Housekeeping rooms or cabins: This usually means there’s no maid service during your stay. You are generally expected to clean up after yourself to some extent when you leave.
Camping cabins: Usually a simple structure with beds, but no linens. Generally without bathroom facilities. May or may not have electricity.
Shelters: Even more primitive than camping cabins, these are almost always without running water or electricity, usually no furnishings.
Campsites: This is a broad term describing any site in which you might park a camping unit or sleep in a tent.
RV site: Generally describes a site suitable for larger recreational vehicle, and includes at least water and electricity. May include sewer hookups and even cable TV.
Advantages of Unchained Lodging
There are obvious advantages of opting for chain hotels when you travel, so why give those up in favor of the unknown?
Hospitality. You are usually dealing with owners, but even at facilities with non-owner management you can feel the difference. People are genuinely happy that you are there. There’s no need for a concierge, because most unchained lodging owners and their staff will go out of their way to help you have the perfect stay.
Destination. Many unchained lodging facilities are destinations unto themselves. Whether at a lake, in the woods, or downtown in small town America, the idea behind staying outside the box is to enjoy where you’re at.
Kitchens. Not every unchained lodging option is going to include a kitchen, but far more of them will than with chain hotels. Having a kitchen lowers your overall travel costs and simplifies your stay. It’s difficult to really hibernate for a quiet weekend when you still have to go out for food.
Choices. You’re likely to find a wide range of lodging choices even within one establishment, choices like size, bedding options, decor, and amenities. At popular destinations you’ll find an even wider array among the various unchained lodging facilities, from B&B’s to bunkhouses.
Cost. Unchained lodging almost always wins hands down. Even where prices are similar to the chain hotels nearby, you’re likely to get more for your money at the unchained option, more service, more amenities, more choices, more activities, or even more peace and quiet.
Hospitality. You are usually dealing with owners, but even at facilities with non-owner management you can feel the difference. People are genuinely happy that you are there. There’s no need for a concierge, because most unchained lodging owners and their staff will go out of their way to help you have the perfect stay.
Destination. Many unchained lodging facilities are destinations unto themselves. Whether at a lake, in the woods, or downtown in small town America, the idea behind staying outside the box is to enjoy where you’re at.
Kitchens. Not every unchained lodging option is going to include a kitchen, but far more of them will than with chain hotels. Having a kitchen lowers your overall travel costs and simplifies your stay. It’s difficult to really hibernate for a quiet weekend when you still have to go out for food.
Choices. You’re likely to find a wide range of lodging choices even within one establishment, choices like size, bedding options, decor, and amenities. At popular destinations you’ll find an even wider array among the various unchained lodging facilities, from B&B’s to bunkhouses.
Cost. Unchained lodging almost always wins hands down. Even where prices are similar to the chain hotels nearby, you’re likely to get more for your money at the unchained option, more service, more amenities, more choices, more activities, or even more peace and quiet.
What's What
Unchained lodging comes in many varieties. From B&B’s to campgrounds with “camping cabins,” the options are often mind boggling. Here’s a list of some that we have found and what you might expect from each choice.
Bed & Breakfasts While this used to primarily mean a room in someone’s large house with breakfast served in a communal dining room, today’s B&B choices can include secluded cabins with kitchens stocked for breakfast or even private homes that you occupy alone.
Tips: It’s best to know in advance if bathrooms are shared or private, whether children are allowed, and whether the facility is hosted or not.
Inns This is a term that invokes images of quaint country lodging in an old fashioned hotel. That’s probably what you’ll get, but the term is also be used by more modern facilities that more closely resemble chain lodging.
Tips: As with B&B’s, always ask if children are allowed before showing up with your brood. Bathrooms may be shared and meals may or may not be included.
Lodges You are likely to find a large variety of facility types lumped into this category. You may be thinking of a big stone or log building with interior sleeping rooms, but in some parts of the country lodges are anything but that. It can be as simple as a collection of rooms or cabins with one central building that may house the office, gift shop, and/or restaurant. Either way, the implication is somewhat rustic, and that could mean rustic décor or rustic accommodations.
Tips: Look for pictures on the Internet or ask for printed brochures so that you know what to expect on arrival. One thing most lodges have in common is rural locations. Be sure you know just how rural and pack accordingly.
Cabins Seems self explanatory, but in reality this can be the designation for anything from a luxurious three bedroom house at the lake to a simple screen shelter. You will find cabins rented individually, by property management companies, clustered at cabin resorts, and at campgrounds or RV parks.
Tips: The vast majority of accommodations that fall into this category come with some type of kitchen, either full or partial. Many will come supplied with dishes and utensils, but ask to be sure. Linen options are varied so ask about those as well. It’s also wise to ask about heat and a/c. Don’t assume that the casual nature of the accommodations means that you can pack in as many people as you want. It’s rare to find a rental cabin that doesn’t have occupancy restrictions.
Resorts This term has a broad range of uses, particularly among independent lodging options. In general, “resort” refers to a facility that has something to offer besides accommodations. Look for things like pools, playgrounds, golf, mini-golf, sports equipment, gift shops, marinas, and restaurants, in addition to whatever type of accommodations offered. You will find RV resorts, cabin resorts, water park resorts, and more traditional motel type resorts among unchained lodging options.
