The sidestory of Steve is based on the movie Somewhere in time (1980).
The musical theme playing during Steve's scenes is 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini' by Sergei Rachmaninoff, the same theme playing during the movie Somewhere in Time (1980) which is what his story is parodying.
The title is a reference to Heartbreak Hotel by Elvis Presley
When Francine looks at Steve and Stan towards the end of the episode, Stan still does not have socks on.
Although not mentioned by name, the hotel the family is staying in is the historic Willard Hotel in Washington DC.