I’m writing this from a hotel room on Long Island.
These days, when Beth and I work away from home, we either book a hotel. stay with friends, or look for an Airbnb.
At the start of our career, though, this was not the case. Beth and I rarely spent a night away from home because A) we were poor and B) we had two small children.
Thanks to my mom, we were able to do early morning shows by sleeping over at her place with our children or she bunked at our place and got the kids to school. Sometimes, neighbors would have to grab our kids off the bus. Thank God we had a lot of support because we could not have built our career without these angels.
Eventually, the children became young adults and left the nest. We moved west, further away from our clientele (especially those on Long Island), and reevaluated our approach to early morning starts. Nowadays, we are inclined to secure lodging the night before a gig in the town where we are working. Energetically, it’s a lot better, though money is still a substantial consideration. I don’t have to tell you – the days of the $59 hotel and the $5 sandwich are long gone.
When I started writing this post, I wondered to myself, “what do my friends think is a fair price for a hotel night?” Is it $150? $250? More?
(We recently found out that two couples we know paid over $1500 per night at a resort near our home. Yikes!)
As prices for most staples soared ever upwards in the last two years, a $119 stay at a Holiday Inn on Long Island increased to $179 or more. Last time I checked, a Marriott was a minimum of $100 more than that and there are fewer of them.
A few years ago, we spent most hotel nights at inexpensive Comfort Inns until we hit a string of them that had mattresses like surfboards and carpets from the depression era. For us, deciding to stay at Holiday Inns was a necessary trade up.
This week and once per month from now until May, we have a two-day gig on Long Island that’s not close to a Holiday Inn. We decided to try a well-rated Econo Lodge (part of the Comfort Inn family) again to see if we could bear it. So far, I’m happy because we have a large, recently renovated room that’s clean and relatively quiet. Will we stay here, again? Can I request this room in advance? TBD.
For some folks, the Airbnb experience is preferable. You can cook there (if the owner has a well-stocked kitchen) and the feel is more homey. Oftentimes, an Airbnb is in a residential area, so you can walk in the neighborhood. Where we are is close to gas stations, shopping centers and highways. It’s far from bucolic.
Low-cost Airbnb experiences we have had are uneven. Hotels, especially the brand name ones, are more consistent. It’s not inconceivable that we will try renting, again – even if it’s only for a change of pace.
What’s your preferred lodging? Are you willing to pay more to get more? I’m curious!
