What’s Important When Choosing a Hotel on a Motorcycle Trip?

[Nomad1975]

Hey fellow riders and road adventurers! 

My name is Mike, and I’m working on a project aimed at making it easier for us motorcycle travelers to find the perfect hotel. I’d love to get your insights and hear about your experiences to make sure we’re focusing on what really matters to you.

What are the key things you look for when picking a place to stay on a bike trip? For example:

• Does it matter if the hotel has a secure parking area for your bike?
• Is it important for you to have a spot to dry clothes or even a small area for minor repairs?
• Do you look for options like late check-in or early check-out flexibility?
• What about room comfort: is having a shower, a comfy bed, or maybe even a kitchenette something you value?
• Or are there other factors you always check before booking a hotel?

I’d be super grateful if you could share your experiences or preferences. Every bit of feedback helps us build something truly useful for the motorcycle community!

Thanks in advance, and ride safe!

[veracocha]

Personally, having done four tours of Scotland, two of Wales and a trip around Italy (all on a bike in the last two years) here's my take:-

 

• Does it matter if the hotel has a secure parking area for your bike? YES
• Is it important for you to have a spot to dry clothes or even a small area for minor repairs? No
• Do you look for options like late check-in or early check-out flexibility? No
• What about room comfort: is having a shower, a comfy bed, or maybe even a kitchenette something you value? Yes
• Or are there other factors you always check before booking a hotel? Price

[Fish]

• Does it matter if the hotel has a secure parking area for your bike? Yes,
• Is it important for you to have a spot to dry clothes or even a small area for minor repairs? No
• Do you look for options like late check-in or early check-out flexibility? No
• What about room comfort: is having a shower, a comfy bed, or maybe even a kitchenette something you value? Yes
• Or are there other factors you always check before booking a hotel? Tend to bypass hotels in favour of AirBNB with parking. Reason being if on a trip, it gives me the option to wash any items (i.e. underwear and tops) mid-way of the trip.

 

[bonio]

• Does it matter if the hotel has a secure parking area for your bike?
  • Yes, if it's in a city. No if it's in a small town, but even then the least I want is off-road parking, and out of sight of people passing through on the main road.
• Is it important for you to have a spot to dry clothes or even a small area for minor repairs?
  • No
• Do you look for options like late check-in or early check-out flexibility?
  • Late check in is often really useful.
• What about room comfort: is having a shower, a comfy bed, or maybe even a kitchenette something you value?
  • I want a bit of space, as my kit takes up room, especially if I'm going to bring the panniers in. A comfy bed is good. Breakfast is a plus too.
• Or are there other factors you always check before booking a hotel?
  • I usually pick a place on the edge of a town, so I don't have to spend ages in traffic getting to the place. I usually want to be up and out quickly in the morning.

[Steve_M]

• Does it matter if the hotel has a secure parking area for your bike? Depends. We tend to stop at small hotels out in the sticks well away from the madding crowds in which instance I just slap a disc lock on it. In cities or more populous areas I will check for secure parking - but we do those infrequently.
• Is it important for you to have a spot to dry clothes or even a small area for minor repairs? No. 
• Do you look for options like late check-in or early check-out flexibility? We use booking dot com on the day of arrival around an hour or two before arriving. Rarely an issue.
• What about room comfort: is having a shower, a comfy bed, or maybe even a kitchenette something you value? Not the kitchenette but otherwise, essential to feel refreshed.
• Or are there other factors you always check before booking a hotel? Must have a restaurant serving an evening meal or a restaurant nearby. We don’t want to get back on the bike to go,out for food once we’re settled in the hotel: it’s happened a couple,of times and it’s not our idea of fun.

[Capt Sisko]

Does it matter if the hotel has a secure parking area for your bike?         

In a city yes, but a 'Secure Parking Area' needs some definition. The hotel might consider by having CCTV it's car park is secure, it ain't. All that means is there's some grainy B&W video of the scrotes the police will find all but useless.

   

Is it important for you to have a spot to dry clothes or even a small area for minor repairs? 

No.

 

Do you look for options like late check-in or early check-out flexibility? 

If it's privately run hotel run by just husband & wife or small team yes, but I've yet to come across a mainstream hotel where this is a problem. I don't like the self service booking in system.

 

What about room comfort: is having a shower, a comfy bed, or maybe even a kitchenette something you value?

Us bikers have a lot of bulky kit that may be wet or at least need airing, but does take up a lot of hanging place. So do helmets, gloves, boots & panniers so ample hang up or put down space is important. I take a shower for granted nowadays and most hotels bed are normally pretty good anyway, but extra pillows are nice. What I find lacking in many hotel rooms is a decent comfy chair with something to put your feet up on to either just relax into or watch the tele. A kitchenette, no not in normal hotel room.

 

Or are there other factors you always check before booking a hotel?

The menu (and prices) and what else is available locally and is it in walking distance. Jumping into a car to drive a mile is easy. It's a lot of phaff to put all your bike kit for such a short trip.

If I'm travelling on my own I'm not so bothered about a bar or big screen tele showing the football. If I was touring with a group that would be different.

There is a fine line between rooms being functional and looking like a big girls blouse. Both can be as offputting as the other.

Breakfast.  When you're touring I need something to set me up for the day.

 

 

[S-Westerly]

18 hours ago, Nomad1975 said:

 

• Does it matter if the hotel has a secure parking area for your bike? Depends on where it is. Some places yes, others no.
•  
• Is it important for you to have a spot to dry clothes or even a small area for minor repairs? No but if it's got a bathroom you can always dry stuff in there.
•  
• Do you look for options like late check-in or early check-out flexibility? No
•  
• What about room comfort: is having a shower, a comfy bed, or maybe even a kitchenette something you value? A shower or bath is essential, a comfy bed is a given and air conditioning is a plus.
•  
• Or are there other factors you always check before booking a hotel? Decent restaurant within walking distance and a good breakfast in the morning.

