Finding Comfort inn the Gaslamp in San Diego

Finding comfort and luxury is no big deal in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. It's packed to the gills with the most outrageously luxurious and opulent hotels in San Diego, and the less said about the hedonistic goings-on at the nightclubs and the other watering holes the better.

Point is, it's difficult to find the other end of the price range in the Gaslamp. If you don't have bags of money stashed away in your mattress, it's best not to wander anywhere near PETCO Park and the San Diego Convention Center. Most of the cheap San Diego motels and budget lodging options are located way further off, where there is no view of the Bay and the San Diego beaches.

One exception is the Comfort Inn, which, inspite of being a budget Inn, is just 1 mile off the San Diego Convention Center, with the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld and Mexico all inside of 30 minutes. Not that you want to go to Mexico right now, what with the drug wars and all, but just so you know...

The 103 guest rooms are all equipped with a microwave, mini-fridge, wet bar, free local calls and free high-speed wireless internet. That's in addition to the in-room coffee maker, safe, iron and board, hair dryer, cable TV and pay per view movies. You get a complimentary American breakfast with homemade Belgian waffles, eggs and sausages. If you're a health freak, there's free admission available to the local BodyWorks Life Enhancement Center.

Hotel amenities include dry cleaning and laundry service, guest coin laundry, a business center with fax services, free shuttle from San Diego Airport, and off street parking. The nearest place to eat is the Buca di Beppo Restaurant next door to the hotel. Rates from $129.

Info: 660 G Street San Diego CA 92101; (800) 598-1810; www.comfortinngaslamp.com/

Spring Madness at Hotel 31 in New York City

Spring is the air, and there's always madness aplenty going around in New York. And the Hotel 31 on 31st Street between Lexington & Park Avenue puts the two together to come up with a 'Spring Madness' special. Simply put, you get $10 off any reservation you make. More details here.

The hotel says it offers buget accomodations for the discerning traveler. Loose NYC translation means that it's way cheaper than the $300 that most well known New York hotels charge, and it's suitable for tourist groups and other travelers looking to wrap up their New York vacations without going broke.

The 60 guest rooms at the Hotel 31 offer cable TV, telephone, air conditioning, daily maid service, hairdryers, iron board (on request), toiletries and a safe. That's pretty utilitarian, even by skinflint NYC standards, but when you're paying $100 per night (taxes extra) for a hotel room in New York City where average rates exceed $280 even in the middle of a recession, well... You take what you get.

For this $100, you get a double room with a Queen bed, striped walls, a painting above and behind the headboard and all the amenities mentioned above. It's not exactly the Waldorf=Astoria, but it is much better than what a motel will offer you, inspite of costing about the same as most New York motels. And they do have a 24-hour concierge, who will probably be a lot more helpful and friendly than the Waldorf's concierge...

Info: 120 East 31st Street, New York, NY 10016; (212) 685-3060; www.hotel31.com/

Super 8 Motel in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Seen one, seen em all. True, but sometimes it's better to depend on a known evil than an unknown one. Especially if you're in Fort Wayne. Even more so if you're looking for a room in Fort Wayne motels.

The Super 8 motels across the nation are basically like a chain of fast-food joints. They all offer the same thing, you don't need a menu and you just tell them to bring a burger or pizza or whatever your specific fix happens to be. But it's much better than eating off a street vendor where you have no idea how it's going to be. This doesn't apply to the priviliged folks who can still afford to dine out at fancy restaurants with snooty waiters.

So, for everyone who cannot afford the luxury of the posh hotels in Fort Wayne, but don't want to end up in a rat-trap motel, there's always the safe and steady Super 8 Motel on 5710 Challenger Pkwy. It's close to the Glenbrook Mall, Allen County Public Library and Spiece Field House, with easy access to I-69.

Offers 24 hour front desk, free wireless hi-speed internet, free local calls, free continental SuperStart breakfast, a seasonal heated outdoor pool, and it's close to shopping and dining facilities. Motel has a huge parking lot and you can park your truck/bus too.

It's also pet friendly ($10 fee), family friendly (ice and vending machine, maid service, rollaway bed and crib -$10 fee) and convinient for business travelers (work desk, safety deposit box, international calls, free newspaper, business center with copy and fax facilities, etc.).

All rooms are air conditioned, with card access, coffee maker, hairdryers, iron & ironing board, satellite/cable TV, pap per view, refrigirator and microwave. Rates from $46.74

Info: 5710 Challenger Pkwy Ft Wayne, IN 46818; (260) 489-0050; website

Vagabond Found inn Downtown Los Angeles

Is true. There's this Vagabond inn downtown Los Angeles (btw, why can't I just write LA instead of Los Angeles? If I do, the LA culture cops will throw hissy fits, that's why...). Anyway, this Vagabond Inn is apparently squatting on some prime property in the heart of Los Angeles, just a stone's throw the USC campus and the Shrine Auditorium.

This particular Vagabond doesn't seem to understand that vagabonds are supposed to be broke and unkempt and rude. Instead, this Vagabond Inn is surprisingly nice and offers all the amenities and facilities which would make all fairly decent Los Angeles motels go crimson with envy. There's flowery gardens in the forefront and tall palms swaying in the backround, with a large hated outdoor swimming pool in the center of the courtyard, inviting you to take a dip in the brilliant SoCal weather.