Tips: Don’t mentally insert the term “luxury” when you are considering a resort. Most small independent resorts fall outside that classification. Think more along the lines of comfortable and fun.
Bed & Breakfasts While this used to primarily mean a room in someone’s large house with breakfast served in a communal dining room, today’s B&B choices can include secluded cabins with kitchens stocked for breakfast or even private homes that you occupy alone.
Tips: It’s best to know in advance if bathrooms are shared or private, whether children are allowed, and whether the facility is hosted or not.
Inns This is a term that invokes images of quaint country lodging in an old fashioned hotel. That’s probably what you’ll get, but the term is also be used by more modern facilities that more closely resemble chain lodging.
Tips: As with B&B’s, always ask if children are allowed before showing up with your brood. Bathrooms may be shared and meals may or may not be included.
Lodges You are likely to find a large variety of facility types lumped into this category. You may be thinking of a big stone or log building with interior sleeping rooms, but in some parts of the country lodges are anything but that. It can be as simple as a collection of rooms or cabins with one central building that may house the office, gift shop, and/or restaurant. Either way, the implication is somewhat rustic, and that could mean rustic décor or rustic accommodations.
Tips: Look for pictures on the Internet or ask for printed brochures so that you know what to expect on arrival. One thing most lodges have in common is rural locations. Be sure you know just how rural and pack accordingly.
Cabins Seems self explanatory, but in reality this can be the designation for anything from a luxurious three bedroom house at the lake to a simple screen shelter. You will find cabins rented individually, by property management companies, clustered at cabin resorts, and at campgrounds or RV parks.
Tips: The vast majority of accommodations that fall into this category come with some type of kitchen, either full or partial. Many will come supplied with dishes and utensils, but ask to be sure. Linen options are varied so ask about those as well. It’s also wise to ask about heat and a/c. Don’t assume that the casual nature of the accommodations means that you can pack in as many people as you want. It’s rare to find a rental cabin that doesn’t have occupancy restrictions.
Resorts This term has a broad range of uses, particularly among independent lodging options. In general, “resort” refers to a facility that has something to offer besides accommodations. Look for things like pools, playgrounds, golf, mini-golf, sports equipment, gift shops, marinas, and restaurants, in addition to whatever type of accommodations offered. You will find RV resorts, cabin resorts, water park resorts, and more traditional motel type resorts among unchained lodging options.
Tips: Don’t mentally insert the term “luxury” when you are considering a resort. Most small independent resorts fall outside that classification. Think more along the lines of comfortable and fun.
Finding the Perfect Place to Stay
Many of you know that Gary & I travel when we aren't hosting travelers at our resort. Of course that doesn't happen often enough, so when we can't travel, we read about traveling. We read blogs, message boards, magazines, and online reviews. We scour the Internet for interesting places to stay, near us and far flung. Here are our recent observations:
1) We should find ways to travel more- even if it's just for a couple of nights at a time.
2) More businesses should build blogs so you feel up to the minute about what's going on at their location.
3) We should all remember that a few pitfalls serve to make your journey a better story to tell.
4) It's rare for two travelers to see the same place or event in the same light. A good example of this was found in a review I recently read about scuba diving in Belize. The reviewer was not pleased with her dive trip because it involved a one hour boat ride to get to the dive site. Gary and I have been fortunate enough to have been on that same trip. The diving was fantastic, but that boat ride was the icing on the cake! Tiny islands dotted the ocean, some with one palm tree, some with nothing but sand. It was the ride of a lifetime. Maybe the reviewer was just having a bad day.
5) It's easy to build a great website; it's hard to build a great hospitality business.
6) There are some really interesting places to stay close to home; we've got lots of competition to keep us on our toes.
7) We sometimes stay at those look-alike highway hotels for convenience, but life is really too short to always stay inside the box. We usually enjoy our travels more when we step outside the Comfort/LaQuinta zone.
8) Research, research, research. See observation #5.
1) We should find ways to travel more- even if it's just for a couple of nights at a time.
2) More businesses should build blogs so you feel up to the minute about what's going on at their location.
3) We should all remember that a few pitfalls serve to make your journey a better story to tell.
4) It's rare for two travelers to see the same place or event in the same light. A good example of this was found in a review I recently read about scuba diving in Belize. The reviewer was not pleased with her dive trip because it involved a one hour boat ride to get to the dive site. Gary and I have been fortunate enough to have been on that same trip. The diving was fantastic, but that boat ride was the icing on the cake! Tiny islands dotted the ocean, some with one palm tree, some with nothing but sand. It was the ride of a lifetime. Maybe the reviewer was just having a bad day.
5) It's easy to build a great website; it's hard to build a great hospitality business.
6) There are some really interesting places to stay close to home; we've got lots of competition to keep us on our toes.
7) We sometimes stay at those look-alike highway hotels for convenience, but life is really too short to always stay inside the box. We usually enjoy our travels more when we step outside the Comfort/LaQuinta zone.
8) Research, research, research. See observation #5.
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