Re: Scratch Marriott off the list
there are some chains I want to avoid
Yes, all of them. That is, at least the large, international chains. I did a lot of travelling in the past, both for business and leisure, and have had much better experiences staying off those chains. Of course, there are the odd ones like one which is marketing itself as business hotel and you won't even find a table to work on in any room.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
