Comfort Inn Suites, written 2/14/11

Checked into the Comfort Inn Suites in Columbus for a Valentine's Day rendezvous with my current love interest. What a fabulous little hotel in my favorite area of the city, German Village!

We brought our own romantic dinner - rotissirie chicken, gourmet salad, corn on the cob, and rolls; my sweetie brought the wine and we had the chocolates he gave me for dessert.

The room includes a comfy and spacious king size bed three-feet off the floor with a mahogany-looing tall headboard. There's a pull-out sofa in the office area, and a nice little alcove with a mini-fridge and microwave, as well as a coffee pot.

We prepared our dinner there, using the plastic ware stored on a shelf on the oppostie wall. The muted colors of the decor and paintings provide a subdued, relaxed setting.

The large bathroom is not only functional, but elegant.

I've been negligent this year writing about my urban camping adventures. Actually, they started last fall when I attended a conference in Birmingham, Alabama, as a presenter. I had one of the worst urban camping experiences ever at the Sheraton Hotel there. Let's just say, I won't be staying in a Sheraton again any time soon after the hotel, which charges for using the internet ($9.95/24hrs), put charges for three 24hr. periods on my credit card after agreeing not to charge conference participants. I only used the service because I had to complete some work for school. Every single amenity at this hotel costs. I was impressed with the Presidential Suite where the president of the organization had a reception for all the grad students attending the conference. I have been accepted to present again at this year's conference in San Antonio, but if it's held at the Sheraton, I'll find other accomodations. Actually, I'm from Texas, and have relatives in San Anton, so I'm good. In February, I attended another conference where I was a presenter, this time closer to home since it was a state conference, not a national one like the one in Birmingham. Having learned from my experience with the Sheraton, I did not get a room at the pricey hotel where the conference was held, but went online and found a great local hotel on Priceline. The Dayton Historic Hotel is in downtown Dayton and the price I got from Priceline was so nice, I spent the weekend there. I was glad I did. The old hotel has been completely refurbished but still retains its original charm. Night staff were amazing! The maintenance guy spent half an hour finding me a portable refrigerator that worked. Once I had food prepared by the hotel's amazing chef, I was glad I had a fridge. Not only was it good, it was enough for two meals! I camped out there after the very disappointing conference (the only things that were memorable was the excellent food, seeing the President of the state organization who is from Toledo and along with the rest of the officers and committee members were the only ones beside convention staff and one attendee that were nice to me, and the aforementioned attendee who was the sole attendant for my presentation, although she is a secondary teacher and my presentation was about younger children learning science. Amazingly, I was treated better down South than I was up North. Go figure! I spent the weekend doing classwork and enjoying the ambience of this hotel which I will endure a ride on Greyhound with the worst drivers ever to stay in again. I missed an opportunity recently when I flew from Dayton to Dallas to spend the night at this hotel, but I didn't get word in time. Speaking of Dallas, I've stayed there twice in the past six months. Once during the holidays at the beautiful DoubleTree Hotel where I fell in love with the Margaritas at the bar and those incredible cookies. I camped out while a friend worked on his novel to get it ready for me to read and give my opinion. Well, when I got back to Toledo, I read it and could not put it down! I ended up editing it at the last minute when his original editor backed out. Got it three weeks before the semester ended when I had a load of papers to do, but managed to get it done in time for a debut book signing May 18, in Dallas' beautiful Mosaic Building, a downtown residential facility. This time I camped out with some lovely ladies in our entourage at the Hilton Garden Inn. My previous experience with this hotel when I attended another state conference in Columbus in October 2012, where I again was a presenter. The conference was held at the Embassy Suites which was full, so I registered at the nearby Hilton Garden Inn. Everything was great - customer service, the room, the amenities - until I called back to try to get the phone charger I accidentally left in the room in my hurry to check out and attend the conference. One of the managers even gave me a ride! But I was treated quite curtly when I asked about the charger and given the run around. My phone, which had my presentation notes on it but couldn't use due to its battery being low, was about to go out at the end of my presentation. I mentioned it and one of the hotel staff took me to a room where there were dozens of unclaimed chargers and kept looking until she found one that fit my phone. I wasn't even staying at the Embassy Suites and they treated me better than the hotel I'd paid to stay in that I swore I'd never pay to stay in again. I didn't. My host paid for our rooms in Dallas and although they were not as nice as the one in Columbus, good customer service continued throughout our stay and they have a delicious and extensive breakfast buffet that only cost $10. I had work to do for school as usual and missed going out with the gang for dinner the day after the book signing and debut. But I enjoyed the room and ended up staying up most of the night after the others returned. I am still not a big fan of the Hilton Garden Inn(the one in Dallas has a regular price of $169/night, but my friend got a substantial discount due to his acquaintance with an employee who pulled some strings - I wouldn't count on that, however, since the employee actually was not supposed to do that), but I enjoyed the dorm-like atmosphere of hanging out with a roomful of females for a couple of nights. We have book signings (my books, too!) scheduled for San Antonio and Austin Texas, this summer, and more in Europe next year. I'm excited to see where we'll be camping out and hope I get to spend some quality relaxcation time in the hotels we choose.

