You Expected Maybe Motel 6?

By Janice Castro

Luxury living is hard to kick. Arizona financier CHARLES KEATING has been pleading poverty in the wake of the massive failure of his Lincoln Savings and Loan. But while standing trial on 20 criminal-fraud charges in Los Angeles, he is ensconced in palatial quarters in the Checkers Hotel, a hideaway notable more for its antiques and luxurious spa facilities than for its low, low price. Keating's lawyer says his client is paying just half the usual $225 daily rate. Besides, the hotel is near the courthouse. So is the Best Western ($60 a day).

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart