[Assam] HOJO

Sun Jan 13 11:36:58 PST 2008

>  >>ANOTHER could be that these HOJO s are facilities in
>certain
>>>locations, exceptions to the norm.  I am not
>familiar with New York
>
>Excuse and more excuse.
>BTW,  any explanation why such HOJOs are rated by AAA
>with its diamond rating which "lives upto its
reputation".

*** Why is it an EXCUSE? What is unbelievable or unreasonable about 
my explanation? Are ALL HOJOS  bad, hell holes, like your Orlando 
experience?

>Or the Days Inn  and  Or Travelodge

**** Both are widely known to be cheap chains .

Not that they are always filthy. Some are quite nice. Many are run by 
desis.  I have stayed in a few over the years. But their quality is 
not uniform and they do serve those whose budgets can't reach the 
more expensive and of uniform quality.  Sometimes there are no other 
alternatives in the locale, because it is not a popular travel 
destination. But good enough for a night's rest after a long drive. 
Clean sheets. Hot shower. Flushing Toilet.  The smell of stale curry 
in the corridors are a turnoff, but hey, you get what you pay for.

>  >And BTW,  why do the NRAs who can afford bunglows and
>Gas Guzzlers go for cheap hotels in India (and then
>use their experience as a benchmark against Indian
Hotel industry).

**** For a very simple reason: Those that are halfway decent are 
horribly expensive, like $ 300.00 per night or more. For that kind of 
money one could stay at the Ritz Carltons in the US.

They complain about the horribly poor quality of the hotels that are 
highly overpriced, even by Indian standards. Those who complain won't 
if they could just get a clean bed with a flushing toilet and hot 
water in the shower in the winter and the panes not missing from 
windows and the like.

>  >.. can you suggest something which I
should consider.

***  Heard of tripadvisor?

>  >it will be safe to
assume that you can afford 5 stars during your short stays in India .

*** Yes I could, and I might have been driven to,  if one were to be 
available conveniently, like next to the airport at Dum Dum and not 
half hour away at say Salt Lake or the Stadium or an hour away at 
Chowringhee or Park Circus. But I do not believe in throwing money 
away, even if I could afford to. To arrive at 3:00 AM and paying $ 
300.00 to stay till 8:00 AM just does NOT make any sense.

That is the difference.

>  >There are CHOICES everywhere just the way you found in
>Calcutta or Delhi

*** Why don't you tell us of a few at DumDum, the subject of the arguments.

>  >I have travelled extensively in India (particularly
>South India) and there are definitely decent budget
hotels.

**** Well!!!  That therefore sets the standard of the Indian hotel 
industry.  Must be another example of
cutting edge statistical savvy, driving desis to making sweeping 
judgements from the exceptions to the norm.

At 10:29 AM -0800 1/13/08, Krishnendu Chakraborty wrote:
>  >>Proves what I heard about HOJO -- that it is  not
>>>something a
>>>discerning traveler would patronize. Obviously the
>>>jokes I heard when
>>>we moved to St. Louis in 1975 had merit.
>
>Or the Days Inn
>http://www.totalfrance.com/days_inn/days_inn_nightmare.html
>
>Or Travelodge --
>http://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/travelodge.html
>
>Or the endless list of budget hotels in US.
>
>And many of these rated by AAA with its Diamond
>rating.
>
>>>So when a  desi H1B, highly skilled in information
>collection ,
>>>knowing 'tripadvisor' like the palm of one's hand,
>raking in high
>>>wages, go zero in on a HOJO as a BRAND NAME to
>trust, something tells
>>>me there is a problem here, of expectations, at the
>>>very least.
>
>Hmm..  not as high wage as you Sir ... sitting in a
>luxury bunglow and advising Indians.
>So I should discount HOJO as brand name,  Days Inn as
>brand name ... can you suggest something which I
>should consider.
>
>And BTW,  why do the NRAs who can afford bunglows and
>Gas Guzzlers go for cheap hotels in India (and then
>use their experience as a benchmark against Indian
>Hotel industry).
>Though you have learned all about my wage, I am not
>exactly sure about your wage but from some bits and
>pieces of info I have accumulated,  it will be safe to
>assume that you can afford 5 stars during your short
>stays in India .
>
>>>There could be other problems too that one can
>>>speculate on. But that
>>>I will leave to the imagination of readers :-).
>
>
>>>How does it stay in business?
>
>>>ONE answer would be that it has a sales weapon.
>>>Perhaps cost.  There
>
>Why not apply the same logic to the Dumdum hotel.
>
>
>>>are people who cannot afford any better and are
>>>forced to take what
>>>is offered. Like the low cost grocery stores where
>>>they sell
>>>sub-standard and wilted or slightly rotting but
>>>still edible produce.
>>>Or the slum dwellings in ghettos.  Or the used car
>>>bought for $ 500.
>>>So on and so forth.
>
>
>>>Those of us who went thru the  immigrant experience
>>>and had no money
>>>when we arrived in the country, should know. The
>>>search for a motel
>>>under $10.00 per night  before darkness falls in
>>>our weekend forays
>>>into the heartland and backwoods of California is
>>>still fresh in my
>>>memory. Fortunately though we always did find a
>>>clean and safe place.
>>>Took a little doing, but one was always available,
>>>somewhere.
>
>  >>ANOTHER could be that these HOJO s are facilities in
>certain
>>>locations, exceptions to the norm.  I am not
>familiar with New York
>
>Excuse and more excuse.
>BTW,  any explanation why such HOJOs are rated by AAA
>with its diamond rating which "lives upto its
>reputation".
>
>Actually I can suggest you an easier excuse.  Just
>blame all these complaints against Desis suffering
>from inferiority complex.
>
>
>>>City, but 34th street does not ring a bell as a
>destination spot. So,
>>>while HOJO at 34th street may  be like  a Dum Dum
>airport three star
>>>facility or the one at Orlando is like a dharamsala
>at Mathura,
>others might be just fine and up to standard as
>>>anything that could
>be expected.
>
>
>>>Therefore  boils down to  doing one's due
>>>diligence. Because there
>>>ARE plenty of good, reliable and reasonably priced
>>>motels and hotels
>>>across the USA, in small towns and big cities.  I am
>not that well
>>>traveled, but from the little I have seen, US hotels
>and motels are
>>>the best VALUES
>
>There are CHOICES everywhere just the way you found in
>Calcutta or Delhi
>
>I have travelled extensively in India (particularly
>South India) and there are definitely decent budget
>hotels.
>
>But anyway,  just by seeing one or two hotels in one
>or two locations of India, you seem to be the expert
>:-) .... you know "I know better" thing
>
>
>>>  and most easily available in the world. Just like
>>>food.
>
>>>On the other hand, are there such choices at Dum
>>>Dum? Or at Guahati?
>
>>>That IS the issue, the point of the debate.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>At 7:03 AM -0800 1/13/08, Krishnendu Chakraborty
>wrote:
>>Just a few complaints on HOJOs. There are tonns of
>>such complaints on HOJO and other budget hotels if
>you
>>search the net .
>>
>>    Food for thought for  some HArvard MBA on how HOJO
>>(and other budgest hotels)  are still in business
>>
>>http://www.talkingtree.com/blog/index.cfm/2003/10/25/HoJo
>>
>>http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60887-d123704-Reviews-Howard_Johnson_Inn_Suites_Springfield-Springfield_Illinois.html
>>
>
>
>
> 
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