SkiAdcock

So there I am in the exec lounge having a glass of wine & reading paper, sitting at table next to window overlooking Leidesplain. Lounge full, mostly people I've seen all week. One guy there (looking All-American reading a paperback) glances at me a few times; don't think much of it. First time I've seen him.

I-terminal opens up, so I move to it leaving my purse, shawl, glasses, wine & paper behind cuz they're only 10ft away & in view (yeah, if you're not looking at a computer screen).

On computer for 15 minutes, and people in/out. Don't ask me why I looked up when a person (this guy) goes out the door (i-terminal near lounge door), but I do & think wait, that's weird, looks like my purse under his arm next to book. He exits, I leave terminal, head to table - no purse! I grab the attendant, do you know that guy, I think he stole my purse. We head out the lounge in his direction (his mistake was turning towards rooms rather than elevator) & literally run into him.

He's got a 'bulky' Financial Times under his arm & I move towards him & say, is that my purse? He says (obviously fast thinker) - oh is it yours? I was taking it to lost & found. I was so upset/shaken that I wasn't thinking fast, because who takes a purse to L&F wrapped up & also doesn't check w/ folk in lounge or the attendant? So we let him (dumbly) go.

We go back to lounge & call security & they came up w/in 2 minutes (total elapsed time at this point only 5 minutes). If we had told them he was headed down they could have nabbed him when elevator went to ground floor, but neither attendant nor I were that fast thinking. We later found the newspaper stuffed behind plant on sidetable near elevator.

Security took a report, the attendant went to watch surveillance tape, and I walked w/ security through the bar & restaurants. But obviously the guy skipped the hotel.

The hotel staff & security were quite good/nice & wanted to know if they could help me in any way, but obviously nothing could be done at that point. I was just lucky we got it back so fast & all was intact.

When I got back to the hotel post dinner, more chocolates in the room - I think they're running out of things to give me!

Here's the telephone charge list next to phone (all in Euro); per minute

Local call 0.60
National 0.80
Mobile 2.25
USA/Canada 2.50
Europe 2.50
Asia 8.00
Middle East/Gulf 8.00
South-America 8.00
Russia & Baltic 8.00
Africa 8.00
Special #s (900) 2.00
Internet #s (starting w/ 0676/06777) 0.60
Access fee (0800 - fixed charge after 60 sec) 2.00

* Please note taht 1-800 are NOT TOLL FREE outside the US & will be charged as int'l phone calls (2.50 per minute)

Cheers. Sharon

SkiAdcock

After biz dinner came back & stayed up until 2am working, doing emails & packing. 4:15am wake-up call to catch flight. Wake up myself at 4:10; figure wait for call. A couple of minutes later fan stops. I look at clock - no clock lit. No lights. The electricity has gone off (evidently for a city block).

How am I going to get ready if I can't even see my hand in front of my face? Since my room faces the Leidesplain open up the curtains & get a bit of light that way. Wake-up call comes. They'll try to find me a flashlight (none available I find out) & that's about all they can do, as they're dependent upon the city to get the lights back on (literally).

Realize lights are on in the hallway though, and also figure no one else is up at 4:15am, so prop open the door to let hallway light into room & try to get ready (taking a shower in the dark is rather interesting). So while things were dim I was able to get dressed/finalize luggage (glad I packed the night before).

They send folk up to help me take luggage down. The elevator actually worked which surprised me, but they had to manually open/close the doors. The lobby was lit. There was a small error on the bill, but obviously the computer system was down, so I just told them to correct it when the electricity came on. Felt sorry for the front desk; phone was ringing quite a bit & explanations of we want it to come back on quickly too were being said.

Hopefully next year's trip goes smoother!

Cheers. Sharon

tom911

I think that's the least you can hope for after this last incident. They should probably let you stay entirely free the next trip (or maybe even deputize you)

SkiAdcock

John96, how do rooms xx23 & xx45 compare if you've stayed in both - ie, which is larger? I know xx23 is large & has fab view of Leidesplain, but what's xx45 like - ie, if xx23 isn't available next year (or for others reading this thread)? Any input appreciated. Cheers. Sharon...

SkiAdcock

Amex bill came. No credit on the internet charge. Sophie had told me she was going to arrange for me to have free access. When the bill was under the door in the morning morning of check-out, there was a charge for 1-day 19.95E. At check-out they said they would credit, but obviously with no electricity they couldn't do it at the time - or at all. Time to email Sophie.

Sharon