Holiday Inn - not exactly home for the holidays

There was a moment when I wondered if this was such a good idea.

The empty dining room felt lonely rather than private and we missed the jostling and shoving that comes from trying to fit too many people at a too small table.  It was odd to place an order instead of spending an entire day juggling cooking times and oven space.  As we waited for a woman we’d never met before to bring us our plates full of turkey and stuffing, we didn’t feel adventurous.  I worried that my family holiday vacation was a sad substitute for a family Thanksgiving feast at home.

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Let me be clear about this. The Howard Johnson Inn on International Drive in Orlando, Florida is not the Taj Mahal. I didn’t expect it to be. In fact, at $38 per night weekdays and $59 per night on weekends I expected it to be a bit of a dump. In truth, it was a tad rough around the edges. The carpet had a long cigarette burn; my TV remote only worked in the “up” direction when scrolling through the channels; the square table/desk had been placed in a corner that was devoid of any receptacle, making it impossible to plug in my laptop; and the room had been overly sanitized, to the point of making my throat sore.

Howard Johnson Inn on International Drive in Orlando, Florida

On the other hand, my room was well-equipped with thick, soft towels; upscale soaps; toothpaste; a mini-refrigerator; ironing board and iron; hair dryer; coffee pot; and keyless safe. Wireless Internet access was included in the price, as was a full breakfast. Other on-site amenities included a large pool, hot tub and sundeck with ample deck furniture, an exercise room, and Read More »