Yes: this is precisely the issue that most people seem to be ignoring. I traveled in Europe a bit last year and was amazed at the affordable options for travel

Yes: this is precisely the issue that most people seem to be ignoring. I traveled in Europe a bit last year and was amazed at the affordable options for travelers. Between nicer hostels and hotels that offered small single rooms with a communal bathroom, I was able to get a clean place to sleep for $25-70/night. I haven't seen that in the US outside of AirBnB. Most US hotels give you a huge room with a huge bed for a high price, and they're either located right in the middle of downtown or all the way on the edge of the city so you'd need to rent a car. When I'm traveling, I much prefer to ditch the bullshit standard amenities like room service, a pool, continental breakfast, etc. and get a simple room in a part of town where people actually live. Even more so if I'm visiting friends. Not sure what in our regulations makes this unpopular, but it's the real problem.