Marekting Query: Would YOU preferentially patronize a free-charging inn/hotel/b&b?

[AudubonB]

Again, thank you for your input. And I hope that perhaps others in the accommodations industry might find this thread and take notes. As far as our specific situation is concerned, though - once again, this would be a small, boutique b&b. Not some establishment that needs a cable jockey flipping charge cords throughout the night! (An interesting image, though...).

As this, if it occurs, is in our Arizona site, not Alaska, there are good and bad features of its location. I mentioned it's on the PHX - LV route. Well, it's in Wickenburg. I can see that may be too close to Phoenix for many travelers (ie, "why not just push on to home" or "well, we just left home...why stop here?"). But that's not the point of a b&b, and besides, Wickenburg itself has a good deal to offer the casual or weekend traveler, esp. those looking to get out of the Valley Of The Sun for a spell.

I'll definitely have to look into the J-1772 chargers, though. Thanks again to all for bringing that idea up.

 

[ChadS]

Charging of any kind at a lodging establishment has already has been a major factor for us when we travel

This. Finding a hotel with charging nearby is by far the hardest part of any road trip I plan. There are other important charging issues (like easy home installation processes, and Superchargers along interstates) but as far as L2 EVSE installation goes, I think hotels should be the top priority.

 

[rbergquist]

I've changed the hotels I stay at since I have gotten my S to ones that either have charging capability on-site or are situated near a high-power charger. I'm willing to pay for the electricity at a reasonable rate (meaning I don't want to be held for ransom).

If you are going to install a unit, make sure it is in the 70amp category. I won't go out of my way to a hotel with a 30amp charger since it doesn't give me a full charge if I'm arriving late and leaving early.

I think a 70 amp J1772 is a good unit since it accommodates Teslas as well as other electrical cars. It also allows 2 guests to get charged in evening/overnight.

 

[Doug_G]

If I'm driving there in my Roadster or Model S, I currently only patronize hotels where I can get charging.

I have occasionally accepted a 110V plug, when no other choice was available, but only when traveling with the Roadster (you can get usable range overnight, and a full charge in two days). These days there are other choices available at most destinations.

I have yet to pay for charging (once we had to pay for valet parking though).

 

[AudubonB]

If you are going to install a unit, make sure it is in the 70amp category. I won't go out of my way to a hotel with a 30amp charger since it doesn't give me a full charge if I'm arriving late and leaving early.

I think a 70 amp J1772 is a good unit since it accommodates Teslas as well as other electrical cars. It also allows 2 guests to get charged in evening/overnight.

But of course....you don't think I'm charging my own Tesla with a 30A, do you!?!?!?!?!!!!!!

 

[DavidM]

I would stay there as a preference, whether it's free, or at your cost (nominal fee). A very small percentage of public charging stations attempt to gouge the EV driver with ridiculous cost per hour. Given a choice, I would avoid those locations.

 

[bollar]

Again, thank you for your input. And I hope that perhaps others in the accommodations industry might find this thread and take notes. As far as our specific situation is concerned, though - once again, this would be a small, boutique b&b. Not some establishment that needs a cable jockey flipping charge cords throughout the night! (An interesting image, though...).

It only takes two EV guests and a 3am swap time to make this super valuable.

 

[Trnsl8r]

Can't help cross-posting a link to the opposite side of this spectrum Kicked Out of a Motel for Charging at 12 Amps

 

[DuncanWatson]

Free or not, that you have chargers is a decisive factor. I'd take my business to you for that alone.

Ditto

 

[brianman]

• Fr 7/5: Canyonville, Roadster HPC
• Sa 7/6: Chico, Roadster HPC (<2 mi. shuttle to hotel)
• Su 7/7 (+1, 3am): Barstow, Supercharger
• Mo 7/8: relative, 110V
• Tu 7/9: Salvang, <5 mi. from Buellton Supercharger
• We 7/10 (+1, 1am): San Diego, Tesla Service Center 14-50
• We 7/10 (+1, 7am): Lebec, Tejon Supercharger
• Th 7/11: Milpitas, free 30A (<2 mi. shuttle to hotel)
• Fr 7/12: Milpitas, 14-50 Teslive
• Sa 7/13: Milpitas, 14-50 Teslive
• Su 7/14: Yreka, Roadster HPC
• Mo 7/15 (+1, 12am): Centralia, Roadster HPC
• Mo 7/15 (+1, 4am): home, S HPWC 60A

For every night of my trip, available chargers was part of the decision of where to sleep.

Additional note: For the entire 4,000 mi journey, my only charging expense was a $5 "required donation" at an RV park for a 14-50.
Additional note to the note: Some terriers really like jalapeno beef jerky.

