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This site is a member of WebRing. To browse visit here. Tuesday, December 09, 2008 Extended stay heaven and hell Greetings from Candlewood Suites in Virginia Beach, one of the nicer extended stay places we've been in. It's a bit more expensive than the cheapest ones, but as with anything else, you get what you pay for. And unless money is really tight, what you get is worth it.In order of general preference and amenities, Candlewood has a reasonable amount of counter space (nearly as much as I have at home, if I remove the microwave). It has tableware for four, not just two. It has a good selection of cooking utensils, including a knife long enough to slice bread (important when the only bread you have with you is a homemade loaf snatched out of the freezer at the last minute). It has a toaster, salt and pepper shakers, a measuring cup, a colander, three sizes of serving dishes, two pots and a frying pan--in other words, you could live here for an extended period without having to provide a lot of additional utensils and cookware of your own. That, to me, is the definition of an extended stay hotel. Suburban Hotels are a step down, but still acceptable. No toaster, no dish drying rack, far less useful space (but it's still possible to fix a meal without having to use the sink for counter space). I carry a toaster and a collapsible drying rack with me anyway, so their absence isn't a problem. There's no measuring cup and no serving dishes, but I don't usually need those on the road. Like Candlewood, Suburban provides a small bottle of dish detergent, a cutting board, handtowel, pot holder and dishcloth. And then there is Extended Stay America, sigh. Six inches of counter space (yes, I measured) between the cooktop and the tiny sink. There's a dish drying rack, but where do you put it? Same for the toaster they provide. Two sets of tableware, a spatula and a paring knife, and that's all. No dish detergent, no ice cube trays, no colander. One side of the bed is jammed up against the wall, so whoever is sleeping on that side has to climb in over the end of the bed. The tv is miniscule, you pay extra for internet service, and all the rooms open to the outside. I think what aggravated me the most was the difference between what their website shows as a typical room, and what you actually find after you pay for it and figure out how to use the very odd room key (push it into the lock, hold it there, then turn the knob with your other hand--try managing that with an armful of groceries). I complained at the front desk about what seemed like a bait and switch on the room, and was told that what I saw on the internet was a "generic" room. Uh . . . huh?And for this, you pay only about $15 less than Candlewood. That varies by city, of course, but the difference has been roughly the same for all the cities where we've stayed in both chains. My only gripe about Candlewood is that the desk and eating surface are adjacent to the cooktop, so you risk spattering your computer and paperwork with whatever you're cooking if you're not careful. I'm willing to be careful, for decent food preparation space, free internet, free laundry, a 24-hour exercise room and front desk personnel who don't act as though they expect you to tear up the place if you're not watched every minute. posted by Liz @ 8:14 PM | The template is set to display 10 posts. To see all the posts for this month, click on the month name in the Archive section RSS Feed PERSONAL Send email toliz at life-as-a-spectator-sport.com Home I'm a mother, grandmother, a computer professional, Democrat, Christian. I welcome politely worded comments and email, my spam filter throws the rest away, so don't bother to flame me WHY 'LIFE AS A SPECTATOR SPORT' "If you're lucky not to live in the gutters of a slum, but still can't afford to take vacations in the Alps, you're part of that enormous middle class who lives life through the medium of the television, further separated from "real" life by air conditioner, by automobile, by dishwasher, microwave and ice-in-the-door refrigerator, by automatic washer and dryer, and all the other appliances and conveniences that make it possible for America to live life at second hand. I'm not sure why Americans decided that televised drama was better than the real thing, that cardboard microwave food containers were an adequate substitute for real dishes, and their contents for real food, or that cooking, dishwashing and face-to-face conversation wasn't worth the effort and time it required. Someone fed this nation a plastic crate of out-of-season tomatoes and told us it was life and we took them at their word, and we're so much the poorer for it that it's hard to know where to start to list the shortcomings." I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I have to admit it's much less amusing than I thought it would be to see the artifical construct falling apart. THE NON-ELECTRIC HOME Cleaning, 1 Cleaning, 2 Cleaning, 3 KNITTING BLOGS Extravayarnza Knitting Heretic Mind of Winter Pie Knits Persistent Illusion See Eunny Knit The Keyboard Biologist Taleweaver's Ramblings TECHnitting Wendy Knits FINISHED PROJECTS -------FINISHED IN 2006------- Peruvian Cap Tutti-Frutti Socks Shelley's Socks Carol's Socks -------FINISHED IN 2007------- Chain Link Socks Baby Surprise Jacket Valerie & Friend Baby Bonnet Rainbow Baby Socks Girls Pixie Hood Mitred Square Heart Red & White Socks Coffee Cup Pot Holder Nubbins Dishcloth Garterlac Dishcloth Suede Booties Kate's Socks Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap Half Thumbless Mittens Red Mittens for Akkol -------FINISHED IN 2008------- SELF-RELIANCE AND THE FUTURE -- Blogs and websites -- Causubon's Book Club Orlov Food Storage Made Easy From the Wilderness In the Wake Listening to Katrina Survival Topics The Modern Homestead The Oil Drum Notes from a Hillside Farm -- Mailing Lists -- 12vdc Power Living on the Land Rainwater Refrigeration Alternatives Old Ways of Living POLITICAL BLOGS and SITES The political sites have moved BOOKS I'M READING How to Grow More Vegetables, etc. Small Scale Grain Raising ARCHIVES February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 Feedjit Live Blog Stats