Extended stay at Day's Inn results in gustatory nirvana

Changed my room for my third night at the Days Inn and hit pay dirt! This room is much nicer than my previous one which was a mile from the front desk and required me to negotiate two short flights of stairs and walk down two long hallways with a cane. The maintenance man was nice enough to help me with my luggage going to my room Friday. A very sweet young lady and her grandmother help me bring my bags up the stairs, then the precious child rolled them down the second football field-length (well half a football field)to the vending area below the lobby and the second flight of stairs where I stayed until my room was new room was cleaned. However, the hotel clerk should have found something closer Friday, considering my disability. However, he did waive the $100 deposit, thank God! Yet, I found, despite his affable manner, when it came to real service as in "customer service," the female clerk this morning provided better service by moving me to a closer and nicer room. Personality does not make up for lack of service. Sorry. I also had lunch/dinner at the most delightful Mexican restaurant, Azul Tequila, on site. Should have known not to order a margarita at a restaurant with "tequila" in its name. I have no photos of the beautifully presented food I ate today thanks to the margarita I ordered that had me trying to put my key card in the wrong door later when I went back to my room and unable to take a photo with my iPad in the restaurant. I started my meal with the Seafood Soup, which I really believe is better than the proverbial milk and honey because it was heavenly. Baby shrimp and scallops served with sweet corn and green beans in a creamy broth with noodles and cheese. Scrumptuous, delectable, and totally have to have the recipe! Then I had the carnitas, roasted pork chunks served with rice and beans, my all time favorite, guacamole and a Mexican relish of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and seasoning that makes me salivate just thinking about it. What a meal! And under $20 for everything including that killer margarita! I'll be coming back to the Days Inn again for several reasons: good customer service from at least half the staff (the housekeepers here are awesome!), beautiful rooms unless you're exiled to the farther reaches of the universe, and that wonderful Mexican cuisine at Azul Tequila, just watch the "tequila." Another benefit is that my Days Inn is close to Hollywood Casino and has a shuttle bus that takes guests there. I see a gambling night in my future!

Found a new campsite across the highway from the new casino! It's a Days Inn. Great customer service and affordable price are this hotel's best features. It also has a free breakfast buffet, free wifi, a microwave and mini-fridge in the room, and great cable TV. There's a Mexican restaurant conveniently on site. My room look nice, but if you need a firm bed you're out of luck. The fairly old hotel shows its age, but has nice amenities like a desk to work at, very large rooms, two extra chairs, and plenty of lighting. My room looks very clean, but I found a used washcloth on the shower curtain rod. I'm chalking that up to oversight, however, because there are no other indications the room wasn't thoroughly cleaned. The towels and sheets are a little thin, but this isn't a high-priced luxury hotel and its rates are $30 less than my home campsite's summer rate. I'm here studying for school this weekend. I've got tons of for for the two classes I'm currently taking. This may be my summer campsite due to the affordability, amenities, and location. There's also a pool, a gazebo, and patio doors that open onto a back parking lot. Too bad I have so much work - doctoral candidates get extra assignments - or I'd go out. Haven't been to the new casino yet. Maybe I'll make it there before summer's over. If I do, I'll camp out here at Days Inn.

Comfort Inn, German Village in Columbus, Ohio

Understated elegance, quiet comfort, and reasonable rates. What more could an urban camper ask for? Breakfast, of course. If you're at a Choice Hotel, breakfast is part of the package. But there's something special about this Comfort Inn.

