Snowbirds Trade in Wheels for Value, Comfort

Posted by vpfsnews on September 18, 2009 at 11:01 AM

As reported in a feature story in the Monticello Express, spiraling gas prices prompted Iowa snowbirds Harold and Mae Luers to sell their motor home.  But rather than putting the brakes on their winter travel plans, they found a more affordable way to escape the cold -- Value Place. 

 

Read on for the full story as published in the Monticello Express. 

 

Take it from the Luers, Value Place is a perfect option for retirees who are looking to leave the ice and snow behind.  Have you been considering a winter getaway?  We hope you'll consider Value Place.  Just think...with prices starting at $169 per week, you can afford to stay all season.  Leave a comment below, and we'll happily answer your questions. 

 

Check out ValuePlace.com for a list of locations and to view a video room tour. 

 

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From the Monticello Express:

           

     Since his retirement in 1984, Harold Luers and his wife, Mae, had always left their home in Monticello to spend the cold-weather months in either Arizona, Texas or Florida. 

    

     They travel by motor home.  It was comfortable for Harold and Mae, who are both 84 years old.  They would set up base and visit friends and family while escaping the harsh Midwest winters.  In 2007, however, the Luers sold their Winnebago -- one of three motor homes they had owned over the 23-year span -- because it had simply gotten too expensive to drive.

   

      "The motor home had two gas tanks," said Harold.  "One was a 50-gallon tank and the other held 40 gallons.  I was getting six miles per gallon.  If gas was $2.50 a gallon, it cost $225 to fill both tanks.  It was costing me 42 cents a mile to drive it."

    

     It was while visiting their son in the Dallas-FortWorth area that the Luers first saw a Value Place being constructed in Trophy Club, a fast-growing upstart community.

    

     Founded in 2002, Value Place in an economy, extended stay lodging brand that features remarkably affordable weekly rates, rigorous cleanliness standards and secure lodging with an unparalleled commitment to the comfort, privacy and peace of mind of each guest.  Within a week of its grand opening in September 2007, the Luers were guests at the Value Place in Trophy Club and for two years now, they have called Value Place properties in Texas their home for six months during the fall and winter.

   

     "I like everything about Value Place.  They are fantastic," said Harold.  "The managers remember us by name."

    

     Dallas-based Quanah Properties, LP, developed and owns the Value Place in Trophy Club.  Formed in September 2004 to identify, acquire and develop promising real estate opportunities, Quanah joined forces with Value Place in December 2004.  Quanah has built six other Value Place properties which are all managed by Value Place Property Management Company in Rockwall, Forest Hill and Fossil Creek (all in the Dallas-Fort Worth area); El Paso, TX; Albuquerque, NM; and Jacksonville, FL.

    

     Value Place was designed with the small-business traveler and consultant in mind; professionals who often foot their own bill for lodging and other travel expenses or are traveling on a strict per diem budget.  However, Value Place also serves a wide range of other guests including vacationers like the Luers who are looking to stretch their travel dollars, families and individuals who are on the move to a new job assignment, relocating to a new community, building or renovating a new home or visiting for important family events and many others.  All Value Place lodging is based on a weekly rate that starts from $169.

    

     Value Place chairman and founder Jack DeBoer likes to say his properties are "crazy clean" and, indeed, Value Place has arguably some of the most stringent cleanliness standards in the industry.  Mandatory "deep clean" maintenance is done after every checkout.  Comforters, blankets and shower curtains are all washed and the carpet shampooed every time. 

    

     Each Value Place property offers three room plans:  a studio, studio sleeper and studio double.  Services included in the weekly rate include a full kitchen with towels and linens, expanded cable network and premium movie channel and bi-weekly studio cleaning.  Additional cleaning and linen service, Internet access, dishes and other kitchen supplies are available for a nominal fee.  There is also onsite laundry and vending.

    

     While Harold and Mae feel right at home at Value Place, they also bring a little bit of their household to their Value Place home. 

   

     "In the trunk of our Mercury Marquis, we have our favorite coffee maker, toaster, a small George Forman grill and some kitchen utensils," Harold said.  "Those items are very compatible with the Value Place kitchen.  The folks at Value Place really have it all put together for travelers and extended stay guests."

    

     While his knee replacement surgery a few years ago put a crimp in Harold's golf game (Mae was a voracious bridge player, confides her husband), the Luers have no plans to curtail their traveling anytime soon.