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Does Age of Hotel Factor in Your Selection?
How long does it take for the average chain hotel to decline? We notice how certain chains come on the scene and then go downhill. The locations either become poorly rated or change brands. A Red Roof Inn becomes a Motel 6. A Travelodge becomes a Thriftlodge. Is this to protect a chain's name? Is it to hide from negative reviews on the internet and in guide books?
An entire brand can change over the years as well. Travelodge began as a budget motel in southern California. I recall when Travelodge seemed to try to be more expensive and catered to business travelers in their ads and locations. I stayed at some nice brand new ones in the 1990s. Now some of the worst rated properties are under the Travelodge brand and it's more of a low budget brand than before.
Holiday Inn is a brand that had a roller coaster ride over the last thirty years are doing much better now. They have many new or renovated buildings and some old Holidays Inn have changed to another name.
Hampton Inn launched in 1984 and have held up well. Many locations are nicer and more expensive than they were when they opened. They recently began a Cloud Nine campaign with better mattresses and their prices tend to be higher than most "budget" hotels. But the reviews we see are also consistently good. Hilton bought the chain in 1999.
Many chains have flagship brands that are considered high end and slowly turn those into their lower end brand names over the years.
We have been adding build dates to our listings for those who pay attention to that. If a building is only a few years old, it has less chance of being in decline than one built in the 1970s. It would be deemed by most people to be safe. On the other hand, some of the finest hotels in the world may be a hundred years old. So travelers need to look at both age and the brand. A thirty year old EconoLodge is far different than a eighty year old Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
Do you or would you consider the age of a property when booking a hotel? Will a "brand new" location look better to you than an older chain location, even if it still has good reviews?
An entire brand can change over the years as well. Travelodge began as a budget motel in southern California. I recall when Travelodge seemed to try to be more expensive and catered to business travelers in their ads and locations. I stayed at some nice brand new ones in the 1990s. Now some of the worst rated properties are under the Travelodge brand and it's more of a low budget brand than before.
Holiday Inn is a brand that had a roller coaster ride over the last thirty years are doing much better now. They have many new or renovated buildings and some old Holidays Inn have changed to another name.
Hampton Inn launched in 1984 and have held up well. Many locations are nicer and more expensive than they were when they opened. They recently began a Cloud Nine campaign with better mattresses and their prices tend to be higher than most "budget" hotels. But the reviews we see are also consistently good. Hilton bought the chain in 1999.
Many chains have flagship brands that are considered high end and slowly turn those into their lower end brand names over the years.
We have been adding build dates to our listings for those who pay attention to that. If a building is only a few years old, it has less chance of being in decline than one built in the 1970s. It would be deemed by most people to be safe. On the other hand, some of the finest hotels in the world may be a hundred years old. So travelers need to look at both age and the brand. A thirty year old EconoLodge is far different than a eighty year old Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
Do you or would you consider the age of a property when booking a hotel? Will a "brand new" location look better to you than an older chain location, even if it still has good reviews?
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