Greetings from Candlewood Suites in Virginia Beach, one of the nicer extended stay places we've been in. It's a bit more expensive than the cheapest ones, but as with anything else, you get what you pay for. And unless money is really tight, what you get is worth it.In order of general preference and amenities, Candlewood has a reasonable amount of counter space (nearly as much as I have at home, if I remove the microwave). It has tableware for four, not just two. It has a good selection of cooking utensils, including a knife long enough to slice bread (important when the only bread you have with you is a homemade loaf snatched out of the freezer at the last minute). It has a toaster, salt and pepper shakers, a measuring cup, a colander, three sizes of serving dishes, two pots and a frying pan--in other words, you could live here for an extended period without having to provide a lot of additional utensils and cookware of your own. That, to me, is the definition of an extended stay hotel. Suburban Hotels are a step down, but still acceptable. No toaster, no dish drying rack, far less useful space (but it's still possible to fix a meal without having to use the sink for counter space). I carry a toaster and a collapsible drying rack with me anyway, so their absence isn't a problem. There's no measuring cup and no serving dishes, but I don't usually need those on the road. Like Candlewood, Suburban provides a small bottle of dish detergent, a cutting board, handtowel, pot holder and dishcloth. And then there is Extended Stay America, sigh. Six inches of counter space (yes, I measured) between the cooktop and the tiny sink. There's a dish drying rack, but where do you put it? Same for the toaster they provide. Two sets of tableware, a spatula and a paring knife, and that's all. No dish detergent, no ice cube trays, no colander. One side of the bed is jammed up against the wall, so whoever is sleeping on that side has to climb in over the end of the bed. The tv is miniscule, you pay extra for internet service, and all the rooms open to the outside. I think what aggravated me the most was the difference between what their website shows as a typical room, and what you actually find after you pay for it and figure out how to use the very odd room key (push it into the lock, hold it there, then turn the knob with your other hand--try managing that with an armful of groceries). I complained at the front desk about what seemed like a bait and switch on the room, and was told that what I saw on the internet was a "generic" room. Uh . . . huh?And for this, you pay only about $15 less than Candlewood. That varies by city, of course, but the difference has been roughly the same for all the cities where we've stayed in both chains. My only gripe about Candlewood is that the desk and eating surface are adjacent to the cooktop, so you risk spattering your computer and paperwork with whatever you're cooking if you're not careful. I'm willing to be careful, for decent food preparation space, free internet, free laundry, a 24-hour exercise room and front desk personnel who don't act as though they expect you to tear up the place if you're not watched every minute.
The template is set to display 10 posts. To see all the posts for this month, click on the month name in the Archive section
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PERSONAL
WHY 'LIFE AS A SPECTATOR SPORT'
"If you're lucky not to live in the gutters of a slum, but still can't afford to take vacations in the Alps, you're part of that enormous middle class who lives life through the medium of the television, further separated from "real" life by air conditioner, by automobile, by dishwasher, microwave and ice-in-the-door refrigerator, by automatic washer and dryer, and all the other appliances and conveniences that make it possible for America to live life at second hand. I'm not sure why Americans decided that televised drama was better than the real thing, that cardboard microwave food containers were an adequate substitute for real dishes, and their contents for real food, or that cooking, dishwashing and face-to-face conversation wasn't worth the effort and time it required. Someone fed this nation a plastic crate of out-of-season tomatoes and told us it was life and we took them at their word, and we're so much the poorer for it that it's hard to know where to start to list the shortcomings." I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I have to admit it's much less amusing than I thought it would be to see the artifical construct falling apart.
THE NON-ELECTRIC HOME
Cleaning, 1 Cleaning, 2 Cleaning, 3
KNITTING BLOGS
Extravayarnza Knitting Heretic Mind of Winter Pie Knits Persistent Illusion See Eunny Knit The Keyboard Biologist Taleweaver's Ramblings TECHnitting Wendy Knits
FINISHED PROJECTS
SELF-RELIANCE AND THE FUTURE
POLITICAL BLOGS and SITES
BOOKS I'M READING
How to Grow More Vegetables, etc. Small Scale Grain Raising
ARCHIVES
February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002
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