Types of Lodging

Unsure about what kind of place best suits your needs? Are you interested in Luxury accomodations, or just standard? Traveling on an expense account, or a student loan? Here's a description of the types of lodgings and levels of service and amenities I've used in this guide.

Service/Amenities

Luxury Has everything you could ever want, and if they don't, they'll send out for it. The staff is at your beck and call, 24 hours a day. If it's legal, it's on the menu; if it isn't, it just costs more (but that's okay because you can either afford it or you've got an expense account, or you wouldn't be here.) Be prepared to tip big, every time you turn around.
For Vacation homes, includes just about everything you could think of, and some you wouldn't have. Probably featured in some home design magazine, but you won't find such shallow items here. For hostels, includes bath and shower, possibly a kitchenette, and rooms you'd feel comfortable leaving your laptop in.

Business The staff is courteous and attentive to your needs. Fax and print services are available, and rooms should have a data jack for your modem. Rooms should also feature a large work table with good lighting and adequate power outlets. Meeting rooms, hot tubs, workout rooms, and swimming pools are common, and hair dryers, irons, couches, and coffee are often found in the rooms.

Standard It's what you'd expect. Televisions, in-room bathroom (with shower/tub), telephones, and such are available in hotels and motels. Free showers nearby are expected in hostels and campgrounds. Campgrounds should also have picnic tables and possibly barbeque grills, while Hostels should have a community kitchen and hopefully a game or TV room.

Low End A Bed and a Toilet, shower nearby, but you may have to pay at campgrounds and hostels. No TV and probably no telephone.

Type of Lodging

Resort You never have to leave the grounds. Recreation and food is part of the establishment, and is probably better than what you could find nearby. This includes the larger casinos, Disneyland et al, dude ranches, and so on. A destination unto itself.

Hotel Features a lobby and controlled access to all rooms. All rooms are reached via indoor halls. Parking is often a fair distance from your room, but elevators and bellboys can help with that.

Motel Originally from "Motor Hotel", you can park pretty close to your car. Rooms are reached from the outdoors, with balconies serving upstairs rooms. More room for families to run around in.

Hostel An adventure as well as a room. Often converted homes, they are frequented by students. Bathrooms are usually down the hall, and sleeping arrangements range from dorm-style bunk beds to private rooms. Generally they have community kitchen and recreation areas, and guests frequently gather in the evenings to exchange stories, jokes, and travel tips.

Campground Campgrounds today range from a clearing in the middle of nowhere, at the side of an unmaintained road to paved parking lots in the center of town with all the amenities you could want, including pool, hot tub, convenience store, and miniature golf course. Some cater to tent campers and others to the RV crowd and some can handle both. (Of course, with a Land Rover you can handle either!)

Service/Amenities
Luxury	Has everything you could ever want, and if they don't, they'll send out for it. The staff is at your beck and call, 24 hours a day. If it's legal, it's on the menu; if it isn't, it just costs more (but that's okay because you can either afford it or you've got an expense account, or you wouldn't be here.) Be prepared to tip big, every time you turn around. For Vacation homes, includes just about everything you could think of, and some you wouldn't have. Probably featured in some home design magazine, but you won't find such shallow items here. For hostels, includes bath and shower, possibly a kitchenette, and rooms you'd feel comfortable leaving your laptop in.
Business	The staff is courteous and attentive to your needs. Fax and print services are available, and rooms should have a data jack for your modem. Rooms should also feature a large work table with good lighting and adequate power outlets. Meeting rooms, hot tubs, workout rooms, and swimming pools are common, and hair dryers, irons, couches, and coffee are often found in the rooms.
Standard	It's what you'd expect. Televisions, in-room bathroom (with shower/tub), telephones, and such are available in hotels and motels. Free showers nearby are expected in hostels and campgrounds. Campgrounds should also have picnic tables and possibly barbeque grills, while Hostels should have a community kitchen and hopefully a game or TV room.
Low End	A Bed and a Toilet, shower nearby, but you may have to pay at campgrounds and hostels. No TV and probably no telephone.
Type of Lodging
Resort	You never have to leave the grounds. Recreation and food is part of the establishment, and is probably better than what you could find nearby. This includes the larger casinos, Disneyland et al, dude ranches, and so on. A destination unto itself.
Hotel	Features a lobby and controlled access to all rooms. All rooms are reached via indoor halls. Parking is often a fair distance from your room, but elevators and bellboys can help with that.
Motel	Originally from "Motor Hotel", you can park pretty close to your car. Rooms are reached from the outdoors, with balconies serving upstairs rooms. More room for families to run around in.
Hostel	An adventure as well as a room. Often converted homes, they are frequented by students. Bathrooms are usually down the hall, and sleeping arrangements range from dorm-style bunk beds to private rooms. Generally they have community kitchen and recreation areas, and guests frequently gather in the evenings to exchange stories, jokes, and travel tips.
Campground	Campgrounds today range from a clearing in the middle of nowhere, at the side of an unmaintained road to paved parking lots in the center of town with all the amenities you could want, including pool, hot tub, convenience store, and miniature golf course. Some cater to tent campers and others to the RV crowd and some can handle both. (Of course, with a Land Rover you can handle either!)