We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Salina KS. Shortly after plugging into a ChargePoint L2 charger I got a message that I am going to be charged $2.31 per hour for the first four hours, and then the rate would go to $5.00 per hour. When I looked at the full charge schedule, they were also going to charge $0.25 per kWh for the first 4 hours and then it would increase to $0.35 per kWh. My experience with Hilton properties has been that L2 charging is generally free, so you could see why I was so surprised. I unplugged and drove to an EA L3 charger and then came back to my room. Knowing full well that the price on the charging was above his pay grade, I complained to the manager that this was excessive since based on the 6 kWh put out by these chargers, it would normally take all night to reach 80% charge. He was full of misinformation. The first thing he said was that all Hilton Gardens charge the same rate. So, I did a little research. The Hilton Garden in Hays KS has 4 Blink L2 chargers and they charge $0.39 per kWh, and no parking fee. The $0.39 is a reasonable rate and I wouldn’t have any problem with it, although the Hampton Inn in Hays is totally free. I also, just for grins, checked in Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Colorado Springs. The downtown hotel charges all guests for parking, but charging is free. His second bit of misinformation was that the reason the rate goes up after 4 hours was that vehicles should be able to fully charge in 4 hours. At a charge rate of 6 kWh, this would never be the case if the battery is down at all. And even if it were two, you check in a 9:00 pm and then need to get up a 1:00 am and unplug the car? His final bit of misinformation was that the rate goes up after 4 hours because it puts more stress on the charger. Well, I am not an electrical engineer, but I have been following charging technologies for several years, and I have never come across any indication that extended charging on a L2 charger stresses it. Could be the case on extended charging on a L3 charger, but it would also be hard on the car’s battery. In any case, I won’t be staying at this hotel again. There is a Marriott Courtyard a couple blocks away that has free charging. But I will be sure to check the price on charging before booking hotels in the future.
We arrived on a Saturday afternoon. We felt welcomed; check-in was easy and efficient. We requested a handicap room, and room 309 suited our needs perfectly, with grab bars for the tub, a handheld shower, and a tub bench if needed. The room was large and comfortable, with a king bed. Outlets were plentiful, and lighting was more than sufficient. AC was too cold the first night, but we figured out the system and were comfortable the rest of our stay. There was a mini-fridge, microwave, and Keurig coffee maker. TV included local channels, HBO, and cable channels. We ate breakfast at a reduced rate at the hotel restaurant every morning. Food was very good, as was the wait staff, who cheerfully met our requests, such as fruit instead of potatoes, vanilla creamer, etc. The pool was nice and clean, and I enjoyed the hot tub spa too. We flew in and out of the Salina airport, and the location was ideal for that. Also nearby was shopping and a variety of restaurants; we were spoiled for choice. Altogether a good stay, and we would recommend this hotel, and return again ourselves.
Don't equate price with quality! Often, travelers think that inexpensive = dumpy/sketchy/run-down accommodations; this motel destroys that notion--it was an awesome place to stay The motel is in an older part of town that is more industrial than retail/touristy. It didn't appear to be part of any chain and so I was a bit hesitant to book but it turned out to be a great place to stay. We stayed in the newer part of the motel. The room was spacious, extremely clean and very quiet. I appreciated having a refrigerator and the air conditioning worked great, helping keep us cool when we'd been in the hot outdoors and when sleeping at night. There is no breakfast available but most breakfasts at hotels are overrated anyway. We stayed here two nights and were completely satisfied with everything. I would not hesitate to stay here again. Thank you to owners and staff for offering the best lodging we encountered on our vacation!