one night stay in enough

[jsmahoney]

Snowed here last night and was unable to make the drive home from work. So I drove to the local Hotel/Motel and purchased a nights stay. This being a small town there is only one place available to spend the night. I've driven past it several times and it has always been pretty full.
They placed me into the new addition of their rooms, which was across the highway. At first glance it seemed to be very nice. First thing I have always done is to take the quilt off the bed. ( Itusually seemed to me it doesn't get the attention in the washing department as they should).


Underneath the quilt,seeing an old blanket, matted down with age, and having no softness to it made me cringe a little. But, looking closer at the "dead spider" made me decide to call the front desk. Of course it was after hours and they don't pick up. Deciding it wasn't that bad, I went to take a shower. After almost completing my shower I noticed this "stuff" on the shower curtain. This "stuff" looking like a slimy, chunk that someone decided to remove from their throat. Now I have just about had it! Luckily I had purchased a bottle of wine to ease the night. So, sipped on it telling myself it was all OK, It's not like I was wearing any of the stuff. After a couple of glasses of wineI thought I'd head to bed. Now, turning the sheets back I observed black hair all over both pillows. That's it! I had had enough. I grabbed the blankets, a small pillow from my pickup, and slept on the hard wood chair by thedesk. Yes, this was brought to the front office this morning, with an apology, no reimbursement, but a free nights stay. "NOT ME"


What would you do?

 

[smurfe]

Been there done that. When I was first moving to Louisiana I made my trip down for a job interview. I checked into a motel, found similar conditions, went right to the front desk with my concerns. Didn't even get an apology. I checked out right on the spot and found another hotel. I realize you were stuck where you were so it isn't quite the same.


I had another experience once at a high dollar hotel in St. Louis. The toilet in our room leaked like crazy. Complained and they moved us to another room. The AC didn't work in that room, complained again and they moved us. The next room had various DNA forms like you described. Complained again and they moved us. Finally got an acceptable room.


I never got an I'm sorry for the inconvenience, a discount, a voucher for a free night stay, a free comp breakfast or anything. All I got was the tone of disgust that I was an unreasonable guest. This was around 25 years ago and the room rate was $200 a night. At that price in the early 80's, I expected to be treated like a Rockefeller.


Smurfe

 

[kutya]

Last summer we were staying at a nice place on the lake, the kids and I were messing around the wife jumped into the bed, and immediatley said something bit her on the foot. I pulled the blankets back and could not find anything. We took a look at her ankle that was swelling slightly. The next day it was pretty nasty, so we headed home. On the following Monday, the wife visited the DR. He told her it was a Hobo Spider bite. It really blistered and swelled. Some tissue damage... Now we always pull all the blankets off and look things over...

 

[PeterZ]

Hotel "horror" stories:

Jakarta, Indonesia, mid 1990's: Brand new luxury high-rise hotel. I was on about the 20th floor. Beautiful, huge room. Even had electrically operated drapes on the windows, controlled from the bedside table. One of the most stunning hotel rooms I have ever stayed in --- except...

On the mirror in the bathroom was a small sign that read "Water Not Potable. Contact Room Service for Drinking Water." View from the window - a drainage ditch full of sewage.

Calamas, Chile, late 1980's: Altitude 11,100 feet. Hotel Alpha, the finest hotel in Calamas, and they gave me the finest room - on the 5th floor. No elevator.

Small city (name not remembered) on the Indonesian island of Java. mid 1990's: Finest hotel in town. The ceilings were Masonite nailed up with the joints covered with 1 x 2 firring strips, all painted white. Heard a rumbling in the ceiling that sounded like metal HVAC ducts vibrating. Was informed that the noise was rats in the ceiling. They must have been the size of cats. ["Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra" - mentioned by Watson, but never written up - except this was in Java.] I didn't sleep for 2 days.

Funniest hotel story:

Karachi, Pakistan, 1992. I was there with my friend and associate Bob Roup for a week (longest month of my life). Sheraton Hotel. No bar, but you could get liquor from room service if you let them copy your passport to prove you were a foreigner. Bob and I both enjoy a drink after a long, unproductive day of work, and that was all we had that whole trip. First night Bob called room service and ordered four double vodka and OJ for us. He tendered his passport, they copied it, brought the drinks, and had Bob sign some papers.

The next day was even worse, from the stanspoint of productivity. When we got back to the Sheraton, Bob ordered 8 double vodka and OJ's. The same room service waiter came again, with papers to sign and the drinks, and said, "You guys must be really sick." Bob said, "Huh?" Waiter, "Didn't you read that paper you signed. It says the drinks are for medicinal purposes only." Bob grabbed my wrist and said, "Can't you see he's pale? His pulse is weak!" We were all roaring with laughter.

One day I will tell you the story of Tan Sri Eric Chia, William the Contractor, and the Old Woman. It is the most moving story I have ever experienced first hand.

 

[Wade E]

Man Peter, yuove been around and have had some experiences!

 

[Angell Wine]

Me and some College buddies we're on road trip some where in west Texas when we decide to stop for the night. The only thing in town was a small mom & pop shack. When we check in we told the teller we needed 1 room for 1 night with double beds. He ask how long we needed it, we told again for 1 night.(rent by the hour?)He took our money ($15 )and ask if need any companionship, which we reply "No thanks". His reply was " I don't like gay people now". When we got into the room and turn on the T.V. we had 3 channels to choose from, The Disney channel, The local channel, & the playboy channel. We all slept on top of the covers with our cloths on & check out early that morning.

 

[jsmahoney]

I'm sure Angell Wine you'll never forget that night! hmmm!

