Bikes in Hotels

Planning on doing a test bike trip this weekend along the Erie Canal, Rochester,Ny to Lockport, Ny, approx 150 miles. Just a change of clothes (and lots of tools, spares etc) and the trustee creditcard. This being a test, to see how the bike and I would stand up to the trip eastward along the Erie to Albany.

Will spend the nite in Lockport, and my question is..do your pre-call the hotels and ask if bikes are allowed in the rooms, or do you just show up, and roll the bike up to reception? Will most likely end up at the Choice Hotel chain, Quality Inn's, Comfort Inn's, and Econolodge's as they seem to be in every town along the canal.

Has anyone ever been rejected by the hotel for having a bike?

Thanks,
Lette

I would pre-call. A lot of the hotels here, in cities that host large triathlons, do not allow bikes in the rooms, because people get bike grease all over everything and use the towels to clean their bikes. Thanks a lot for ruining it for everyone. In fact, I heard that the hotel I plan on staying at for Six Gap does not allow bikes inside. The hotel we use for the brevet series in Clermont, FL has a formal "no bikes" policy, but allows just our group to bring them in, on the condition that we never cause any damage, or they won't let us any more.

I never ask at hotels - I just roll my bike into the hotel and into the room. I've never had a problem with that in the level of hotel you are considering, and I've also never had a problem with that at more expensive hotels. If the hotel doesn't want a bike in the room then I usually will opt to stay someplace else. In fact, I've stayed at hotels where the only room available was on an upper floor, and there wasn't an elevator - and the hotel staff always apologizes for my needing to carry my bike up the stairs!

The funny thing is the only time I was ever questioned was at a funky mom & pop hotel in the Adirondacks on a very very rainy day. When I went in to ask if there was a room available, the owners very pointedly asked what I planned to do with my bike. I said that I would like to take it into the room, that my first task would be to clean it up and dry it (using my own cloths), and I asked if they had an old newspaper I could put underneath the bike. At that point they decided I was OK, rented a room to me, and handed me the requested newspapers.

On the other hand, if I'm staying at a B&B, I ask if they have a safe place for the bike. It usually can't go in the room there.

Have fun on your trip.

--- Denise

I'm like Denise... I just came in bike and gear in tow. Years ago a good friend I use to tour with was an employee for Hyatt Hotels. She got free rooms so we would ride from hotel to hotel. We rolled into some really fancy places looking like heck but the hotels were always gracious and I never had a problem taking my bike up to my room with me. But it doesn't hurt to call and ask especially for piece of mind. Now cleaning my bike int he room was another matter. Here where I live since touring is common, alot of hotel have signs poste "Please don't use hotel towels to clean your bike". I guess there was a reason they have to do that. I was always good about cleaning the bike outside and I carried my own rags.

We also roll our bikes into the hotel. Sometimes we can keep the bike in our room, sometimes they provide a place for it. (at the last tandem rally they gave us the ball room for all our bikes! it was quite surreal to step into the ball room and see it filled with all those tandems!)

On my tour last summer, I didn't always know where I'd be staying night to night, so I didn't call the hotels -- just rolled in with the loaded bike. Most hotel staff were just fascinated with the bike and didn't blink an eye about me keeping it in my room.

When we race, we always bring our bikes in the hotel rooms. I've never had anyone question it.

Have a blast. I rode a few little bits of the Erie Canal last summer on my tour.

We've done two week-long tours in Colorado, each with 2,000 of our closest friends. In each town along the way, the hotels were completely sold out with cyclists. Every single one let us bring the bikes inside. We always thought it was funny riding through town and seeing all these motels and hotels with 'no vacancy' signs lit up, but the parking lots were completely empty!

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Originally Posted by Pedal Wench

We've done two week-long tours in Colorado, each with 2,000 of our closest friends. In each town along the way, the hotels were completely sold out with cyclists. Every single one let us bring the bikes inside. We always thought it was funny riding through town and seeing all these motels and hotels with 'no vacancy' signs lit up, but the parking lots were completely empty!

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Now that is truly funny!

And you know, I would bet that the hotels are happier not having to deal with insurance issues for all of those bikes. I know that if a hotel wouldn't allow me to keep my bike in my room and it got stolen that I would certainly attempt to file a claim against their insurance. Seems to me that they would be at fault (to some extent) for failing to provide a safe home for the bikes. (OK, you're right, I am dreaming.)
--- Denise

I've never had a problem bringing my bike into my room, even at the hoity-toity hotel I stayed at in Beverly Hills. The bellman wheeled it up for me :cool:

I've never had a problem. The last time I did this I was with two tandem couples. The hotel had booked one of them into a room on the fourth floor. They (Hotel Staff) changed it to a first floor room when Fred and Slyvia told them they wanted to bring their bike inside.

My DH and I have never had a problem bringing our bikes into a room. We do however, travel with a dog, so we get dog friendly rooms. I suppose if they aren't worried about what a pet will do to the room, they aren't too worried about the bikes.

I only have exprience with this in Australia when I have done a couple of Victorian 'big rides'

The first time we did it we took the provided transport from Geelong so stayed at a hotel there. We kept our bikes in our room. When we arrived our bikes were in bike bags and so we had to do a couple of trips up and down the lifts with all our luggage. The person at reception looked at us kind of strange when we were doing this so we worried if it was OK.

The next morning every second person coming down the lift had a bike with them.

At the end of the trip we have stayed at the same Holiday Inn in Melbourne both times. The first time they got us to keep our bikes out back in a staff area. The second time we got to Melbourne earlyish and our rooms weren't ready yet. We went for a walk, and when we got back our rooms were ready and the bell boy had taken our bikes up to our room!!

I might call **anonymously** -- but they can't say no if you haven't asked. Whenever I am going to do something that people might have a reason not to want me to do because somebody else messed up their day or life when they let them do it, I either try to do it so discreetly that they don't even know (which of course means making sure it doesn't mess anything up for them), or in such a way that it is clear I'm taking their needs into consideration.
This is, however, one of those "easier to ask forgiveness than permission" situations IMHO.

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Originally Posted by Nanci

I would pre-call. A lot of the hotels here, in cities that host large triathlons, do not allow bikes in the rooms, because people get bike grease all over everything and use the towels to clean their bikes. Thanks a lot for ruining it for everyone. In fact, I heard that the hotel I plan on staying at for Six Gap does not allow bikes inside. The hotel we use for the brevet series in Clermont, FL has a formal "no bikes" policy, but allows just our group to bring them in, on the condition that we never cause any damage, or they won't let us any more.

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Wow! I've never heard of a no bikes policy! What a bummer! I've always just rolled mine right in :p and no one has ever said a thing. In fact, if they wouldn't allow my bike in the room, I wouldn't stay there because I'd want it where I could keep an eye on it :rolleyes: (I know, probably a little overboard, but that's me :p )

T~

I always find it easier in life to ask for forgiveness rather than ask for permission...

I've never asked about taking my bike into a room. This weekend I was in Madison, WI. I stayed in a Sheraton - just rolled my bike right onto the elevator up the the 4th floor. Usually on an elevator I will stand the bike upright - takes up less space.

My bike and I stayed in the Mariott in downtown Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago. No questions, no problems. I even had people who were walking by on the sidewalk and stop to help with the door. I either looked pathetic getting through the door, or they were extremely nice - I prefer to think they were nice:D

Must just be hotels in cities that host Ironmans that get screwed, then...Or I should say rides of 2500 or so. But when I stayed in Chatanooga my bike got to come in.

Thanks everyone,

I think I'll just make my reservation online, and then roll up to reception.

lette