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5 Things You Didn't Know About Econo Lodge
- Every hotel in the Econo Lodge chain has at least 40 rooms, including those with double or queen beds and ADA rooms.
- More than 800 Econo Lodge hotels exist in the United States alone, and there are nearly 100 operating in foreign destinations.
- Choice Hotels International acquired the hotel chain in 1990 and added a number of new franchises after upgrading many of the older buildings.
- When you search the official website for a room, it will also give you a list of other similar hotels in the area.
- As a member of the Choice Privileges loyalty club, you earn points with every one of your stays that you can redeem for free rooms.
How to Redeem a Coupon Code at Econo Lodge
Entering a coupon code when searching for a hotel room on the Econo Lodge website is easy. Enter the destination you want to visit in the supplied box before selecting the dates you want to check in and out. You also need to let the site know the number of adults and children in your party. Look for the box with Special Rate above it. Clicking on this box will bring up a drop down menu that includes all the different types of codes you can enter. Select the type that best describes your code, which will then bring up a second box at the bottom of the menu. You'll enter your code in that box. Check the photo below to see what the box should look like. After entering your code, click the search button. Econo Lodge will then search its website and show you a complete list of all hotels available in that area on that date and any rooms available too. Choose the room you want and book it online in minutes.
Econo Lodge Review
Similar to other budget-friendly hotels like Holiday Inn and Motel 6, Econo Lodge is a hotel chain that offers clean rooms with basic amenities for guests. Founded in 1969 as Econo-Travel, it was the brainchild of Vernon Myers. Myers was a businessman living in the Norfolk, Virginia area when he came up with the idea for a line of discount hotels that would offer more amenities than other similar hotels did. He brought his son into the company and acquired a business partner. Myers himself designed the look of the first hotel, which featured a brightly lit lobby and just under 50 rooms. His original plans also called for a small on-site apartment for the hotel's manager.
Though they initially hoped to sell the idea to others, few investors came forward. They went back to the drawing board and came up with new plans that would reduce the amount of cleaning necessary and cut back on operating costs. It took less than one month before the first hotel in the chain became profitable, despite rooms going for $11 or less per night. In the late 1970s, the chain went through a major rebranding effort that led to all hotels in that chain becoming Econo Lodge properties.
Econo Lodge sold several times over the years and eventually became the property of Choice Hotels International. Though the chain owns and operates many of the properties, most of the properties belong to franchise owners. Choice Hotels International helped change the reputation of the chain and worked with franchise owners to ensure that each property was clean and safe. Franchise owners who fail to follow the rules of the parent company risk losing the right to use the Econo Lodge name.
As Econo Lodge is part of the Choice Hotels International brand, you can now earn points for staying in one of those hotels as a member of the Choice Privileges program. This program is free for all travelers, and you can sign up for the program on the company's official website. You need to supply your current address, a valid email address and a phone number. The program site also asks for a user name and password of your own choosing. Every time that you stay in an Econo Lodge hotel, you'll show your card and earn points. You can later trade in those points for discounts or free rooms at other hotels owned by the company.
Watching the video titled ChoicePrivileges Faster Way to Instant Rewards shows you some easy ways you can get points through the program and teaches you how to get points even faster. You'll even learn how to redeem your points.
Though you can still call each hotel directly to book a hotel room, you can also use the Econo Lodge website to find available rooms. The site requires that you pick a city or a destination, and you can even enter an airport name to find hotels close to the airport where you land. You'll also need to enter the date you want to check in and when you want to check out as well as the number of adults and children in your party. The site also accepts promo codes that let you enter a code from the loyalty program, or you can check for discounts from your employer or specific clubs you belong to like AAA.
The website will then show you all Econo Lodge hotels available in that area and the distance each one is from the destination you selected. You can sort those hotels by distance, rating or price. It even shows you the average star rating for each hotel listed. To read reviews and see what others thought, simply click on the star rating to check out those reviews.
If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you'll see other hotels in the area owned by Choice Hotels International. You can see how those hotels compare to Econo Lodge options in terms of guest ratings and price. Find the right hotel for you on the hotel website.
Econo Lodge Social Media Links
Econo Lodge on Instagram: Following Choice Hotels, the parent company of Econo Lodge, on Instagram lets you see photos of top travel destinations that will inspire you to book a hotel room.
Econo Lodge on Google+: Its Google+ page features lots of information on traveling with kids and pets, links to articles on safe travels and choosing a hotel room and even videos taken by travelers just like you.
Econo Lodge on Facebook: Liking the company on Facebook will help you find promo codes and discounts for future stays as well as info on select hotels.
Econo Lodge on Twitter: Follow Choice Hotels on Twitter to enter contests to win free stays in its hotels. Its Twitter features videos and photos too.
Econo Lodge on LinkedIn: If you need help contacting the head office or the parent company, turn to LinkedIn. It includes basic information about the company and its workers.
Econo Lodge on Pinterest: The company's Pinterest page features a number of different boards that include fun photos and links to information and articles online. You can pick up tips on traveling with friends or kids, picking the right hotel room and staying safe on your travels.
Econo Lodge on YouTube: Watching some of the videos posted on its official YouTube channel will let you hear stories directly from the mouths of other travelers. You can also view digital press releases and take virtual tours of some of the hotels in the chain.
Econo Lodge Customer Service Contact Info
Choice Hotels International
1 Choice Hotels Circle, Suite 400
Rockville, MD 20850
Telephone Number: +1 (800) 300-8800
Email Address: grdesk@choicehotels.com