably with any of the other motel chains.
Most but not all Motel 6's are built to the same style, being two or occasionally three story buildings with outside veranda access to the rooms. Photograph (100KB)
A few modern Motel 6's have interior corridors. We've found the office staff at these new Motel 6 locations tend to have the same unfriendly and unhelpful "Basil Fawlty" attitude of many of the staff in the more upmarket motel chains rather than the generally very friendly and efficient style of "real" Motel 6 staff. The sound insulation between the rooms in these modern Motel 6 buildings is very poor.
All Motel 6's, except perhaps in the centres of large cities, have free large open air car parks. We've never had to pay for car parking at any Motel 6 (or indeed at any motel in the USA or Canada).
Almost all Motel 6's have outdoor swimming pools for which there is no additional charge.
Most locations now have coin laundries for use by guests.
All locations have non-smoking rooms.
Many locations have adjacent rooms with connecting doors.
Motel 6's never have their own restaurants but they are usually located on main roads on the outskirts of towns or near Interstate exits and therefore a short drive from several restaurants.
Along with all the other motel chains, most Motel 6's now use the dreaded electronic door locks. Their electronic door locks are no more or less reliable than anyone else's. In other words, you usually need to make numerous attempts before the door unlocks. The trick is to insert the card the right way round and the right way up and then to remove it with a single movement maintaining the same speed. Since the cards do not have the room numbers printed on them, be sure that all members of your party remember the room number.
A second adult in the same room usually adds $4 or $6 to the room rate. Third and fourth adults in the same room usually each add half of the second adult charge.
Children aged seventeen and under stay free when occupying the same room as an adult family member.
Local phone calls are free and there is no service charge added on long distance calls.
All Motel 6's give a 10% discount to members of the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) upon production of a membership card. This fact isn't mentioned in the Motel 6 directory's introductory pages but it does appear in some of the filler boxes at the bottom of the listing pages. Most Motel 6's will also give this discount to a members of similar organisations in other countries, especially those which are affiliated to the AARP; a few Motel 6's will give the discount to any senior citizen from another country.
Anita Thomas kindly emailed this potentially useful information:
Motel 6 allows dogs at no extra charge. Their policy specifies one dog, but exceptions can be made if one is discrete. This is unusual in the USA, and might be of interest to international travellers.Motel 6 have 760 locations throughout the USA but so far only a very small number in Canada.
The Motel 6 central reservations number is 1-800-466-8356. This is a toll-free US number. From the UK dial 001-800-466-8356, and normal international call rates apply.
Alternatively for a directory write to Motel 6 Directory, P.O. Box 809103, Dallas, Texas, USA 75380-9103.
Motel 6's parent company is Accor, who also own the European Formule 1 budget motel chain. It may perhaps be possible to obtain a copy of the Motel 6 directory through Formule 1.
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EMail me Please note that I do not represent Motel 6 (or any other company or organisation) in any way and I cannot assist with requests for directories, reservations, details of locations, etc.
Most recently modified 17-Feb-04