My husband and I had two choices of hotels for our stay last weekend at a destination wedding—Hilton Garden Inn or Best Western. The choice was a no brainer. More on that decision shortly, but first, let’s take a diversion into the history of brands. My parent’s honeymoon story was a family favorite. Married in Pittsburgh after WWII ended, Bill and Bernie drove to Miami for their honeymoon. The first night, they stopped at a hotel and dad unpacked the car, bemoaning that mom had not packed one (smaller) overnight bag. Mom entered the room, looked around, and then said, “It’s neither clean nor lovely enough.” Five stops later they found an acceptable motel. The process repeated itself the second night. Thankfully, the marriage survived. It’s no wonder then why Dad rejoiced when Howard Johnson’s motels popped up along turnpikes across America. He…
