Celebrate summer with a Hotel Hell Getaway Guide featuring tips from Gordon Ramsay. Check out a First Look at season two of Hotel Hell below:
TIPS TO PICKING THE PERFECT SUMMER GETAWAY HOTEL
Look for places with great amenities, like a swimming pool or beer garden. Three of my favorite makeovers on this season of
Hotel Hell gave the properties superb
Extra facilities - a pool, a gym and a beer garden - making each hotel so much more than just a place to sleep for a night.
Make sure you find out whether a hotel offers on-site entertainment, and if it does, make sure it's something you'll enjoy before you book. When I visited Applegate River Lodge in Oregon, every night was a late-night party night, making me wish that I had slept in my car!
Find a hotel that has lots of history. When I visited Murphy's Hotel in northern California, I thought it was great that I could sleep in a place that was enjoyed by Mark Twain and even President Grant, but sadly, the hotel turned out to be less White House, more frat house.
Look for a place that offers a complimentary breakfast. During dinner at the Meson De Mesilla in New Mexico, I had a belly full of Cher songs sung by the owner. Then, after a dreadful night's sleep, I woke up to find zero breakfast, just some cold coffee.
Fancy a haunted hotel? Remarkably there are lots to choose from all over the U.S. When I visited Woodbury, CT, I stayed at the Curtis House and shared a room with Betty. My wife Tana didn't mind, because Betty has been dead for centuries.
THINGS TO AVOID WHEN PLANNING YOUR SUMMER GETAWAY
Be sure to confirm the check-in time. One of the hotels I stayed at tried to charge me an
Extra $15 per hour when I tried to check in early, so instead I just took a nap on a sofa in the lobby to avoid the
Extra fees.
Always read the fine print when you fill out the paperwork upon check-in. On my visit to New Mexico, the first thing the hotel wanted me to do was sign a waiver promising I wouldn't damage their walls. It wasn't the welcome I was expecting. In fact, it wasn't a welcome at all.
Book in advance and be sure to tell the hotel when you will arrive. When I visited Vermont, the owner checked me in to a room with dirty sheets and empty beer bottles everywhere. If I'm going to wake up in an after-party, I would like to be invited to the party itself!
If there's a problem with the cleanliness of your room, let the front desk know immediately. When I arrived at the Calumet Historic Hotel in Pipestone, MN, my refrigerator wasn't stocked with water or food, it was filled with complimentary mold.
Most people think the Honeymoon Suite is the best room in the house, but it often contains the most "enjoyed" bed. When I was staying at The Monticello, in Longview, WA, my black-light investigation revealed stains on the mattress. Disgusting!
CAN'T SWING THE GETAWAY? TURN YOUR OWN PLACE INTO A STAY-CATION
Slap on the sunscreen and let your nose smell the vacation. Nothing says summer to me like the sweet fragrance of cocoa butter.
I find simply changing where you sleep can make it seem like you are staying in a whole new place. On HOTEL HELL, I've been known to sleep in some very odd places, including a bathtub. Try sleeping in your guest room, or better yet, do a house swap with your neighbor.
Get grilling. Nothing's better on a summer day than cooking meat on a BBQ. Do it right and you'll get to enjoy some of the pleasures of a holiday in Mississippi without leaving home.
Check out a newspaper from a city a few states away, and you'll quickly feel immersed in the local culture. On a recent trip to Washington, I picked up the local paper and quickly discovered the hotel I was visiting was on the front page - for all the wrong reasons.
Travel with your taste buds by picking a destination and trying your hand at its cuisine. Cook up something authentic or pick up a couple of bottles of wine from different local regions, and it'll be just like trying the new wine flights at Murphy's Hotel in California. One bite or sip and you'll be transported.
OFFICIAL SHOW WEBSITE: fox.com/hotel-hell/
OFFICIAL SHOW FACEBOOK: facebook.com/HotelHellonFOX
OFFICIAL SHOW TWITTER: @HotelHellonFOX & Join the Discussion: #hotelhell
For photos and more information on Hotel Hell visit foxflash.com
.png)
