Capitol Hill Holding Court in Washington DC

If you're planning to get something done on Capitol Hill, you'll need to find a cheap place to stay. Booking in at a posh luxury hotel is fine, but when the says stretch into weeks, even a corporate expense account can start looking insufficient.

Granted, it's not advisable to check into Motel 6 or one of the other cheapo Washington DC motels (in case you need to entertain), but you can split the difference and end up at a medium-scale hotel, like the Washington Court Hotel on Capitol Hill.

And in fact, they have a 'Spring Fling' promotion, valid until May 31, under which you get a 20% discount off the standard rates. So a deluxe double 'double' room with an executive desk and Italian marble bath, whcih normally costs $248, you get for $198.40.

And believe me, when you're dining at Bistro 525 and you have a room with a marble bath and a view of the US Capitol, $198.40 is very, very reasonable. Plus, it's all very new, because they just completed a massive remodel of the lobby, guest rooms and meeting space. Each guest room now features a new chic, contemporary design, from the carpet, drapes and furniture, to the new LCD TVs and ergonomic work desks.

Additional in-room amenties offered include iron & board, hairdryer, bathrobe, two-line phone, and turndown service upon request. Hotel amenities include a gift shop, dining at Bistro 525, Federal City bar & billiards room, business center, fitness center, concierge desk, 24-hour bell staff services, valet parking, complimentary newspaper, video on demand, in room wireless high speed internet, and express check-out.

It's a convinient location and affordable accomodations, for both business and leisure travelers, looking to make some to check out the world famous Washington DC attractions.

Info: 525 New Jersey Avenue NW Washington DC 20001; (202) 628-2100; http://washingtoncourthotel.com/

Brooklyn Hotel lets you Motor inn to the Atlantic

The Atlantic Motor Inn is 1.5 miles from downtown Brooklyn, 3 miles from Manhattan, 5 miles to JFK, and 8 miles to La Guardia Airport. And it offers hotel rooms for little more than a hundred dollars.

The location & price alone should be more than enough to keep it packed to the rafters with visitors to the Big Apple looking for cheap New York hotels. But the Atlantic Motor Inn has a lot more to offer.

Things like a wall mounted flat panel LCD TV with all major channels plus HBO, pillow top mattress, spa rooms, hair dryer, writing desk and chair, and high speed wireless internet. The bed is solid and big, the mattress much more luxurious than you're likely to find at most other comparable Brooklyn hotels, and the two ornate lampshades on either side of the bed give it a rather artsy look.

A standard room with 1 King/Queen bed clocks in at $102.76 (plus tax), and a spa room goes for $146.63 (plus tax).

If you're a tourist in New York looking for a budget crash pad, you could do a lot worse than the Atlantic Motor Inn. It's just 15 minutes to Wall Street and Chinatown, 20 minutes to the Empire State Building and a short hop from there to Times Square and the other fantabuloustic (it's a word, or should be...) New York attractions.

Info: 1768 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn NY 11213; (718) 771-7171; www.atlanticinnbrooklyn.com/

Hollywood Motel has Coral Sands but no Reef-ers

I wouldn't exactly call the Coral Sands Motel on 1730 N. Western Ave in Hollywood, CA a family friendly motel, but I wouldn't label it as a dump either. Los Angeles is a strange place, and plenty of stuff happens there which would be shocking in other cities, but it's fairly run-of-mill when the same things happen in Los Angeles motels.

If you land up there, you'll get a good education about cruising and alternative lifestyles, but if you're in Hollywood and looking for a cheap place to crash for the night, you could do worse than the Coral Sands Motel.

All 60 rooms are air-conditioned, there's a pool and jacuzzi, free wireless internet, off street parking and 24 hour front desk. The motel provides daily maid service, direct dial telephones and cable TV.

For a motel room in Hollywood 40 minutes from LAX which charges $80, it's not so bad. If you want a room with 2 double beds, that's $10 more, with another $10 for each additional guest. They also have suites and weekly rates, if your stay needs 'extending'.

They offer complimentary coffee and doughnuts in the morning, and the other guests won't bother you, if you don't want to be bothered. If you're willing to consider it all as part of the LA expereince, and think of a stay in the Coral Sands Motel as a part of your tour of the Los Angeles attractions, then it might even be interesting. But if you're looking for a safe and homey place for the wife and kids, then you might want to try elsewhere.

Info: 1730 N. Western Ave. Hollywood CA 90027; (323) 467-5141; www.coralsands-la.com/

Best Motel in the high desert in Joshua Tree National Park

There's certainly no shortage of Palm Springs motels which are convinient not only for enjoying the many and wondorous pleasures of Palm Springs, but also for a foray into the harsh desert and the natural wonder that is Joshua Tree National Park.

But if you wish to extend your stay in Joshua Tree, the High-Desert Motel offers a cheap and decent place to stay, with fully equipped vacation rentals conviniently located right at the gateway into Joshua Tree National Park.

