“i said a hip hop the hippie the hippie
to the hip hip hop, a you don’t stop
the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie
to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat “

something … something ….

“…. hotel, motel, Holiday Inn …”

“Rapper’s Delight”
– Sugarhill Gang

I joked on Facebook that I was writing a song about going from Rancho Cucamonga to the flooding Susquehanna … If I did, it might plagiarize the Sugarhill Gang, because it would be a ballad from hotel to motel.
It would be a West Coast, East Coast thing, but Holiday Inn would be replaced by a tale of two La Quinta inns.

I don’t write songs … much … but the two locations have such a ring to them … I just traveled from Rancho Cucamonga to the Susquehanna … so rap that to yourself.

I digress …

Here’s the deal. I pretty much busted La Quinta in the last blog, for my stay in Ontario, Calif., near Rancho Cucamonga.

Like your mom, my mom often said “If you don’t have anything nice to say, just don’t say anything at all.” (Mom didn’t know I would be a travel critic …)

But nevertheless, she did instill guilt, so I have felt bad about my ranting on the Cali LQ.

Well “Ask and ye shall receive …”

I have been blessed. La Quinta just got a second chance. I stayed at a seemingly brand new LQ in Cincinnati, Ohio the other night.

It was everything I expected. It had the trademark waffle iron of course, but best of all there were people at the front desk who were HAPPY to see two road-weary travelers knocking on their front desk. They made us feel at home immediately.

Let’s talk about the latter LQ at length. No comparison. It was clean. But most of all, the people I talked to at the desk took pride in their jobs and in the facility. They were friendly. They were helpful. They were inquisitive and cared about us as people. They made helpful suggestions. They were a resource and they appreciated that the customer is the reason they are on the job … as anyone in retail or any service industry should always remember.

As a frequent traveler, I can put up with a lot … but there is no excuse for people who think their job is their to serve the workers … period.

LQ in Cinci did not disappoint. I am singing their praises and will continue to … to myself … without bustin any Cucamonga/Susquehanna rhymes.

The Cinci La Quinta had great Wi-Fi in the lobby and in the room. The rooms were immaculately cleaned by people who take pride in their work. The staff offered assistance, for all our needs … the way hotels are supposed to work — 6 pings.

Why was I in Cincinnati? Great question. Long story. Our disaster recovery team — The Dirty Gig — was headed to Harrisburg, Penn., to help in flood recovery. Our Delta flight from Dallas Fort Worth was late taking off, and did not make our connection in Cinci.

What a hassle … BUT … after a few tweets on Twitter, I did pick up a new follower. Shout out to a very helpful @DeltaAssist from Twitter. Of course I had to joke that I had mistakenly read “Dental Assistant” at first glance … but they liked me anyway. They helped to track down luggage and followed up regarding our next flight.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not friending me on Twitter. The flooding in the Pennsylvania region halted all flights scheduled to land in Harrisburg. The flights to Philadelphia were already overflowing. So, we needed a place to stay and LQ in Cinci had our back.

After a great night’s rest, we hopped in a rental car and made an eight-hour drive to Harrisburg … through some wonderful scenery, I might add.

The drive would have been so much longer, without a good night’s rest. What a difference … a total attitude upgrade in my mind for LQ. Glad this has happened and restored my faith in people and in the LQ.

Know what I saying?