Value hotels that put your money where you'll feel it

Value doesn't mean cheap. A low nightly rate can turn expensive fast once you add a resort fee, daily parking, and two taxi rides a day because the hotel sits off a highway. A hotel that costs a little more but lets you walk everywhere can be the better deal by the second night.

So we look at the whole bill. What's included? Is breakfast real or a sealed muffin? Is parking free, and is it well lit? How far is the place you came to see, and what does it cost to get there and back?

We're especially interested in hotels that do the basics well: quiet rooms, good beds, reliable Wi-Fi, a shower with decent pressure, and a front desk that answers the phone. That's most of what a weekend away or a road-trip stop needs.

Some of our favorite value picks will be chain hotels. A well-run select-service hotel in the right spot often beats an independent with a famous lobby and a bad location.