Motel 6 goes for younger image, offers free stays to rock bands

by Katie Hammel on

When you think of edgy, hip places to stay, I’d venture a guess that Motel 6 isn’t the first place that comes to mind. But the budget lodging chain is hoping to change that with a new promotion – providing free rooms to a few up-and-coming touring rock bands. The marketing gurus at Motel 6 have asked the bands to blog and tweet about their stays, hoping that the buzz will build brand recognition and positive association among younger customers.

The bands, which were chosen by a music promotion company called Primary Wave Music, will receive six weeks of accommodation at Motel 6 locations along the tour routes. The bands aren’t being told what to say about Motel 6, but the company is obviously hoping for positive press. Even the budget motel has been hit hard by declining travel, with occupancy rates down 5-7% over the last year. Jeff Palmer, VP of marketing, is hoping the promotion will help get Motel 6 back on track, and earn the company some new, younger customers. “If they stay with us young, maybe they’ll remain brand loyal,” he said.

Rock on, Motel 6.

What is that bad smell in your motel room? It could be a Meth lab!

by Scott Carmichael on

Some time ago, Justin wrote about meth makers using the coffee machine in hotel rooms to brew their concoctions. It’s now 2 years later, and the problem seems to be going from bad to worse.

Meth makers are increasingly using motel rooms for their “cooking”, often checking in late at night, and leaving the place behind by morning.

Of course, since these criminals are not the most ethical people around, they are not putting too much effort into cleaning up their mess of toxic chemicals. The problem is so widespread, that there are companies that do nothing but clean up whatever stench is left behind.

Some meth makers try to mask the odor with cat litter, others use absorbent materials left between the mattress and box spring. If the mess is too serious, a cleanup may involve replacing all the furniture and other items in the room, along with a $20,000 cleanup job.

So, the lesson to be learned here is to always be on the lookout for strange odors and stains in your room, if you suspect something isn’t right, get out of the room and notify the front desk.

It’s bad enough when you run into a dark and depressing room, but it’s a totally different situation when the bad smell in the room could actually kill you. Oh, and if any meth makers are reading this – thanks for making it so damn hard to buy the good Nyquil this winter.

(Via: Chicago Sun Times)

UK introduces movable, recyclable hotel concept

by Abha Malpani on

There seem to be a variety of recycled hotels around the world. New Zealand has a 1950’s Bristol Fighter that has been converted into a motel; The Hague has marine lifeboats converted into floating hotels, and Stavoren (also Netherlands) has 15,000 liter wine-vats converted into hotel rooms.

But the latest in the recycled hotels genre is a recyclable one that can move locations! Budget hotel operator Travelodge has come up with this cheap, quick to construct, and green accommodation solution for large scale festivals and events where they rent out some crates from China and put together a temporary, recyclable hotel in 12-weeks. The pre-built, container-like crates are stacked together and bolted to form an 8-floor, 120-room hotel structure, and come in modules with bathrooms installed; the rest of the furnishings will be added later.

It probably doesn’t get more inventively green, but I’d have safety concerns.

What will they come up with next? Recyclable houses? Cars? Planes?

Questionable Hotel Rug Patterns

by Justin Glow on

Tina over at Swiss Miss (great blog, by the way) recently stayed at the Marriot in Atlanta and noticed a rather bizarre collection of wildly varying rug patterns throughout the building. She posted a small flickr set of her findings, which remind me of that scene in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas when the obnoxious patterns of the hotel carpet come alive in Hunter Thompson’s head, and ooze up the walls and onto the ceiling.

Why do hotels traditionally lay the loudest carpeting? Is it so it appears cleaner without actually, you know, being cleaned? Surely the designs aren’t selected based on any sort of aesthetic qualities. What’s the deal?