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Most people end up at the Farmer's Daughter hotel fortuitously because they're waiting to be the next contestant on The Price is Right. The CBS Studios across the street recommend the budget motel to its game show fans, but I'm recommending it just because I dig this chic little lodge. It's cheery from the moment you walk in the lobby. Bright yellows and cool blues mix well with the country-kitsch theme: rooster wallpaper, faded barn-wood paneling, denim bedspreads, cow-skin rugs, and a parade of inflatable animals that float around the pool. It's obvious that someone with smart fashion sense and a little money turned a dumpy motel into an oasis of stylish affordability for people like me who drive Jettas and wear flip-flops in the winter. Money-saving perks include free Internet hookup, free parking, a free DVD library, and across-the-street access to an entire Farmers Market of inexpensive foodstuffs and some wild weekend entertainment. Tip: Request a room facing the alley -- the view is terrible, but you don't get the 24-hour road noise off Fairfax Avenue.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.