When you're traveling what are some of your must haves?

I woke up thinking about a marketing proposal for a national chain of motels this morning. People already recognize the brand amongst a slew of other similar chains so what is it that will fuel a campaign and make this prospect the obvious choice for business travelers and families on a budget?

What are some of the must haves for you when you are away from home? The first thing that comes to my mind is a soft comforter and a cozy bed. No scratchy coverlets for this girl. I want to be able to pull the blankets up around my chin and sink off to dreamland without wondering why the hotel had neglected to use fabric softener or opted for at least 300 count sheets. At the end of the day when you are traveling you need your sleep. You have been bombarded with new sensations and it can be physically exhausting.

When you first open your door to your room you have an instant sense of whether or not it is really clean or just brushed over. I realize that during these times it makes a lot more sense to stay in an economy room instead of a beautiful luxury suite but it doesn't mean that one should sacrifice hygiene for the bottom line. Every human deserves a clean room, a smile from the desk clerk, and access to an ice machine on their floor. Every avid traveler deserves to know that he or she is getting the best rate and the most respect for their patronage. Every customer counts!

So once you have found a comfortable clean room what else could you want from a hotel chain? Is it the pool that draws you in? Statistics show that hotels with pools have greater revenues but more often than not the pool sits unused. Is it the on site gym that you can't do without? Are your workout clothes and sneakers one of the first things you throw in your luggage when traveling on business or for leisure? Or maybe it is the free continental breakfast that will make you turn left instead of right off the exit.

Sometimes without even knowing it people respond to the word free without even stopping to pause as to what they are actually receiving at no cost. FREE has become a leader in the marketing world and although it may be overused, a quick gimic, it still produces the strongest results when building brand recognition, customer loyalty, and quick results around a campaign. People flock to free offers even when they offer little or no value imagine the results if companies were to use FREE in the biggest sense of the word with absolutely no strings attached. Imagine what the results would be then. Something truly for nothing simply because a business wants you to know that they appreciate your consideration and would like to earn you as a life long customer.