A Tale of Two Hotels

While on our AZ Trip we stayed in only two hotel rooms. One on the way down and one on the way home. Both fulfilled our three requirements: an indoor pool (for the boys), wireless internet (for the girls), and a continental breakfast (for all). [Jerry only required a bed.] At both hotels we got two standard rooms with two double beds. Neither was fancy and both had the usual no-one-will-ever-steal-this hotel decor. They cost roughly the same (actually the nicer one was cheaper), but there was a big difference.

It's hard to explain the difference since both seem so similar "on paper". I would highly recommend one and definitely not the other. One was just better, more welcoming. You could just tell the management of one hotel took pride in their property. It was well kept and clean. They took the time to replace, repair, and update as needed over the years. The owners seemed to understand things wear out, especially with daily use, and they kept up with the wear and tear.

The other hotel wasn't really "dirty" but it wasn't clean either. Things were more worn or just plain broken. They obviously were trying to get a few more years of use out of several items that had seen better days. The pool area was the worst; the ceiling was in terrible shape and we joked it might fall down at any moment.

I was talking to my grandma about this when we got back. Her house is over 60 years old and in excellent condition. Our old house (right across the street, built a few years after hers) wasn't (isn't) in nearly as good of shape as my Grandma's. We improved it some, but the forty years that house was around before we moved in definitely made it appear more it's age. I know repairs and updates cost money, but that isn't all of it. As Grandma says... just "taking good care of things" goes a long way. You know... an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure... and all that "old-fashioned" wisdom. [She also says it doesn't cost a lot to keep things clean. See? My disease is genetic. :) ]

It just struck me that two hotels, so very similar, gave off such different vibes. What motivates some people to take better care of their property than others? Is it just being cheap? Laziness? Lack of pride? Does geographical location play a factor?

I'm sure there is some lesson to be learned in this, although I'm not exactly sure what it is. If you've ever bought (or sold) a house you know that well cared for homes are worth more, financially speaking, but it's more than that. What do you think? Is a home (or property) a reflection of it's owners?