 

[ZBB]

As this, if it occurs, is in our Arizona site, not Alaska, there are good and bad features of its location. I mentioned it's on the PHX - LV route. Well, it's in Wickenburg. I can see that may be too close to Phoenix for many travelers (ie, "why not just push on to home" or "well, we just left home...why stop here?"). But that's not the point of a b&b, and besides, Wickenburg itself has a good deal to offer the casual or weekend traveler, esp. those looking to get out of the Valley Of The Sun for a spell.

I'll definitely have to look into the J-1772 chargers, though. Thanks again to all for bringing that idea up.

Considing that there are currently no j-1772 chargers in Wickenburg, we'd likely stop by just to use it! When we took the Tesla up to Congress (10 miles north of Wickenburg) a couple weeks ago, the closest public chargers were in Surprise along Grand Avenue -- about 35 miles from Wickenburg.

We live in north Scottsdale, and go through Wickenburg when driving to LA/San Diego -- it's ~30 miles shorter than taking I-10. My parents also have a house in Yarnell (20 miles north of Wickenburg), so we go up there occasionally (and would consider a B&B with charging nearby if we stay overnight).

Our S is a 60, so once the supercharges are avail along I-10 (the map shows SCs on the west side of Phoenix, Blythe, Indio and near Riverside as "fall 2013"), we will take it to CA for vacation. But it would be nice to save those 30 miles and still go through Wickenburg. We should be able to get from our house to Bythe on a range charge -- but Blythe back to our house has more elevation gain, and is likely to be later in the day, so temps will be well over 100 in summer -- so might just be on the edge of possible. Having a place to stop in Wickenburg for just a bit more range would easily get us home.

We don't go to Vegas, but Wickenburg also would be helpful once a Supercharger is in Kingman. Phoenix to Kingman is all uphill, and a 60 will use just a bit more kWh than is in the battery in order to make it to Kingman.

I would happily pay to use it -- free isn't necessary.

But it does look like Tesla will put in a Supercharger in Wickenburg -- check their map and put the slider at 2015...

 

[neroden]

that brings to mind whether other Tesla drivers think that an establishment that offers free EV charging might successfully catch the eye of the traveler?

Yes. I've been planning a trip in December and I'm planning my hotel stay based on who offers charging. I will preferentially stay in a hotel/motel/B&B where I can plug in my car, above all other considerations, and have already picked out three of my hotel locations based on that criterion.

Or do enough bog-standard locations (chains, for example) already offer same, so that this would not represent any kind of novelty?

No. Some individual hotels in some chains have charging available, but it is NOT common.

 

[Kipernicus]

More important than free is whether they can reserve the spot for you. I saw on Plugshare that the Hyatt in Long Beach has a J1772, but when I called the valet guys they said it's 1st come 1st serve. They don't manage the spot because they are afraid of liability if something goes wrong. So I won't be staying there when I'm in LA.

For the drive back I booked a room at the Oaks in Paso Robles upon some other TMC members' recommendation. They have a bunch of chargers and were willing to put an orange cone in front of one for me. That's key! I'll be pulling in close to midnight and need to leave first thing in the morning. If the chargers were all taken or ICEd, I'd be hosed. This is more convenient than hanging around at the Atascadero supercharger before going to a hotel to sleep.

 

[wraithnot]

More important than free is whether they can reserve the spot for you. I saw on Plugshare that the Hyatt in Long Beach has a J1772, but when I called the valet guys they said it's 1st come 1st serve. They don't manage the spot because they are afraid of liability if something goes wrong. So I won't be staying there when I'm in LA.

For the drive back I booked a room at the Oaks in Paso Robles upon some other TMC members' recommendation. They have a bunch of chargers and were willing to put an orange cone in front of one for me. That's key! I'll be pulling in close to midnight and need to leave first thing in the morning. If the chargers were all taken or ICEd, I'd be hosed. This is more convenient than hanging around at the Atascadero supercharger before going to a hotel to sleep.

I've stayed at the Oaks in Paso Robles twice- and it was completely due to the fact that they had NEMA 14-50s available. Even with the Atascadero supercharger operational, it was still more convenient to skip it and charge over night at the Oaks.

I'm also planning a trip to southern New Mexico to visit my family as soon as the supercharger near Phoenix is operational. The plan is to charge overnight at one of the RV parks in Wilcox on the way there and the way back (probably with a brief stop somewhere in Tucson). But if someone puts a charger at an actual hotel at a good spot along I10 then I will definitely spend the night there instead.

 

[AudubonB]

Am resurrecting this thread because we have found the process of finding charge-friendly accommodations to be darned kludgy. So, again, we need your input, PLEASE!

