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Hotel charging stories

5K views 15 replies 16 participants last post by  Tweeker255 
#1 ·
I'm on my second out of town trip with my Volt and have again successfully negotiated charging at my hotel.

The last trip the hotel (Wingate by Wyndham) had an outlet near their front door, and I was able to run an extension cord to a handicap spot (they had 7 spots none in use so said it was OK to park there to charge). Worked out fine, parked on the cord to prevent theft. Hotel people were cool.

This trip I arrived at the Fairfield Inn & Suites late at night and did a cursory look around the front of the hotel but didn't see any outlets and since it was late didn't really want to mess with it. When returning from a short trip this morning, I did ask at the desk if they had any outlets I could use. A maintenance guy was there and asked how much will it cost? How many amps will you use? I said about $1 of electricity if I charge it all the way up and 12 amps, but I could set it to 8 if it is a problem. We walked around the property but couldn't find an outlet anywhere... BUT, they let me run a cord out the window of my room to the parking spot just outside.

So, two trips to different hotels, two charging success stories.
 
#2 ·
Nice! As this happens more and more, I think hotels will start offering charge options, just like breakfast, wifi, pool, TV's, etc. to attract rich customers (after all, all Volt owners make $175k a year according to some reports), haha.

Ironically, I have seen other people post similar stories online about asking to plug in—or using free charge stations—and then be attacked by Volt haters for stealing electricity!
 
#3 ·
I recently spent two weeks in Lafayette LA for work, and was able to charge at my hotel - Hilton Garden Inn. They never hassled me and I only asked once at the front desk. I charged every day. I watched out my window to make sure nobody messed with it the first few days and all I saw was people walking up to check it out, nobody touched it.
 
#4 ·
My wife and I stayed in a hotel on the other side of town a few months ago. It was mostly just to take advantage of their indoor swimming pool and private jacuzzi in our room. So we drove the Leaf. I noticed all of their light posts had 20-amp 120V sockets on them. So I asked the manager if I could plug in my Leaf and he said that was fine. Woke up the next morning with a full charge. The manager was gone the next morning but I got his business card from the front desk and got his email. I sent him an email asking if I could add his hotel to PlugShare so that other people with EVs would know they would be welcome to charge. I explained what PlugShare was and sent a link to the website. He never responded, though.
 
#5 ·
I made a trip to Toronto and had a very nice hotel there block off a spot that had an outlet in their parking garage with caution tape for me, so it would be available when I arrived. I added their hotel to PlugShare as a way to also promote their business for their friendly service.
 
#6 ·
Hotels are like other businesses. They need education and advocacy.

They hear EV and then how much L2 public, commercial charging stations cost - and balk. They don't realize how easy 120V plugs would be for this cause. Doesn't have to be right next to the building - even a spot further away on a light pole is fine. Just a spot that doesn't get ICE'd by an SUV is good.
 
#7 ·
I'm trying to convince my employer to install L2 EVSEs at some of their buisnesses. Thus far I've got the golf course GM interested, and I'm now working with the GM of a major Vancouver hotel.

There's funding available, but the deadline to apply is September 28th. http://www.e3fleet.com/pluginbc_charging_stations.html
 
#8 ·
Check out Element in Miami. Very awesome hotel.
 
#9 ·
MGM grand valet parking let me go into the garage and plug in while I stayed there. In fact they moved a car so I didn't need an extension cord. I would suspect most hotels in Vegas could be persuaded.
 
#10 ·
In Quebec city, the prestigious Fairmont Chateau Frontenac hotel gives FREE parking + free charge for any EV.
(The normal fee/cost is $32 per day for the parking alone.)
The level 2 chargers are not installed yet, but they will gladly guide you to a 120V outlet in the hotel's garage.
We did charge our Volt there while visiting Quebec city!

Francois & Line
B2653 & C19249
 
#11 ·
So what do you folks bring with you for charging - the factory 110v unit and an extension cord?
 
#12 ·
Yep.. I take the 110v EVSE and a 50ft 12guage cord. I tend to go for the type of hotel where you can park right outside the door.. its easy to find a plug then. The other place to check in many of these places is the laundry.. almost alway have plugs there. I always ask and have never been told no. I've also given a manager a ride.. and he though the Volt was totally cool.
 
#13 ·
Here's my Volt charging at the Hilton Garden Inn in Redding, CA. I bought a large heavy duty mat for $20 at Costco to cover the cord running across the sidewalk. I'm a little paranoid that someone is going to "accidentially" trip on the cord and then sue me, though I've stayed at this hotel 8-10 time over the past few months with no issues. I asked at the front desk while checking in during my first stay and was cheerfully told I could use any 120v outlet I could find on the exterior of the building. The challenge is getting back to the hotel early enough to get one of the 4-5 spaces close enough to use the outlets.

 
#15 ·
I'm actually in the midst of my first successful hotel charging experience. I've been to a few hotels where I got a blank stare in response. The Ramada here in Albany, though, went out of their way. I Asked casually if I could charge it as I finished checking in, and the desk clerk said "which electric car do you have? Oh, I love that car!" :) The only set of outlets we found on the ground were dead, and in the morning the maintenance guy couldn't fix it easily - so he went up on the roof of the pool building and dropped a line from there for me.

I put it on 8 amps since I didn't want to take changes with their wiring, but I'm more or less here for the weekend anyway, so it's no hassle. Got to give them kudos for the effort. :)
 
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