I just moved down south in the direction of Raleigh, NC. When I first moved down here I searched for the cheapest hotel rates on Hotels.Com. This site has proven to me to be a good resource when moving to or traveling to a new location. I’ve often found cheaper hotels while hunting around a new area once I’ve arrived. But, as far as finding a hotel within a distance that’s reasonable to your destination and within a reasonable price range in a new area you know very little about by searching online; Hotels.Com is pretty good. The hotel that came up the closest to Raleigh, NC at the cheapest rate was the Red Roof Inn in Cary, NC located on Walnut St.
One good thing to note about the Red Roof Inn Hotel chain in general is that they often if not always have their discounted rates available if you make your reservations online through their website. These rates are not exclusive to travel search engines like Hotels.Com and others like it. I also appreciate The Red Roof Inn Hotel chain for their membership program. If you stay there for a short amount of time; you can earn free nights there. This is a useful incentive. I know some hotels offer similar discount programs; but it seems as if the Red Roof Inn may require a shorter stay then others to receive incentive benefits. Now as far as the negatives of the Red Roof Inn; I find their cable selection to be limited. But, the rooms are generally clean and comfortable. Another negative when it comes to the Red Roof Inn in general is that they have their internet set up with T-Mobile. You have to purchase a WiFi card and enroll in the plan with a username and password just to log online. I’m not sure if this is a more secure way to browse the internet in a hotel. If that is the case then that would be a positive. But, I do appreciate free internet service when traveling. Paying for a T-Mobile WiFi card means that your actual room rate goes up by $6/day or $25/week I believe.
After staying in Cary for a few days I noticed 3 or 4 more hotels in my general area and went hunting for a cheaper rate. I found the cheapest rate to be at the Motel 6 just off Walnut St., but did not like the quality and cleanliness of the rooms. The best deal I found hands down in the Walnut St. Cary area was the Days Inn. Not only was their rate $5 cheaper than the Red Roof Inn. The rooms were nicer and more pleasantly decorated. The internet was free; there were donuts, cereal and coffee available in the morning and coffee in your room. The cable selection was also very extensive. They actually had every channel I could think of. In addition the staff at the Days Inn was much easier going then many of the staff members of the Red Roof Inn. I was very sick at one point and did not wake up at checkout time at the Red Roof Inn. The staff called me and harassed me and was very rude to me to get me to come downstairs. At the Days Inn Cary they call; but they do not harass. If you tell them you will be there; they do not bother you again.
Overall I preferred my stay at the Days Inn Cary over the Red Roof Inn Cary. I don’t know if this would be the same across the board in hotels all across the country. But, in this area the Days Inn won hands down.
