Best Cheap Hotel Chains for the Great American Road Trip

Planning a vacation can get expensive quickly. There’s the cost of getting there, doing things, and then finding somewhere to stay while you’re having all that fun. Fortunately, there are still some great budget hotels and motels that offer an inexpensive option for your trip. If you’re not sure where to start looking, check our list of most searched budget hotels on Yahoo.

10. Howard Johnson: Under the Orange Roof

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Howard Johnson Rapid City in Rapid City, South Dakota (Courtesy: Wyndham Hotel Group)

Howard Johnson started his eponymous business as a line of restaurants in the 1920s, with a focus on the 28 flavors of ice cream he had developed. Today there are just two Howard Johnson’s restaurants left open—in Lake George, N.Y., and Bangor, Maine. But the company’s line of motor lodges, opened in the 1950s, became some of the first motor-hotels (later shortened to motels) as car travel became ubiquitous. Now owned by the Wyndham company, and part of the Wyndham rewards program, Howard Johnson has three tiers of hotel: Howard Johnson Hotels, Howard Johnson Express Inns, and Howard Johnson Plaza Hotels. There are over 6,000 locations worldwide and almost all of them offer a free continental breakfast and copy of USA Today in the morning.

9. Motel 6: We’ll Leave the Light On

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The original Motel 6 in Santa Barbara. (Courtesy: Motel 6)

The “6” in Motel 6 comes from the original price of a room: just $6/night. (That’s about $47.50 in today’s dollars, and there are certainly some locations that can still be found for that price.) When two contractors opened the first Motel 6 in Santa Barbara in 1962 the idea was to offer a budget alternative to hotels that were becoming increasingly upscale. As such, it emphasized its no-frills policy. Early Motel 6 locations had no restaurant on site and rooms had coin-operated black-and-white TV sets, instead of free color TVs. While some of those things have changed—they all have free TVs now—the focus is still on budget rooms without frivolous extras. In recent years, the company has begun a system-wide renovation. These updated hotels can be identified by the “refreshed” logo on that location’s website page.

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8. Comfort Inn: A Quality Value

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The new look and feel of Comfort Inn means more comfort that’s still easy on your wallet. (Courtesy: Choice Hotels)

Comfort Inn is just one brand of the Choice Hotels company, which also owns Econo Lodge. It originally started as Quality Courts, which was a kind of referral system that published the names of properties that complied with certain standards, and later started franchising locations. Quality eventually split to add Comfort Inn—for the budget-minded traveler—and Quality Royale, which became Clarion Hotels. Now they also have Comfort Suites and Quality Inn. Comfort Inn remains among its economical properties, though slightly more upscale than many of the budget options available out there. Renovations recently upgraded many locations, which also offer free breakfast and free Wi-Fi. Most Comfort Inns are franchises that operate relatively independently, though all meet standards of cleanliness and comfort.

7. La Quinta: Vacation in the Villa

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Courtesy: La Quinta

La Quinta means “the Villa” in Spanish, and most of the locations give a nod to Spanish architecture (though that isn’t always the case with the former Budgetel Inns being converted). Starting with one location in San Antonio, the company is still based in Texas. But it now has over 700 properties in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. With the focus on business travelers, all locations have free Internet, free breakfast, and free newspapers in the lobby. Most also have swimming pools, fitness centers, and meeting rooms. Plus, you can bring your pet along for free.

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6. Days Inn: A Day in the Sun

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Courtesy: Days Inn

Started in Georgia in 1970 by Cecil B. Day, who went on to become a well-known Christian philanthropist, the early Days Inns allowed guests to take home a Bible from their rooms for free. Those early locations also featured restaurants, gift shops, and even unbranded gas pumps, which sold gas to the vacationers traveling by car for cheaper than nearby gas stations. In the 1990s, the company hit some hard times as the then-owners struggled with bankruptcy and tax fraud charges. Today it is part of the Wyndham line and participates in Wyndham rewards program, and offers free breakfast and Wi-Fi

5. Wingate by Wyndham: Mid-market Value

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Courtesy: Wyndham

Wyndham is a large hotel group that owns multiple spots on our budget list. That means you can use Wyndham rewards points at all their locations. Wingate, which started as Wingate Inn in 1996, fits somewhere in the middle of Wyndham’s brands. It’s not too expensive, but with a focus on business travelers there are slightly more amenities than at your most frill-free of options. Along with the standard free breakfast and Wi-Fi, Wingate also has workrooms, higher-end meeting rooms, and pools, and most have a 24-hour snack bar in the lobby. Wingate is Wyndham’s more mid-market line, with just a few hundred hotels, and there aren’t as many locations as some of the other brands.

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4. Quality Inn: Comfort and Quality with Choice

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Great quality at great prices. (Photo: Choice Hotels)

Quality Inn shares a common history with another value on our list, Comfort Inn. Both grew out of the Quality Courts line in the Southern U.S. and both are now part of the Choice Hotels brands. Both offer free breakfast and Wi-Fi, and a relatively strong bang for your buck. Quality Inn, though, tends to be just slightly cheaper than its sister hotel. While many locations are franchises and can vary in amenities, Quality Inn is known for offering a consistently clean and comfortable stay.

3. Hampton Inn: The Hilton Guarantee

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Courtesy: Hampton Inn

Part of the Hilton line of hotels now, Hampton was started as a division of Holiday Inns in the 1980s. It was bought by Hilton in 1999 and today the line covers Hampton Hotels, which includes new full-service boutique hotels, and Hampton Inn & Suites, which offer suites in addition to regular rooms. Many Hampton by Hilton hotels also have on-site bars and some lunch and dinner services. Hilton has been making a massive renovation of all Hampton Inns around the country. The renovations include upgrades to the beds, showers, and some of the food items in the free breakfast. You can now get cheese omelets with real cheese. While Hilton has made an effort to create consistent standards across the Hampton line, there are still some local franchise variations.

2. Candlewood Suites: Long-term Living

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Courtesy: Candlewood Suites

After founding Residence Inn and Summerfield Suites, Jack Deboer launched Candlewood Suites for the long-term business traveler. Because it is focused on extended-stay travelers, Candlewood is able to offer large suites with fully equipped kitchens, complimentary guest laundry, 24-hour exercise facilities, and even an outdoor barbecue at very reasonable rates. They do that by having higher long-term occupancy and by getting rid of some of the frills that come with short-term vacations. Your room is unlikely to be cleaned daily, especially if you’re staying for longer. And there is generally no free hot breakfast, no swimming pool, and no large meeting spaces or lobby. Owned by InterContinental Hotel Group, Candlewood has about 300 locations around the world.

1. Extended Stay America: Stay for an Extended Vacation

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Extended Stay America’s studio hotel rooms have all the comforts of home. (Photo: Extended Stay America/Facebook)

Extended Stay America is the largest chain of extended-stay hotels in the country, with over 600 locations. It was started in 1995 by the founders of a number of large companies to capitalize on growing business travel. While it faced bankruptcy and competition from an increasing number of extended stay hotel brands, Extended Stay America has revamped itself with renovations. Suites include full kitchens, new bedding and lights, and guest laundry. Most locations also have fitness centers, pools, grab-and-go breakfast, and free shuttle services. Bring your pet with you too for the stay. And if you’re going to be staying at Extended Stay for a long while, you can sign up for their loyalty program for extra savings.

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