Where to Stay

All federal workers have their travel stories--the good and the bad. Some even have experienced the truly ugly. Federal travelers' worst lodging experiences include rusty water in the shower, cigarette burns on the drapes and roaches sharing the room.

One HUD employee stayed in San Francisco at a place that has to rank at the bottom of anyone's list. Hear him tell it:

"I took two steps into the room and I was at my bed. The room was taller than either wide or long. I would step out of the double bed and I was in the combined shower stall and commode. The room had a broken-down mattress that my feet hung over. The desk had a 13-inch TV above it. I couldn't sit at the desk and see the TV since it was above my head. If I sat at the foot of the bed it was still above my head.

"It was hot and the hotel had no A/C, so I opened the windows. The hotel was in the theater district and I heard whistles for taxis and loud street noises from the crowds until about 1:30 a.m. But I would rest nicely until 3 a.m. when the garbage trucks came by. They are very safe; they use backup bells so no one will be run over at 3 a.m. Then as I was about to go to sleep again at 5 a.m., buses would start to rumble down the street. It was horrible."

Co-workers' recommendations (and a good travel management firm) are proven ways to avoid similar experiences. In a recent informal poll, Government Executive readers revealed that Marriott hotels were their favorite places to stay while traveling on per diem. (Message to hotel industry: A convenient location, cleanliness and good customer service were federal travelers' top criteria.) You may want to check in to check out some of your colleagues' picks:

• Atlanta: Marriott Marquis, Residence Inn
• Chicago: Marriott, The Palmer House Hilton Hotel
• Dallas: Marriott Courtyard
• Las Vegas: Mirage
• New York City: Marriott Marquis
• San Antonio: Holiday Inn Riverwalk
• San Francisco: Sir Francis Drake
• St. Louis: Hyatt Regency at Union Station
• Washington: JW Marriott, Marriott Crystal City, Residence Inn, Embassy Suites (Alexandria, Va.)