A couple of months ago I was almost stuck -- I think -- in an elevator at the Austin, TX Hilton. I was up early to catch a plane. Left my 18th floor room and summoned an elevator around 430am. It took a long time coming, then the doors opened verrrry slowly and, once I was in it, closed verrrrry slowly... and the elevator didn't move. It was obviously sick. I leaned on the open-door button and after an interminable period the doors opened again and I re-emerged onto 18... and in a minute or two I ran into a couple who said there'd been a fire in the building and certain floors had been evacuated -- but the higher floors hadn't been notified.

I walked down 18 flights of stairs and was deposited into a back alley. Found my way back around the building, past fire trucks, and into the lobby, where dozens of guests in jammies, robes and sweats were sitting around looking disconsolate. Checked out and told the (completely disinterested) clerk I thought this was an odd way to handle a safety emergency -- cut off the higher floors, etc.

A day or two later I got the online rate-your-stay survey and told this story; a week after that I got a cert in the mail from the hotel GM for a free night at the Austin property.