While true, there is something to be said for staying at a hotel outside of earshot of either the airport or a city center. Noise is the enemy of good sleep, and one thing you learn pretty quickly in this business is good sleep is absolutely required to function well in the job, particularly on a 4 or 5 day trip. Get crappy sleep and by day 3 you'll be a zombie.

Case in point: Ithaca NY: The Hotel Ithaca is a very nice place to stay but it's in downtown and if you're not on the top floor the noise associated with the city street below is loud enough to wake me from a sound sleep.

Burlington, VT is my favorite overnight. It's beautiful, quiet, and the hotel we stay at has some of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in. It's the one hotel at which I get a quality of sleep comparable to being at home.