A quick guide to business travel

Entrepreneur, June, 1998 by Shirley Louise Walker

BEST HOTEL VALUE, NEW YORK CITY: Apple Core Hotels *****

These days, finding a value-priced hotel in New York City is almost impossible. Fortunately, a small chain of hotels is capitalizing on the cost-conscious mind-set of entrepreneurs. Apple Core Hotels renovated five centrally located, older boutique-style hotels and offers rooms at outstanding prices. All rooms feature cable television, phones with data ports, voice mail, coffee makers, irons and ironing boards. The average rate of $79 to $199 should appeal to value seekers. For more information, call (800) 567-7720 or visit www.applecorehotels.com.

BEST HOTEL VALUE, SAN FRANCISCO: Joie de Vivre Hotels *****

For the ideal combination of low rates and personality, try the offbeat but upscale 12-property Joie de Vivre chain. If, like many business travelers, you've grown weary of the tour bus and convention crowds that dominate the ever-popular City by the Bay, a stay at one of these small boutique-style hotels is like finding an oasis in the desert. While the properties have a whimsical style more befitting a weekend getaway than a business trip, most offer amenities that will help you get the job done during the week (some supply in-room laptops with Internet connections, printers and voice mail). The hotels offer all this at rates that start at $79-very inexpensive by San Francisco standards. And Joie de Vivre even offers corporate rates to repeat guests from small companies. For more information, call (800) 738-7477.

BEST HOTEL VALUE, CHICAGO: Hotel Allegro Chicago *****

Go ahead and indulge a little on your next trip to the Windy City. The upscale-but not uptight-Hotel Allegro is just the place to do it. Managed by the San Francisco-based Kimpton Group (winner of Entrepreneur's Business Travel Award for Best Hotel Value, San Francisco, in March 1996), the new Hotel Allegro Chicago offers 483 bright and funky rooms complete with CD players, honor bars, two-line speakerphones, hair dryers, irons and ironing boards. The hotel boasts "312 Chicago," a full-service bar and restaurant; an on-site fitness center; and plenty of meeting space. Rates start at $125-not bad for a new upscale hotel inside the Loop. For more information, call (800) 643-1500.

BEST CAR RENTAL SERVICE: Thrifty Car Rental *****

Once again, Thrifty Car Rental wins our praise as the car rental company most focused on small-business owners. Its combination of low rates, frequent-flier program tie-ins, multiple locations and efficient customer service comes without all the unnecessary bells and whistles offered by the major car rental companies. After five years of Thrifty winning this award, we can only find two faults: Thrifty agents seem overly zealous in trying to sell usually unnecessary collision insurance, and the company has recently imposed a few rate-expanding fees (like additional driver fees) that catch mostly happy repeat customers by surprise. Still, Thrifty is highly recommended. For more information, call (800) FORCARS or visit www.thrifty.com.