Hmm. I've never been to a hotel that didn't have a city map available from the Concierge. It will usually have pre-printed restaurants or better yet, ask the Concierge for recommendations.

And most Euro hotels have mouthwash and bath gel. U.S. hotels never seem to have bath gel.

foreign languages can be an impediment, stimpy...

and there are times, even in English-speaking countries, that I don't want to talk to *anyone* after a long day.

mauld: Ditto!

stimpy: I like that nice Eurogel, too - I first encountered it on trips to Munich years ago. One of the chains has a nice peppermint bath gel; can't remember which one, but it strikes me that it might be Westin. They also have it at, of all places, the Stratford Inn, a motel in wonderful Ashland, OR.



[This message has been edited by dgolds (edited 07-12-1999).]

Regarding the telephone dialing instructions....once you know that 9 is for a local call, use it to access 800/888, etc numbers. Toll free numbers are considered "local" calls.

I agree with the map frustration, I usually investigate a city I'll be in prior to arrival....getting a map with Rental Car is only fair. Some cities put detailed city maps in the phone bookes BUT when I find the page I need it usually has been ripped out!

(Baobab: I agree with the "no talking" attitude at the end of one's day! My job requires me to talk (all day) I'm an Instructor, so quiet solitude is a beautiful thing!)

Lastly, I want my shampoos/bath gels refreshed on a DAILY basis. Even if housekeeping views the half empty bottle of shampoo in the shower....give me a new one, maybe what's left will not be enough for the next day's shampooing!!

(Wonderful amenities at the The Pointe @ Squaw Peak Hilton in Phoenix...Caswell & Massey Products!!)



[This message has been edited by traveltoomuch (edited 07-13-1999).]

Wish the dial 9 strategy was more consistent. In Dallas recently (can't remember if it was the Intercontinental or Harvey Suites - stayed at both within a week of each other) I had to dial 9 for an area code 972 call, but 8 for a 214 or 800/888 call. All technically were local calls.

I don't think hotels can keep up with the continuous area code splits and overlays (and the mandatory ten or eleven digit dialing). It's havoc on my default modem settings.

Effective 2 days ago, Oregon added a second area code (971), which will cover the eastern 2/3 of the state. Ads in the paper daily to start dialing 10 numbers for all local calls, to practice, and they will start enforcing it in January.
The DFW 214/972 thing was confusing at first, but I've never been in a hotel (usually stay somewhere in Irving/Las Colinas area) that made you use a different access for each one.

I used to think that if you dialed 9 for a local call, it would not be charged as a long distance call if it was in fact long distance (I thought the call would not go through).

I discovered the error of my ways at the Courtyard by Marriott in Annapolis ... dialed nine and the number and the call went through ... and it showed up as a long distance call on my bill!

AusTxHiker, don't be afraid to ask for something that is NOT on the room service menu. I have very simple food tastes that most room service menus don't adequately address (except in the kiddie menu). By and large, most hotels will prepare you almost anything you want provided they have the necessary ingredients on hand, regardless of whether the item is on the menu. If the person on the phone taking your order doesn't think they can make what you want, don't accept no for an answer. Ask them to talk to the chef. If that doesn't work, ask to speak with the chef yourself. They will usually accommodate you.

My department has a lot of travelers - we too donate all unused shampoo, etc... to a homeless shelter.

Also - I wish for a telephone book in every room - conditioner and lotion in all of the rural hotels that I stay at (clearly many female travelers don't frequent these places), and a "Where" magazine in every city hotel!!

IT's a very nice gesture to donate the unused shampoo/soap etc to the homeless. I think the hotels should take it on themself to put all the soap in a big canister and pour the half used shampoos and other stuff in containers and give them to the homeless.


Everyone here has made such great suggestions.. a few reflections:

Baobab: my hair is not as long or as beautiful as yours but I too could use an extra towel or two.. especially if I go swimming and I have to wrap my suit and stuff in a towel. One HOliday inn gave me one towel with the thickness of a piece of paper towel.
Mauld: my sentiments exactly. there are a few times I am in my room alone, it's late and I'd like to know what channel is which (especially if it's the weekend and I want to know which is the PBS station airing "the Red Green SHOW!"
You know.. a T-V guide like guide could be useful in rooms!

MAYBE We can take all these ideas and turn them into a "Hotel Guest Bill of rights!"

Starting with Amendment one:

*NO STUPID EXTRA CHARGES FOR LOCAL OR CREDIT CARD CALLS!!! WRITE THIS IN BIG READ LETTERS AS THE PREAMBLE TO THIS CONSTITUTION.

And here's that Preamble:

"We the flyers, who travel the world, in order to have an enjoyable stay, ask first of all to END the Miscellanous PHONE charges, Double Dip our points, ensure zin in early and late check-in, provide us with extra towels and most of all: do not disturb signs to avoid those early morning surprises!

DO ordain and establish this constitution, for the Flyer-Talkers around the world.

(sing this to the tune of "We the PEople" from Schoolhouse ROck... if you don't know what this is... e-mail me for an explaination!)

Here's a couple that were just encountered this morning......

Shower heads that are too low.......

Sink/shower drains that don't.....

Those flimsy shower curtains that somehow blow in and stick to you like a magnet....

(live from the Morristown, TN Holiday Inn)

ontherun ~ you sure that's not the "Bring Your Own Sheets" Morristown Holiday Inn? The shower curtain thing, now THAT'S funny. And the shower heads for midgets has always been a thorn in my side, or I should say a "spray" in my side!!

I just recently stayed at the Denver Tech Sheriton and found a $1.00 charge for the USA Today! And I had to walk down to the elevators to get it! What if I didn't WANT the USA Today? The kids down at the hotel lobby insisted that the charge was a "standard" addition to the regular hotel fee. Now, it may seem like I'm crying over $1 here, but if the hotel has an average of 300 guests a night, that's an additional $9000 a month they're sucking out of their guests. That just didn't sit well with me. No sir. Didn't like it one bit.

------------------
Mahalo brudda!
www.hotshirts.com

No actually it's not a bad one, not compared to the Hazard, KY HI property that I recently had the (dis)pleasure of staying at.

Seems that the areas that our company sells our software in puts me in a wiiiiide variety of lodging properties <VBG> but I have yet to have to rent the sheets (or room) on a quarter hour basis.

Those paper thin flimsy curtains are the pits. Seems there is some invisible aerodynamics/wind flow that blows the curtain inwards with enough force to be a second skin.

Wanderlust, You from the islands? Spent nine years on Oahu as an Army brat.

Ciao~