To top it off, there's a business center in the lobby and the Grinder restaurant is on the premises for your dining convenience, and plenty more restaurants in the vicinity, if you need more choice. You also get free continental breakfast and parking (even if you turn up in a bus or a semi-truck), cable TV with 99 channels, in-room coffee & tea maker, hair dryer, free high-speed internet access, iron / board, microwave oven, refrigerator and free local phone calls.

If you're a business traveler, the Vagabond cleverly entices you with outgoing fax services, free incoming faxes and business friendly rooms. If you have family and kids with runny noses and sreaming babies, the Vagabond morphs into a quasi-nanny and offers you baby cots, rollaway beds and free lodging for all kids below 18 years of age, provide they're accompanied by paying adults. They're pet friendly, and so your child will not need to leave his or her best 4-legged friend at home.

In summary, the Vagabond Inn offers everything from a cheap $79 Queen Bed for single travelers, to a $129 family suite, where you can stuff your entire family, the dog, get free parking and breakfast, and you're nicely situated for a quick drive down to the famed tourist attractions in Los Angeles.

Info: 3101 S. Figueroa Los Angeles, CA 90007; Tel: (213) 746-1531; Reservations: (800) 522-1555; website

Mayflower Motel pioneers Cheap Chicago lodging

There's not so many Chicago motels still in business who can offer this kind of sub-50 rate. The Mayflower Motel still does - they have rooms from $46.62. Are there any downsides to these low rates? Of course, you can't expect the Ritz for fifty bucks, but you can expect a certain amount of basic decency, safety and cleanliness.

The motel is conviniently located in Clarendon Hills, near the Brookfield Zoo, Drury Lane Theatre and Oak Brook shopping center. No shortage of dining options in the vicinity, and you can easily make your own to the downtown Chicago attractions.

What you get for your $46.62 is rooms with free wireless high speed internet, table and chairs,
balcony/patio (most rooms), refrigerator and microwave, satellite TV with remote, phone Facilities, coffee maker, bathtub and shower, iron & Hairdryer (available on request), fax and copy services, and free parking.

But it's not all sweet as apple pie. For starters, their online reservation system is broken. So, basically, what you have to do is land up there and see if everything is on the level. I mean, you could call and make a reservation, but if you're going to be doing that, you should probably have a backup accomodation plan ready, just in case...

Info: 407 Ogden Ave Cleandon Hills Chicago IL 60514; (630) 325-2500; www.mayflowermotelchicago.com/

Atlantic City's Best Envoy inn the Western World

If you a representative sample of what Atlantic City motels and hotels need to be like, then the best candidate is likely the Best Western Envoy Inn, located on 1416 Pacific Avenue, within walking distance of the boardwalk, shopping, clubs and the casinos including Trump Plaza, Caesar's and the Trump Taj Mahal.

The other Atlantic City attractions, including Atlantic City Beach, Ripley's Believe It or Not®, the Convention Center, Noyes Museum, the Cape May Zoo, Historic Cape May and the Historic Gardener's Basin are all within easy access from the Envoy Inn. Famed clubs like Deja Vu, Club Tru, Studio Six and Cashbah are just a quarter mile away.

Plus, there's several golf courses within minutes of the Inn, including the Blue Heron Pines Golf Club, Harbor Pines Golf Club and Mays Lading Golf Club. To top it off, if you lucky, you might be able to witness one of the shows that the Inn hosts regularly, like the Miss America Pageant, antique Shows, and air Shows.

As for the accomodations, the 76 air-conditioned guest rooms spread across 4 floors offer cable satellite TV and high-speed internet access. Jacuzzi suites are available for those in the mood for some luxury. You get free parking, complimentary breakfast, free local calls, coffee/tea maker, hair dryer, iron & ironing board.

The Best Western Envoy Inn employes multilingual staff for your convinience, and there's a gift stand, fax and photocopy services. And complimentary newspapers.

Rates from $225 onwards. Children aged 12 and under can stay free with an accompanying paying adult in the same room.

Info: 1416 Pacific Avenue Atlantic City NJ 08401; (609) 344-7116; www.bestwesternnewjersey.com/

Park at Motel Mediteran San Diego for wild animal pleasure

No - Not the kind of wild animal pleasure which one can occasionally find in San Diego motels. What we're talking about here is the pleasure of roaming the Wild Animal Park in San Diego, which is just a lion's roar away from the Motel Mediteran, where you can park your vehicle.

So, if you're interested despite the disappointment over the lack of carnal pleasures, read on for all the great facilities and services offered up by the Motel Mediteran.

The Motel is convinient not just for those visiting the Wild Animal Park, but is also a central location right off the I-15 in Escondido, convinient for taking a multi-day tour of all the attractions in San Diego. Plus, you get a nice family atmosphere, swimming pool, guest laundry facilities, a business center, free wi-fi, HBO and cable TV, kitchenettes, jacuzzi suites, and free continental breakfast. Rolloaway beds available upon request.

It's clean and decent, and most importantly, it's very cheap by San Diego standards. Rates from $49.99. Oceanside is just 25 minutes away, and you have easy access to all the San Diego beaches in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Torrey Pines, Delmar, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Lucadia, Cardiff on the beach, Carlsbad, and Oceanside.

If you're an outdoorsy type, there's plenty of hiking and biking trails in the vicinity. The Daley Ranch is 20 minutes away, and offers up mixed trail use for hiking and mountain biking with multiple loops throughout the park from beginner to expert. The many challenges of Lake Hidges are just 10 minutes off.

Info: 2336 S. Escondido Blvd Escondido CA 92025; (760) 743-2300; www.motelmed.com/