Maybe it's because this Comfort Inn is in my favorite neighborhood in the city. The quaint brick houses provide a fitting setting for the older hotel that has four floors and an elevator, thank God! The hotel is also close to the Greyhound bus station so I can go home to Toledo from my Choicecampsite.

My favorite thing about the suite that included an alcove for a mini-fridge, microwave, and a coffee pot with a shelf for food and paper goods on the opposite wall was the muted hues of the decor. The soft, warm colors made relaxing on the spacious king size bed easy.

The piece de resistance was the draped shower curtain in the bathroom. That and the other amenities provided made my suite the perfect setting for a Valentine's Day rendezvous with my sweetie. He enjoyed it as much as I did. And I enjoyed it a lot!

Urban camping solo

I started out camping solo and I'm solo again since my romance ended recently. But not my trips to Toledo's historic Lorraine hotel. Just spent a night there hoping to work on a companion workbook for my new book, Million $ Lemonade Stand.

I finished the table of contents.

But it wasn't a wasted trip once I got over the shock of being in the room where my ex and I spent our first night together.

Once I was over that I ordered some Chinese food, ate, relaxed and enjoyed my brief stay. I do want to give anyone planning to stay at the Lorraine list of things you'll need.

Lorraine Camping List

1. Towels, if you like thick ones. Theirs are thin.
2. A stopper if you like to take baths and you'll want to in the roomy tubs there.
3. A TV tray table to use as a table or nightstand.
4. A fan if it's hot, an electric heater if it's cold.
5. A portable DVD player and movies. The TVs usually only get 2/3 channels.
6. Soap, bath salts, etc. to have a spa experience.
7. A lamp. There aren't any and the overhead light can be harsh.
8. Hangers for your clothes.
9. A bath mat and a slip resistant mat for the tub. It'll be a little slippery.

Historic hotel worn with use now my new urban campsite

Despite my efforts to connect with Choice Hotels, contacting privately owned Comfort Inns and offering to hold my first Urban Campout at any hotel interested, I've concluded that I'm not going to get the company or any of its affiliates interested.

So, with that in mind and also due to economic considerations, I've chosen a historic hotel in downtown Toledo as my new urban campsite.

Often labeled as seedy, The Lorraine Hotel is actually a clean, quaint place that had its heyday back in the 1920s-1930s. Signs of its former glory still exist.

Evidence of The Lorraine's former elegance are evident in some of its fixtures, the tile on the floors of bathrooms, and old-fashioned bathtubs with the feet removed.

The Lorraine, despite its reputation, most likely to the clientele who are usually poor folks who can't afford the priceier hotels, is quite clean. It lacks frills, however.

You won't see paintings on the walls or little bottles of shampoo and lotion. There's a TV in every room, but no cable and probably no remote. But the linen is clean.

You do have to ask for an extra towel, but check in early - you can at The Lorrain - and a pleasant young man with mad customer service skills will give you one if you need it.

These days with a new love in my life, my urban camping trips are no longer solo.
My beau suggested The Lorrain for our first rendezvous and, I admit, I was apprehensive.

All my apprehensions were put to rest as was my tired body in the simple but
comfortable room like one you'd find in an old hotel in New York or Europe.

My guy and I go urban camping to get away from our individual domiciles and
daily routines. It's the perfect place with the perfect price for our lifestyle and
budget.

How much do we pay for our bare-bones urban camping experience in one of our
city's best kept secrets? Only $38 a night plus a $5 key deposit. Just $43 total!

Checkout time is at noon and once the heat is shut off at the end of the cold season, you'll have to ask for a blanket if you're there on an unseasonably chilly night.

If you're like me, you won't mind giving up amenities like toiletries, cable, and a
breakfast buffet for an affordable price. Hard times call for austerity.

The Lorraine Hotel offers more than amenities. There you get a clean place to
spend the night and have enough money left to buy your own toiletries and
breakfast.

You can also buy lunch and dinner with the money you save at The Lorraine.
Besides, if you go there with someone, you're not going to be watching much TV anyway.

So who needs cable? If you do go to The Lorraine alone to get a project done or
just relax, it's only $33 a night. Of course there's no wifi in this old hotel from
another era.

Even when my income increases, which it will, in the near future, I'll still go to The
Lorraine for a relaxing, initimate time with my sweetheart. We'll just stay longer!