Finally!

Where to even start!

I left Pittsburgh on the 8th at a wee early hour and headed for San Antonio. It took all of two days for the trip and the drive was fairly smooth without too many events.

Since I was a day early I decided to quickly reserve a room at a Howard Johnsons Express. A few Orbitz clicks later the room was booked and a few hours later I arrived in San Antonio.

I arrived at noon and the check in for the hotel was 2pm. So I stopped for lunch at Chili's where I enjoyed a lovely bean burger and a few frosty Sam Adams! Yumm! A hair after 1pm I arrived at the Howard Johnson's express.

I pulled in the parking lot and immediately had more than a few second thoughts, the place was a dump! But, it was cheap and only for one night. I decide to cowboy up and go inside. I walk in the lobby and at the counter was a middle eastern fellow very briefly glanced up at me from his paper. I walk to the desk and tell him I made a recent reservation. He glances at the computer and confirms by saying my name. He looks me up and down and turns to look at the clock on the wall and proceeds to tell me the room will not be ready for 90 minutes. I noted the time was 1:20pm.

Okay, I was tired and obviously being fucked over. So I say, "okay I will go." He asked, "are you going to return?" I tell him, "wait and find out."

I go next door to the Econolodge and get a room right away for less money. I tell the manager who is behind the desk about what happened next door and she tells me, "that sounds fishy."

The killer thing was the lot at the Ho-Jos was ghost-town empty. The Econo was what it was and in the morning I was clean and ready to make the final few miles to the apartment.

Later, I discover that the Howard Johnson's charged my card and refused to refund. To make a very long story short, a few phone calls to Orbitz and the credit card company accompanied by several lies by the Howard Johnson's desk staff they will be removed for the local Orbitz. See the middle eastern manager stated he was there when I walked in at "8:30am demanding a room", the reservation was made at 10:00 and the same card had the Chili's bill on it at well. The Orbitz people caught them in the lie and then the Ho-Jo manager attempted to back track.

In the end, my gut instinct about the place was spot on from the beginning!