 

[Pepere]

Long story short. Roll back the covers to find a USED condum between the sheets. This wasn't a flee bag motel but rather a Marriot. I went insane. Response was "....oh we're sorry!"

Like JS, that night we didn't have a choice but, corporate HQ got a nasty gram the next day.

 

[smurfe]

Long story short. Roll back the covers to find a USED condum between the sheets. This wasn't a flee bag motel but rather a Marriot. I went insane. Response was "....oh we're sorry!"

Like JS, that night we didn't have a choice but, corporate HQ got a nasty gram the next day.

Well, if you want to hear gross. I took a crime scene response class once. The Illinois State police offered a very informative class. It help us First Responders to preserve crime scenes while treating patients. They showed us some of their fancy tools that can light up a room to reveal hidden evidence.


One slide in the presentation was shot in a hotel room (4 star) where there had been no crime, but to merely demonstrate just how good the equipment was. You would not believe the DNA (semen, Urine, blood, etc)this lighting source revealed that can not be seen by the naked eye. One the ceiling, TV screen, mattress, walls, and carpet. It was disgusting.


My wife wonders why I absolutely hate staying in hotels/motels or actually sleeping in any bed that isn't mine that I bought brand new. Made me wonder if some rock and roll group had stayed there. If you have ever seen the movie Best In Show you will get at where I got that thought from.


Smurfe

 

[Wade E]

YUCK!

 

[geocorn]

Copper Center Historic Roadhouse - Copper Center, Alaska.


This place was built in the early 90's (1890's) and looked like it. We were told by the travel agent it was a great place to stay! My father and financee had come to Alaska to visit and we had just left Valdez. We checked in on the 4th of July when it was 99 degrees. No A/C, no breeze, just hot and the town was out of ice. We bought some warm wine coolers at the 7/11 and went to the room.


The bathroom was shared with the room next door and my wife immediately locked the otherdoor so anyone in the next room would not be able to use the bathroom! Next, we noticed the shower was one of those old metal ones and my wife said it looked like an execution chamber.


I forgot mention that the "Hotel Matron" was about 6'3" tall and close to 300 pounds. She wore big soled shoes and dragged one foot as she walked. My wife claimed all she needed was an axe! My wife knew she only had a short time to live.


We laid naked in bed for several hours with the small window wide open sweating profusely. At about 4 am, my dad finally gave in and agreed to leave. Fairbanks was an 8 hour drive and everyone volunteered to help me drive. About an hour out of the hotel, I notice everyone else in the carwas asleep. So much for help!


We have talked for years about getting T-Shirts that read "I survived Copper Center", but we never got the shirts!Edited by: geocorn

 

[Pepere]

All these stories makes one wonder why there aren't more RV's on the road eh?
I remember being newly married. A motel in the Birkshires. A squirrel in the ceilling. tick, tick tick across the ceilling all night. Finally we fall a sleep. Then suddenly at zero dark thirty, a blood curdlling scream erupts from my wife and we bolt up out of bed. Seems my neck chain got caught in her hair and she just knew that critter had made into the room. Yup, you guessed it, checked out that morning...............very early that morning.

 

[Wade E]

Keep them coming, as someone who doesnt get out much I have no experiences like thes but I love reading them.

 

[PeterZ]

OK, Wade, here's the other side.

My first trip to Singapore was in 1992 to help open a new division for the company I worked for. (Part of the Pakistan trip.) They put me in the Omni hotel, because it was walking distance from the GM's house. Very nice place with excellent service, and walking distance from the Hard Rock, Chili's, and McDonalds.

In '93 something happened that resulted in my insisting on staying there for all my subsequent trips (through '96), even though the GM moved. They got the contract for hosting the KLM filght crews. Those Dutch girls love the sun by the pool.

Weekends were great. I would take a book down to the pool at 10:00 and "read" until 4:00. Lunch and bar poolside. Life was good.

If any of you have an opportunity to visit Singapore and/or Malaysia DO IT. They are some of the nicest places in the world.

 

[Wade E]

Cool!

 

[rgecaprock]

I don't have any stories but I sure will be looking real close at things from now on. And hey, smurfe, I remember you telling me that story at Winestock!!


Ramona

 

[PolishWineP]

Paris, Summer, 1978. Latin Quarter. Hotel room of course had no A/C, but we didn't expect it. Bathroom down the hall. Window opened into the "courtyard" that had garbage in it.

Very thin indoor/outdoor carpet in the room. The maid came in to "do up" the room when we were there and she damp mopped the carpet. That would explain the scent in the room.

Couldn't really open the window for fresh air, as summer in Paris just gave us garbage air. I'd smoke cigarettes in the room just to freshen the air.

 

[jsmahoney]

One summer in Nebraska near Ogallala, we had been motorcycling and ended up staying the night. While sitting in the room with our traveling friends having an evening drink before turning in,we noticed something crawling the walls, and fly from one part of the room to the other. To this day, as we drive by itis stillknown as "The Cockroach Motel"! Yep, that is right the hotel/motel was full of cockroaches.

 

[sally3]

One night when I was a student in Paris I was terrified of the room
they put us in. As a poor American student there wasn't much I
could do but I was so grateful there was a window in my room. I
deceided to sit up all night, drank some awesome French wine and read
my books on my discusting bed. l Much to my horror when I
smelled smoke, I ran to the window to check it out in case I had to
bail and realized it was bricked shut with curtains hanging over
it. Long story but BIG MEMORY!!!!

 

[PolishWineP]

Those Paris hotel rooms.

Guess 2 stars, even when you're young and poor, just aren't enough!