Trump Org launches budget 'American Idea' hotel chain

[pbrower2a]

It might be a good idea, the way things are going, if one is interviewing for a job in the post office. Even if you are within commuting distance, make sure to stay at such a motel on the day that you are interviewed, and be sure to keep a receipt. Make sure to show your patriotism at its fullest by ordering something through room service, even if you know that it is a hamburger from a nearby fast-food chain. Show your love for our President by paying $52.49 for a fast-food burger or $58.00 (and local taxes, but $50 for room service) for a Deep Dish Pizza instead of walking a quarter mile. Who needs the exercise? Our President thinks it unnecessary.

OK, I am not sure how real this story is. The low-end motel business is saturated as it is. The really-low end often becomes emergency housing for people who have just endured spouse abuse, house fires, or natural disasters. Or it is people with questionable business, like prostitution or finding a place to 'crash' while on drugs. Or very poor families who would otherwise be homeless. Or families staying overnight just before, after, or between visits to an incarcerated family member at the Big House.

Motels with this sort of clientele are typically on the brink of failure, with owners investing little even in fundamental upkeep.  At some point the real estate is worth more than the motel as a business, and the property is repurposed to become a strip mall, automobile service center, or box store.   Even a jail.