You say potato...

After driving for hours and hours in the pouring rain and the dark, my brain is pretty much mush tonight. However, we're home safe and sound and I must say I am so very thankful that the temperature stayed above freezing so we drove only through rain and not ice.

However, because of said brain mushiness, I'm doing a simpler blog post tonight. NaBloPoMo ends tomorrow and I'm not about to blow it on one night of exhaustion!

When we travel we love to have good recommendations for hotels. We've done much traveling over the years - almost all of it with kids - and have had some great experiences. And some really terrible ones.

I'm pleased to say that this weekend was one of those great hotel experiences. We stayed at the Drury Inn and found their service to be excellent. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The bed was nice to sleep in. But more importantly, the food was great! They provide a complimentary hot breakfast just like many other hotels. But what sets the Drury apart is that they offer a complimentary "dinner" buffet and free adult beverages. Plus they have soda, coffee/tea, and popcorn available at all times. The dinner was a buffet of mac and cheese, hot dogs, chicken strips (which were delicious!), minestrone soup, salad and a plethera of chips. I haven't yet been in another hotel that offers this service and for a tired family that is trying to live on a budget, this was a huge bonus for us.

Two other hotel chains we've always been happy with are the Courtyard Marriott and the Hampton Inn. Either of those is a good choice for traveling families and both have nice suites like the Drury that allow enough space for six people.

I do have to give two big thumbs down to the Hyatt. I stayed in one this fall and was so disappointed. They have a beautiful facility and very comfortable rooms, but you pay out the nose for it and don't even get breakfast! The amount of money spent on a room at a Hyatt is too daunting for most families and with no family friendly amenities (except a pool) it's really not worth it. Oh, and the valet service for your car is downright terrible. Park on your own for sure!

Just my two cents worth. Hope it helps you on your next trip. Feel free to leave your comments on favorite hotels. We're always looking for good places to stay on our travels.