Guest Author - Jill Browne

A big part of travel, whether you go far or stay close to home, is meeting people you don't usually get to talk to. Here are some thoughts on deciding whether to stay with a hotel chain or an independently owned place. In both cases, the objective is to try and save a little money, but mainly to stay somewhere that will be more personal than institutional.

If you always stay with the big chain hotels and stick to big name attractions, you tend to meet staff who may not necessarily be locals, and a lot of other tourists, who are also not locals – sometimes.

On the other hand, staying at locally-owned "mom and pop" operations can help put you in touch with the local community – sometimes!

There are exceptions to both situations.

Some big chains are franchises where the owners are independent operators. I've recently stayed at two Best Westerns (both in Australia, as it happens), where this was the case. The first place was a former grand hotel which had only just become a Best Western. The owner and his wife ran the place from top to bottom – cooking, cleaning, running the front desk, and generally doing what needed to be done.

They were hospitable and available, and talking to them was like meeting a friend.

In fact, the owners of the other Best Western were like that too. Of course, Australians are known for their friendliness, so that helps a lot. However, beyond the friendliness, there was added value and local colour. Both places had their own restaurants with unique menus, local ingredients, and none of the cookie-cutter food sameness you can get at some chains.

Is it true that all "mom and pop" non-chain hotels and motels are more friendly than chains? No. Are the "mom and pops" better value for money? Maybe.

A business owner has to pay expenses. If two motels are sitting side by side in the same place, serving the same market, offering basically the same quality of rooms and services, which one will have the ability to offer the lower price?

The big chain franchisee has to pay all the normal operating expenses of a hotel, plus some share of the takings for the privilege of belonging to the franchise. In exchange for that, a good franchise will provide excellent advertising and marketing, possibly a central reservations system, and maybe some pricing advantages through buying groups (for purchasing supplies in bulk).

The "mom and pop" on the other hand is not paying franchise fees, but does have to buy advertising and may not get as many reservations from people unfamiliar with the area, if it isn't linked into some kind of trusted extended reservations network.

Can you get the best prices in either of these two worlds?

Sometimes, yes.

Sometimes the local franchisee running a brand-name hotel has the flexibility to set prices at a level lower than the advertised standard price for the chain. When you make bookings for hotels on the Internet, it is often worth it to try a couple of approaches. First, check the best rate on the main chain website. Then, use your search engine to see if the location you're interested in has a hotel with its own website, and check that as well. Finally, phone or email the hotel directly to see what they are willing to offer.

There are other strategies for price-shopping on travel accommodation, but in this example, I am trying to get the local "mom and pop" feeling at the best price, while having some assurance of quality. I often do rely on chains to make it easy for me, but not always.

Often independent hotels are rated by one or more government tourism agencies or other reputable bodies. I've found excellent little places in France, Italy, and the UK by simply searching the internet for "accommodation [name of place]" and then researching the ratings the places have earned.

Bottom line here: one way to add value to your trip is by getting closer to the local people. Whether the hotel you stay at is a franchise or an independent, if you find a place that is locally owned and managed, there is a good chance of making a connection with the people, particularly if you become a repeat or long-stay visitor.