old motel chains....

[JimSawhill]

Remember some old hotel chains?? Like Shoney??

[TheFugitive]

When I worked for Ames and used to travel for them they would put me into some
really crappy places.

For example the Red Carpet Inn in Jacksonville, Florida.  Musty soiled carpets, funky
smells, stains on the wall, a semi-working television, and a deceptive phone policy that
stuck me with a BIG long distance bill.  And it was in a high-crime area.  I think I've
seen it several times in reruns of COPS.

To be topped only by the Holiday by the Lake Motel in Houghton Lake, Michigan.
My electric space heater caught fire at 1:30 in the morning.  Blue smoke came pouring out
of it.  The smoke alarm woke up all the other guests.  I opened my door to let the smoke out
and realized the owners closed up the office and went home at 11.  So I had to stay there as
the temperature plunged closer to the outdoor temp of 13F.

That was one REALLY cold shower that morning.  Next day there was a post-it on my door saying something
was wrong with my heater and to come to the office to get a new room.  No kidding!

And another place in Chelsea, Michigan where I got locked out of my room cause when I put the
key in the entire lock cylinder came out in my hand.

And a place in Hillsdale, Michigan where the bed was so short my legs beyond the mid-calf were
dangling in the air (and I'm only 5' 10").  The next closest motel at the time was in Ohio.

Ahh, the joys of traveling for a company that's in Chapter 11.   ::)

[ynkeesfn82]

For example the Red Carpet Inn in Jacksonville, Florida.  Musty soiled carpets, funky
smells, stains on the wall, a semi-working television, and a deceptive phone policy that
stuck me with a BIG long distance bill.  And it was in a high-crime area.  I think I've
seen it several times in reruns of COPS.

Gotta love Red Carpet Inns.  ::)

There used to be one here in Southington, Connecticut. What a pit. It was built as a Howard Johnson's. (Before my time). There was a Howard Johnson's Restaurant on the property as well. (Again before my time). I remember when the hotel was a Travel Lodge and the restaurant was Bickford's. Then the hotel became the independent Traveler's Inn. The restaurant became Gold Roc Diner 2. The the restaurant became Agave Mexican Grill & Bar and they painted the exterior of the restaurant a sickening Green Color. The hotel became a Red Carpet Inn. The restaurant (still under the same ownership as Agave) became TD Homer's Sports Bar (and is enjoying much success). The hotel was sold, millions of dollars of renovations were done and it's now a Days Inn. They even have room service from TD Homer's. The hotel is really beautiful now. When the hotel was still The Red Carpet Inn an employee was murdered outside somewhere in-between the hotel and the Agave Grill. And that was it for my friend's mother. She quit right after the guy was murdered after only 3 weeks on the job.

[BillyGr]

For example the Red Carpet Inn in Jacksonville, Florida.  Musty soiled carpets, funky
smells, stains on the wall, a semi-working television, and a deceptive phone policy that
stuck me with a BIG long distance bill.  And it was in a high-crime area.  I think I've
seen it several times in reruns of COPS.

Gotta love Red Carpet Inns.  ::)

So, what you two are saying is that you don't want to know why the Carpet at Red Carpet is Red  ;) ;) ;D

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

I know of another one: Imperial '800' Motels

The Imperial in my city is now a Village Inn.

[JimSawhill]

Imperial 800? We had an Imperial 400 in my town. It was torn down in the 90s for a new Walgreens'. It was located in downtown East Hartford.

[busman_49]

Signature Inn.  They had 28 locations; half of them were in Indiana and the other half were spread about Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, and Ohio.  It was a mid-range hotel chain that was 100% company owned (no franchising).  I had the opportunity to stay in one back in 1991 and thought it was a really nice hotel.

I started a blog chronicling the history of the chain:
http://rdsignatureinn.blogspot.com/

[busman_49]

Cross Country Inn is another one I found.  It was a smaller (25 locations) chain that was mainly centered around the Columbus, Ohio, area (where the headquarters were located), but there were some in the Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo areas, with a few in Michigan and a couple in Kentucky

[JimSawhill]

Cross Country Inn is another one I found.  It was a smaller (25 locations) chain that was mainly centered around the Columbus, Ohio, area (where the headquarters were located), but there were some in the Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo areas, with a few in Michigan and a couple in Kentucky

What happened to those hotels? Do you know?

[busman_49]

Cross Country Inn is another one I found.  It was a smaller (25 locations) chain that was mainly centered around the Columbus, Ohio, area (where the headquarters were located), but there were some in the Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo areas, with a few in Michigan and a couple in Kentucky

What happened to those hotels? Do you know?

Out of the 24 I was able to find, two have been demolished in the last 4 years.  The rest belong to other chains:
America's Best Value: 4
Super 8: 5
Days Inn: 2
Motel 6: 2
Best Western: 1
Varsity Inn: 2 (these are the ones close to the OSU campus)
Continent Inn: 1
Red Roof Inn: 4
Econo Lodge: 1

This may be my next project after my Signature Inn blog wraps up...

[BillyGr]

Suisse Chalet - which divided up and was sold to a number of brands, though I think Fairfield by Marriott got the biggest chunk of them.

Treadway Inns - One still left independent in Owego, NY, the rest again sold off to a variety of other brand names.

[JimSawhill]

Suisse Chalet - which divided up and was sold to a number of brands, though I think Fairfield by Marriott got the biggest chunk of them.

Treadway Inns - One still left independent in Owego, NY, the rest again sold off to a variety of other brand names.

Suisse Chalet had a hotel in Hartford...in Brainard Park area.

Another was the Koala Inn...

[ynkeesfn82]

Suisse Chalet had a hotel in Hartford...in Brainard Park area.

The one in Southington was torn down last year. It's going to be a medical office building for Hartford Health Care. After the Suisse Chalet it was Howard Johnson Express and then The Knights Inn. A bunch of owners who ran it into the ground over and over again.

[JimSawhill]

Suisse Chalet had a hotel in Hartford...in Brainard Park area.

The one in Southington was torn down last year. It's going to be a medical office building for Hartford Health Care. After the Suisse Chalet it was Howard Johnson Express and then The Knights Inn. A bunch of owners who ran it into the ground over and over again.

Was it on rt 10, Marc? I believe it was...