Hi Kage,

Hmmm... digging into my files, here's what I wrote about my first stay at the Mercer, back in 2005 (it's a funny story, and I have been back many times since, but gives you an idea of the attitude that is sometimes "too cool for school"--definitely no attitude at CSH):



"Hello Mr. Ether, Welcome to the Mercer. I'd like to tell you that we have downgraded your room for your stay." the clerk said with a friendly smile on his face. "What?" I said very politely. "Unfortunately we needed your loft suite so we need to downgrade your room for this stay. We are very sorry."

I'm not one to make a fuss, but seriously I had never been "downgraded" before. This was a first. I graciously took the smaller room and went to the lobby to people watch. I had a lovely time shopping in SOHO the next day. When I got back to the hotel, the gentleman who had "downgraded" me earlier, Mr. Estrada, told me he had a surprise for me. He had taken the liberty to move my bags to the courtyard suite.



The courtyard suite is a huge (by NY standards) suite that has french doors which open into the Mercer Courtyard.



It is a nice, modern, open design. I love the extra touch of the fresh flowers.



Anyways, the Mercer did win me over in the end. And literally weeks later, I saw Mr. Estrada's name again. This time, it was in the paper and he was the apparent victim of a telephone battery by an Australian movie star with initials RC. Hmmm... I wonder if they downgraded him too!