Along with free parking, the motel offers cable television, HBO, in-rrom coffee, a swimming pool, air conditioning, microwave, refrigerator, in-room phones, and bbq areas, along with other picnic needs. Rollaway beds available on request. Motel also offers laundry facilites and high speed and wireless internet. They'll also hook you up with local climbing schools and make horseback riding available.

The motel also offers 10-20% discount coupons for a few local restaurants in Joshua Tree. Coupons are made available when you check-in. A standard room with a King bed at the High Desert Motel costs $65, and you can get a 10% discount if you book via telephone.

A lot of people take vacations in Palm Springs for it's healing powers - the spas, the natural mineral water springs, the golfing and shopping and stuff like that. If you're looking for some physical and mental rejenuvation, you might want to pencil in a week or two for a getaway in Joshua Tree, and do some rock climbing, hiking, horse riding, camping and nature explorations.

Info: 61310 Twenty-nine Palms Highway Joshua Tree CA 92252; Reservations: 760-366-1978 or 888-367-3898; website

Beach front San Diego Motel with a View of the Pacific

How'd you like a motel room with a view of one of the most sought San Diego beaches? That would be the Pacific View Motel in Pacific Beach, located on Emerald Street, right on the beach. That's literally true - You step out of your room and you're on the beach.

The motel offers single rooms, twin rooms, oceanview rooms and also a family suite suitable if you have kids, or if you're in a group of 5-6 kids. Many of the rooms have attached kitchenettes equipped with refrigirator, freezer, microwave, stove and oven.

The rooms are nothing to rave over, but pretty decent and eminently 'livable', compared to some of the other San Diego motels I've seen before. The rooms with two double beds are pretty neat. Floor to ceiling womdpws offer great views of the beach and the Pacific, the beds are nice enough - not hard but firm enough to allow a full night's sleep. Lamps above the headboard and smooth color scheme make for good reading beore bedtime. The poster on the wall above the bed is not exactly a masterpiece, but it's better than an empty wall.

The Pacific View Motel is one of the best places to enjoy extended San Diego vacations on limited budgets - They offer cheap weekly rates, the Pacific Beach location on the beach is just about perfect for wasting your entire day without feeling bored - which is what vacations are all about.

It's also just a short drive to downtown San Diego, where you can enjoy the guilty pleasures of the Gaslamp, as also the family and kid friendly attractions in San Diego including Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Balboa Park and Coronado Island, among others. And you can take day trips to Legoland in Carlsbad, La Jolla and even Tijuana in Mexico.

Motel at Journey's End in Atlantic City

There's precious few indie Atlantic City motels to write about, but if you cast your net a bit wider, you'll bump into nice little gems like the Journey's End Motel in Galloway, NJ.

It's just a short drive from there to the casinos, the Atlantic City beaches and boardwalk, Atlantic City Convention center and all the dining and nightlife and the urban wonders of Vegas-by-the-sea.

Accomodation options include guest rooms with King beds, Jacuzzi King beds, Double beds and Jacuzzi double beds. All guest rooms are equipped with cable TV, hair dryers, refrigirator and microwave. You also get complimentary high speed wireless, coffee, tea and newspaper. There's also an on-site guest laundromat and business services like fax and photo-copy.

Delaratoes Bar & Lounge is right across the street, and there's all kinds of fast food joints, Italian, Asian-Indian and Chinese restaurants in the vicinity.

End game here is that while it may not be the Ritz, it's also light years better than the cheap dumps in Atlantic city proper, which are almost all infested with all kinds of shady losers. However, their online reservation system is on the blink, so you might have to call them up and check the rates, availability, etc.

Info: 250 E White Horse Pike Galloway NJ 08205; (609) 748-1900

Writers Block Special at the Algonquin NYC

You want a 25% discount off of the best available rate at the celebrated and famed Algonquin Hotel in New York City? Start writing. Doesn't matter if it's total crap. You just need to show them some proof of your bottomless well of talent in the form of a literary masterpiece, complete or not.

The Algonquin is rightly a legend amongst New York hotels, but it's also pretty well known in literary circles, thanks to the Round Table established in 1919 by Dorothy Parker and other scribblers. The hotel has never been shy of touting it's part in literary heritage, but now they're officially milking it.

The Algonquin has now come out with a package deal specifically for writers. It's appropriately called 'Writers Block'. "The Algonquin is offering an economically-friendly package to all writers suffering from “block,” whether creative or financial. Literary guests who are seeking inspiration and creative vibes will find solace with the cozy, oak-paneled lobby and the hallways showered with classic New Yorker cartoons. From poet to playwright, novice to novelist, literary beings need only show proof of their written work in-progress or published form to take advantage of this special rate of 25% off the best available rate. Two-night minimum required."

Available throughout 2009. To book this package call (866) 406-5341.

Info: 59 West 44th Street (between 5th & 6th) New York NY 10036; (212) 840-6800; www.algonquinhotel.com/