Hotel Observations

Hotels and motels can be a curious entity. Some of them appeal to the tightwads in us: "We offer a cheap, clean room. You won't be in it much anyway, since you're here for the sights." Some offer luxury: "You can't afford to live like this at home, so do it while on vacation. Use our fancy soaps and wear our lush bathrobes and sit on your patio to eat room service food." The hotels I like are somewhere in-between those two options.

I found the hotel we stayed at via Hotels.Com. I was pleasantly surprised. They day staff was extremely helpful and quick to offer options or advice to make our stay pleasant. But come late night, when the black gal worked, she didn't appreciate being disturbed. I could tell.

We got up to the room, and had 3 pillows for 4 people. My husband and I sleep with 3 pillows each, so we knew the status quo wasn't going to work for us. So I call the front desk at about 10 PM and ask for more pillows. The immediate response was "we're out" from the black desk clerk who would rather not have to hear from me. I told her there had to be 2 or 3 pillows stashed somewhere, and I'd be happy to come get them. She said they were out. So I said what if I just got sick all over my 3 pillows, was she telling me there was nary a replacement anywhere in this 6-story hotel? She said she'd check. I wound up with one pillow.

So the next morning, I asked the helpful, friendly morning crew for more pillows. We had seen a dozen or so in a storage closet on our floor, so were ready to argue the point. But we didn't have to. It's amazing what a couple dollars' tip thrown their way will get you: 6 pillows!

I find hotels generally stingy with kleenex, toilet paper, and soap bars. I guess for every item they don't put out for my use , they save a buck. But I don't like running out of toilet paper, especially at 2 AM. And when my bar of soap gets to a sliver at home, I replace it. They could at least leave a new bar every other day.

And towels! When they see 4 suitcases and 4 sides of the beds slept in, WHY do they leave only 3 bath towels? Do people really steal hotel towels anymore? I don't' want them. I try not to think about how many hairy bottoms they have dried off before I came along. But at least leave us enough for us all to bathe and not have to share a towel!