 

 

Edited October 30, 2024 by S-Westerly

[Mawsley]

Does it matter if the hotel has a secure parking area for your bike?

Unless it's isolated, secure parking is essential. I'm not staying anywhere if my bike is on full view to passers by.

 

Is it important for you to have a spot to dry clothes or even a small area for minor repairs?

Drying? Essential - this is Northern Europe. I'm never putting cold, wet clothes on for a day's riding.

 

Workshop? No, that's what the RAC is for.

 

Do you look for options like late check-in or early check-out flexibility?

I want to check in when I arrive and check out when I leave. Departures aren't really a problem, but if the check-in desk is set to close before I rock up then what am I paying for? Answer: I won't. I'll go give my money to a hotel that knows what its job is.

 

What about room comfort: is having a shower, a comfy bed, or maybe even a kitchenette something you value?

What is even the point of the hotel if the room and bed aren't comfy? Of course I want a comfy bed - if I didn't then I'd go camping. I hate camping, I want a bloody comfy bed and a good night sleep.

 

If it doesn't have a restaurant then it isn't even a hotel. I'm on holiday, the last thing I'm doing is cooking my own food. I don't even like the word kitchenette let alone the prospect of having one shoved into my room.

 

Or are there other factors you always check before booking a hotel?

• Does it have a room safe?
• Is there a safe at reception?
• Is there a minibar?
• Does the room have aircon/heating?
• Does it have a bar that sell real ale or Trappist beers?
• Is it near anything I'm remotely interested in? 
• Does it have double or triple glazing? And, related, is it next to something that's fvcking noisy? I'm not sleeping above a nightclub, next to a High St or an airport unless the room is soundproofed.
• Does it have migraine-inducing carpets or wallpaper?
• What do people say on review sites; I never read the 1 or 5* reviews, the 2-4* reviews are essential in determining if I'm staying there.
• Finally, is it just for bikers? I hate OPCs more than anything - people simply can't parent anymore. I'm not staying in a "family friendly" establishment.

 

 

[Throttled]

When booking accommodation, the first thing I look at is how secure parking is.

[AstronautNinja]

On 30/10/2024 at 12:11, Mawsley said:

Does it matter if the hotel has a secure parking area for your bike?

Unless it's isolated, secure parking is essential. I'm not staying anywhere if my bike is on full view to passers by.

 

Is it important for you to have a spot to dry clothes or even a small area for minor repairs?

Drying? Essential - this is Northern Europe. I'm never putting cold, wet clothes on for a day's riding.

 

Workshop? No, that's what the RAC is for.

 

Do you look for options like late check-in or early check-out flexibility?

I want to check in when I arrive and check out when I leave. Departures aren't really a problem, but if the check-in desk is set to close before I rock up then what am I paying for? Answer: I won't. I'll go give my money to a hotel that knows what its job is.

 

What about room comfort: is having a shower, a comfy bed, or maybe even a kitchenette something you value?

What is even the point of the hotel if the room and bed aren't comfy? Of course I want a comfy bed - if I didn't then I'd go camping. I hate camping, I want a bloody comfy bed and a good night sleep.

 

If it doesn't have a restaurant then it isn't even a hotel. I'm on holiday, the last thing I'm doing is cooking my own food. I don't even like the word kitchenette let alone the prospect of having one shoved into my room.

 

Or are there other factors you always check before booking a hotel?

• Does it have a room safe?
• Is there a safe at reception?
• Is there a minibar?
• Does the room have aircon/heating?
• Does it have a bar that sell real ale or Trappist beers?
• Is it near anything I'm remotely interested in? 
• Does it have double or triple glazing? And, related, is it next to something that's fvcking noisy? I'm not sleeping above a nightclub, next to a High St or an airport unless the room is soundproofed.
• Does it have migraine-inducing carpets or wallpaper?
• What do people say on review sites; I never read the 1 or 5* reviews, the 2-4* reviews are essential in determining if I'm staying there.
• Finally, is it just for bikers? I hate OPCs more than anything - people simply can't parent anymore. I'm not staying in a "family friendly" establishment.

 

 

I like your thinking

[Fiddlesticks]

I look for somewhere cheap

[Mawsley]

24 minutes ago, Fiddlesticks said:

I look for somewhere cheap

 

Yeh. All of what I said or this.

[rob m]

On 31/10/2024 at 22:19, Fiddlesticks said:

I look for somewhere cheap

Same, I look at the Booking app and sort by ‘low to high’ 

[husoi]

A bed, shower, parking on the back.

Add-ons would be restaurant nearby or in hotel, garage with private access would be ideal like I had in Slovenia.

Kept the bike dry while it was pouring all night. Meaning setting off fully equipped dry and hit the rain without the annoyance of getting geared in the rain.

Frankfurt I had a really nice hotel with gated parking on the back out of sight.

If long stays, more then one night, then would want somewhere with secluded parking.

[Steve_M]

On 31/10/2024 at 22:19, Fiddlesticks said:

I look for somewhere cheap

I’ve mentioned this option to my hotel booker. It happens occasionally. unfortunately, the places we like to tour tend not to be cheap even in the out of season weeks we tour. 
 

[Capt Sisko]

On 02/11/2024 at 16:39, husoi said:

Kept the bike dry while it was pouring all night. Meaning setting off fully equipped dry and hit the rain without the annoyance of getting geared in the rain.

Got to agree with this. It's a bad way to start the day if you've got to make a couple of trips out into the rain to load up, then even having done you best to dry them, to then put damp hands into otherwise dry gloves.