A Grand Welcome

When I arrived at the Hampton Inn Detroit Metro Airport in Detroit, Michigan, there was a huge party in the lobby.

I jokingly asked the desk clerk if the party was in my honor because I had recently started staying at Hilton properties from Holiday Inn. The clerk laughed and we talked about my reasons for switching. After our conversation she upgraded me to a lovely suite!

It turns out the party wasn't for me though.

The hotel was celebrating it's grand opening. It was nice to be there and I enjoyed the reception. The appetizers were excellent and I met the hotel manager. They definitely pulled out all the stops to impress the media and other local celebrities. I had to wonder if they do that at every Hampton opening.

There's only one reason I won't stay a whole lot at Hampton Inns. When I travel I like to stay in full-service hotels so I don't have to get out and drive after dark in strange cities if I can help it. Hampton Inn's don't have restaurants. They have very nice breakfast buffets, but I don't usually do breakfast so that isn't a draw for me.

There were no restaurants near this new hotel, so oddly enough I ended up at the Crowne Plaza next door for dinner - the very hotel I would have been in had I stayed with Holiday Inn on this trip. It kind of reminded me of a line from one of my favorite Eagles songs... You can check out but you can never leave.