Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.
For a road trip last week across the American South, I kept two rules about accommodation:
- Book nothing in advance. Flexibility is an important asset when you are exploring new territory.
- Stay downtown. Although random motels on the shores of freeways serve a purpose, there is nothing more soulless and transient than a room with a view of a car park.
As always with the pound so pathetic, another condition applied: keep costs to a minimum. And this was how the week shaped up.
Greenville, South Carolina: a painful $188 at the Home2 Suites, due to it being St Patrick’s Day and the city being nearly full.
Asheville, North Carolina: $99, good value as a “walk-in” at the very central Downtown Inn.
Knoxville, Tennessee: $143, the Hilton (which I would never normally choose) through a site called SuperTravel (which I would never normally use) at $20 below the book-direct rate. I ignored an invitation from the intermediary to tip $2 for the saving.
Louisville, Kentucky: $83 at the Hotel Louisville. Yes, a rate much lower than the norm. You can’t miss this brute on Broadway, one of the main streets downtown – a 12-storey slab of Seventies concrete that take the word “functional” to extremes.
“Spirited Hospitality,” reads the sign outside.“For out-of-town travellers, we provide a comfortable night’s rest with a healthy dose of Southern hospitality.”
In terms of upkeep, the Hotel Louisville has seen better days (haven’t we all?). But the rooms are clean and comfortable, with robust wifi and, from some, a distant view of the Ohio River.
This is, though, no ordinary hotel – as you discover when you ask for the wifi code: “godislove.”
After falling on hard times, the Hotel Louisville became a homeless shelter. That is still a role the property plays, as I was told by the Louisville writer and historian, David Dominé.
“It’s the only place like it in the United States. It provides shelter for homeless people, people that need transitional housing, women escaping abusive relationships, people coming out of prison,” he says.
But unlike other homeless accommodation, a proportion of rooms are rented to tourists. The hotel…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…