Bike 'friendliness' of US hotels?

[sitan666]

I finished the Trans America Trail a couple of days ago and stayed in nearly 50 motels/hotels. None of them objected to bikes in the room and several put us in first floor rooms, without being asked, when they saw the bike helmets.

All very positive!

[John Nettles]

Sitan666, welcome to the ACA Forums! 

[DaveBishop]

I finished the Trans America Trail a couple of days ago and stayed in nearly 50 motels/hotels. None of them objected to bikes in the room and several put us in first floor rooms, without being asked, when they saw the bike helmets.

All very positive!

That's very encouraging to hear. And congrats on completing the Trans America Trail!!!

[mattdwyerva]

I've only had issues on rare occasions (2/150??), despite letting them know we have bikes.   If it was a rainy day, I ask for old towels and dry off outside first.   Chain hotels often keep towels at registration for this if on a bike route. 

OTOH, many times (esp Best Western), we were initially assigned the pet-friendly room which smells like urine, or the room that was used by smokers, and then we insist on a new room.  With one exception, all sheepishly give us a different room.   

[nlansner]

To echo what most have said, I've never had an issue in 23 years of touring. I don't feel the need to ask permission anymore, but I do usually ask for a first-floor room if they have one.  Only time my bike was turned away was in Atlantic City, NJ, where you have to walk through the casino floor to get to your room.  But we weren't touring, so we left the bikes in the car. I did through a small-town casino in Mesquite, NV last year and they were more motel style so it was fine. If I've ridden through rain or dirt, I try to find somewhere to hose down before I get to the room, although that's as much to prevent grinding as it is for cleanliness.

Two other notes: first, many (most?) small-town motels these days seem to be owned or operated by South Asian immigrants (Indian I think but I'm not sure). In theory they might have different customs, but so far I haven't had any problems. Second, a few motels are moving to (or at least experimenting with) not having a clerk at all. You simply pay online and receive a door code emailed to you. So there's nobody to even ask.

[John Nettles]

nlanswer,

I believe they are Indian.  I don't know if it is true or not but I have heard that the last name Patel is almost exclusively by the Indian caste(?) that runs hotels.  Maybe it is a urban myth.  If true, that is sort of interesting to me as I would think other names would want to do the hotel business but for one reason or another do not seem to be able to.  I have met a LOT of the mom & pop hotels in rural America have someone at the front desk with the name Patel.

Tailwinds, John

[Ty0604]

I honestly don’t even ask. I check in and wheel my bike through the lobby. I’ve had one hotel in all my tours tell me I couldn’t bring it in but I did anyway and they didn’t pursue it any further. One time when my bicycle was really muddy on the Great Allegheny Passage I stopped by the fire department in Harpers Ferry and they let me use their hose to wash the bike off before I checked into the hotel.

[BikeliciousBabe]

nlanswer,

I believe they are Indian.  I don't know if it is true or not but I have heard that the last name Patel is almost exclusively by the Indian caste(?) that runs hotels.  Maybe it is a urban myth.  If true, that is sort of interesting to me as I would think other names would want to do the hotel business but for one reason or another do not seem to be able to.  I have met a LOT of the mom & pop hotels in rural America have someone at the front desk with the name Patel.

Tailwinds, John

Not a myth at all. 

[mattdwyerva]

Googling "hotel Patel USA", I see numerous sources claiming that Patels own about half of all US motels.   I had no idea.