Author: Daniel Globe

Choice Hotels International is one of the world’s largest hotel franchisors, with properties ranging from budget motels and midscale hotels to extended-stay suites and upscale boutique accommodations. Its history dates to 1939, when seven Florida motor-court owners formed the Quality Courts cooperative. Today, travelers can choose among brands designed for quick road trips, family vacations, business travel, longer stays, and more distinctive upscale experiences. Quick Answer Choice Hotels includes brands such as Comfort, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Cambria Hotels, Ascend Collection, Econo Lodge, Country Inn & Suites, and several extended-stay and Radisson brands. The best choice depends on your budget,…

Getting a hotel discount is less about finding one secret coupon and more about comparing the right rates in the right way. Hotel prices change with demand, stay dates, room inventory, cancellation rules, and promotions. The best approach is to compare the total cost, check the hotel’s own member rate, look for any special rate you genuinely qualify for, and keep enough flexibility to recheck the price before your stay. Quick Answer To get hotel discounts, compare the all-in price across a comparison site and the hotel’s own site, join free loyalty programs, check eligible special rates, and favor flexible…

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining turned the fictional Overlook Hotel into one of the most recognizable buildings in horror history. But there is no single real-life “Overlook Hotel.” The 1980 movie combined footage of Oregon’s Timberline Lodge with enormous studio sets in England, while a completely different hotel in Colorado inspired Stephen King’s original novel. Quick Answer The real hotel seen in exterior shots of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 The Shining is Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood, Oregon. Most hotel interiors and some exterior scenes were created at Elstree Studios in England. The Stanley Hotel in Colorado inspired Stephen King’s novel but…

Finding a hotel in Orlando, Florida, with a genuinely firm mattress is harder than it sounds. Major hotels usually publish bed sizes and general bedding descriptions, but they rarely publish an objective firmness rating. Mattress models may also change when rooms are renovated. The safest approach is to identify promising hotels, check what they currently disclose, and confirm the exact bedding with the property before you book. Quick Answer Hyatt Regency Orlando, JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, and Hilton Orlando are worth checking, but their official websites do not currently publish a standardized “firm” mattress rating. Hyatt specifies Euro Pillowtop…

Getting a hotel room for little or no out-of-pocket cost is possible, but it usually takes more than simply asking for a free stay. Hotel loyalty points, free-night certificates, credit-card rewards, targeted promotions, and multi-night award benefits can all cover the room rate. The key is understanding the rules before you book, because award availability, taxes, mandatory charges, and loyalty eligibility can vary. Quick Answer The most reliable ways to get free hotel rooms are to redeem hotel loyalty points, use a free-night certificate, transfer eligible credit-card points to a hotel program, or use a qualifying multi-night award benefit. Promotions…

Before traveling to a hotel, a few minutes of preparation can make check-in much easier. Confirm the dates of your stay, the name on the reservation, room type, rate terms, check-in and check-out times, and any requests you made. Keep your confirmation email handy, and check the property’s rules for identification, payment, minimum age, parking, deposits, and late arrival. Quick Answer To check into a hotel, confirm your reservation, present any identification and payment method required by the property, review deposits or incidental holds, and receive your room key or Digital Key. Rules for age, payment, check-in time, and identification…

Checking out of a hotel is usually simple, but a few minutes of planning can prevent forgotten belongings, billing surprises, missed transportation, and late-checkout fees. Before leaving, confirm the hotel’s checkout deadline, pack carefully, review your final bill, inspect the room, and follow the property’s preferred checkout method. Quick Answer To check out of a hotel, confirm your checkout time, pack your belongings, inspect the room, review the final bill, and settle any balance. Then use the front desk, express checkout, or the hotel’s app as instructed. Keep your receipt and confirm transportation before leaving the property. Key Takeaways Check…

The landmark many visitors still call the Stratosphere Hotel is now officially known as The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower. Its most recognizable feature is the soaring observation tower, which rises far above the north end of Las Vegas Boulevard. The resort opened in 1996, while the transition from the Stratosphere name to The STRAT began in 2019. Quick Answer The tower at The STRAT in Las Vegas is 1,149 feet (350 meters) tall. That makes it the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. Its public observation decks are on Levels 108 and 109, while the Big Shot…

Conrad Hilton built one of the best-known names in hospitality, but the Hilton company of today is no longer a privately owned family business. Hilton Hotels & Resorts is a brand within Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., a publicly traded hospitality company whose shares are held by investors. Understanding that distinction also helps explain why many individual Hilton hotels have different property owners. Quick Answer Hilton Hotels is part of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker HLT. No single person or company owns all of Hilton today. Its equity is held…

The Eagles formed in 1971 with an original lineup of Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner. Their mix of country, folk, rock, R&B, and pop helped define the Southern California sound of the 1970s. By the time they recorded Hotel California, Joe Walsh had replaced Leadon, and the band was already one of the biggest acts in American music. Quick Answer Don Henley sings lead on the Eagles’ studio recording of “Hotel California.” He also plays drums and percussion. Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Joe Walsh, and Randy Meisner contribute instruments and backing vocals, while Felder and Walsh…

Hotel valet tipping can feel confusing because you may already be paying a parking fee, different attendants may handle your car, and there is no single rule that applies worldwide. In the United States, however, the simplest approach is to use a small flat-dollar tip rather than calculating a percentage of the parking charge. Quick Answer For U.S. hotel valet service, a practical baseline is $2 to $5 when your car is returned. Tip more for extra help, difficult weather, or exceptional service. You usually do not need to tip at both drop-off and pickup, and a hotel valet-parking fee…

Renting a hotel room can be confusing for younger travelers because there is no single check-in age that applies to every property. In the United States, 18 and 21 are both common minimum ages, but the exact rule can change by hotel, city, state, country, and even by individual property within the same brand. The safest approach is simple: check the exact hotel’s policy before you pay. A reservation confirmation does not override the property’s minimum check-in age, and a guest who is old enough to make an online reservation may still be refused at the front desk if the…