Hotels in southern USA in July

In 2 weeks, I'm visiting US for the second time. This time I'm traveling by car, through Houston, Austin, Dallas and New Orleans. I haven't been in any of these cities, and don't know how long I'll want to stay in each, so I hope to keep the itinerary as flexible as possible. Ideal would be booking the next hotel the evening before. My fears about this are:

1. Higher price. Would I get lower prices by booking through sites such as Hotels.com 2 weeks in advance, than calling the hotel the night before? Is that a fact, or am I tricked by the ads?

2. Lower availability. Can I be sure to get a relatively central hotel at this period, if I arrive with a short notice? I'm looking for 3-star hotels mostly.

In short, is it advisable to travel this way, if you're not ready to sleep in the car? :-)

Gustaf

> I think it depends on how much time you are prepared
> to spend looking for a room when you hit town.

Yep. My view is that vacation time is valuable and it's a shame to
spend any of it looking for a room.

I'd rather do that BEFORE the trip, if possible.

But make sure that you know the cancellation policy when you make your
reservations, and write down everything and take it with you, just in
case your plans change.

James

> I would drop in on the library, book a time for using the net
> and then wander the town centre until a computer was
> available; usually less than 15 minutes...

A time-saving alternative (if your budget permits) is to take a laptop
or an internet-capable handheld device like an iPod Touch or iPhone,
and make reservations from your hotel room the night before, or on the
run via a WiFi hotspot.

James

"Gus" <loftyblond@************> wrote in message
news:A_GdnetaHvIinfTVnZ2dnUVZ_gednZ2d@giganews.com ...
> In 2 weeks, I'm visiting US for the second time. This time I'm traveling
> by car, through Houston, Austin, Dallas and New Orleans. I haven't been in
> any of these cities, and don't know how long I'll want to stay in each, so
> I hope to keep the itinerary as flexible as possible. Ideal would be
> booking the next hotel the evening before. My fears about this are:
>
> 1. Higher price. Would I get lower prices by booking through sites such as
> Hotels.com 2 weeks in advance, than calling the hotel the night before? Is
> that a fact, or am I tricked by the ads?
>
> 2. Lower availability. Can I be sure to get a relatively central hotel at
> this period, if I arrive with a short notice? I'm looking for 3-star
> hotels mostly.
>
> In short, is it advisable to travel this way, if you're not ready to sleep
> in the car? :-)
>
> Gustaf


If you are looking for places with a local flair, and not a chain, you
definitely should reserve ahead of time.

Since you are driving, you shouldn't have any problem finding something last
minute, unless it's a particular hotel you want in a certain part of the
city. Around cities, you'll find lots of places near the Interstates --
Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn, Motel Six, Budget Inn, LaQuinta Inn, etc. These
aren't fancy but they are clean. In Houston and Dallas, there is no
advantage to being downtown (unless for business). In New Orleans you'll
probably want to be by the French Quarter, so you might want to book that
ahead of time. Austin has a walkable downtown, and great music scene.
There's a Laquinta near the university/downtown area I used years ago.

Also, when you're at visitors' centers or rest stops, look around for coupon
circulars. There are some great deals if you're lucky. If you find a chain
you like, take one of their directories to find your next stop.

Remember, it's going to be hot and humid :-)

> In New Orleans you'll probably want to
> be by the French Quarter...

I agree, but be aware that the French Quarter can get somewhat wild at
night, especially near Bourbon Street, where you'll find most of the
bars. Loud music, lots of drinking, etc.

I've stayed in that area and enjoyed it, but a friend who's more
conservative was turned off by the noise at night and rowdy behavior
outside her hotel window. It varies, of course, depending on what
street you're on.

James