That's a key insight. Frankly, the properties just need to adjust refurb timetables accordingly.

The central atrium feature is every bit of twenty-five years old. This week (Chicago-Downtown/Lakefront) I got a room off a corner corridor, and that sixty-foot separation from the atrium made all the difference in noise levels.

I would say some of the room furnishings (not all, and not the carpet) looked tired but not yet ratty. The exterior wall, though, must have had some moisture issues and selective repair of the wall covering just wasn't adequate.