Background: You are planning an overnight to San Diego, or Baltimore, or wherever.
Query: HOW do you effectively go about finding where to stay? -> NOT for the other reasons such a website as those listed below may be useful, but specifically for where to stay - thanks.)

1. Do you use PlugShare?
2. Do you use ChargePoint?
3. Do you use TripAdvisor?
4. Do you use EVTripPlanner?
5. Do you google "EV charging" and "accommodations" and "my destination"?
6. Do you use another medium?

and do you find that to be a satisfactory experience? Does the internet need yet another site?

Website developers are standing by..... We're pretty proud of what we've done with our own web presence, as in: Denali Highway Cabins Paxson Alpine Tours in Alaska . If something else is needed, we think we can go a long way toward persuading the accommodations industry to come on board....

 

[Mark Petersen]

Hmm I use all of the above
Call the hotel if needed

But no we do not need one more website to check
What we need it that the charging providers provide an API where map/navigation can get information
GPS location: 2345n-54332w
Connector type: type 2
Address: 234 back road, California , USA
Name: the black hole inn
Powe kW: 43
Location type: [hotel, bar, internet, toilets, ristorante ]
Status: inuse
Payment: [coins, visa, SMS, RFID, web]
Price: $1 / kWh

 

[hikerockies]

Plugshare, google and call the hotel directly, and it is still not satisfactory experience if I am relying upon being able to charge there because I need definitive information on availability, operational status and amps/voltage which is hard to come by. Recently I stayed at a hotel where they were very good about helping me plug into a 120v outlet but voltage dropped enough half hour after charging started that car stopped charging while I slept through the night. Good thing I was not counting upon being able to charge.

 

[Cottonwood]

Am resurrecting this thread because we have found the process of finding charge-friendly accommodations to be darned kludgy. So, again, we need your input, PLEASE!

Background: You are planning an overnight to San Diego, or Baltimore, or wherever.
Query: HOW do you effectively go about finding where to stay? -> NOT for the other reasons such a website as those listed below may be useful, but specifically for where to stay - thanks.)

1. Do you use PlugShare?
2. Do you use ChargePoint?
3. Do you use TripAdvisor?
4. Do you use EVTripPlanner?
5. Do you google "EV charging" and "accommodations" and "my destination"?
6. Do you use another medium?

and do you find that to be a satisfactory experience? Does the internet need yet another site?

Website developers are standing by..... We're pretty proud of what we've done with our own web presence, as in: Denali Highway Cabins Paxson Alpine Tours in Alaska . If something else is needed, we think we can go a long way toward persuading the accommodations industry to come on board....

Plugshare, look for hotels, then call them to confirm. If the person that I talk to does not know details, I ask for someone who might know. Need a Plugshare filter for accommodations. Plugshare charging details and ratings work pretty well, but need an "Amps/Volts" available field, and distinguish a 14-50, 40 Amps available outlet from a dryer plug.

 

[jerry33]

1. Do you use PlugShare?

I do, but so far it has yielded one charging location in many trips.

2. Do you use ChargePoint?

I have the card. I've never used it. I think I tried the site once, but no locations were anywhere I travel.

3. Do you use TripAdvisor?

Yes, when I'm researching a new B&B.

4. Do you use EVTripPlanner?

Not really. I've gone in and played with it a bit. It seems like a good site if you're stretching the limits, but I try to have charging locations 150 miles apart, so there's no drama.

5. Do you google "EV charging" and "accommodations" and "my destination"?

No. Google doesn't seem to be as good a search engine it used to be. I use Google maps to plan the route though--it's still the best.

6. Do you use another medium?

RV Park App (rvparking.com) has found almost all of my charging locations.

7. and do you find that to be a satisfactory experience?

RV Park and Trip Advisor seem pretty good. I'd probably use EVTripPlanner more if I traveled to mountainous areas frequently.

Does the internet need yet another site?

Hard to say. If it offers something unique and/or gets the results faster, then it would be welcome. If it just repeats what others have done, then perhaps not.

 

[PhilBa]

1. Do you use PlugShare? Yes
2. Do you use ChargePoint? Have account, never used.
3. Do you use TripAdvisor? Yes
4. Do you use EVTripPlanner? No, seems too complex for my needs
5. Do you google "EV charging" and "accommodations" and "my destination"? Yes but to seldom benefit.
6. Do you use another medium? Yes, see below.

My trip planning starts with a map. Look at likely stopping points. search for hotels via google maps, then trip advisor. Always inquire about a charger, even at my second and third choice. PlugShare search on the area and the route for EVSE planning.