Three strikes and I'm out.

I just removed a hotel from "most favored" status. I can't believe this was the same hotel I stayed in before. Everything seemed to go wrong from the minute I checked into the Crowne Plaza Market Center in Dallas, Texas.

One: Room for improvement

I checked into the hotel, and went up to the 20th floor and used my key to open the door. When I opened it I heard the television blaring. Then I saw a disheveled bed in the room and I quickly backed out not really knowing what was happening in the room. I'm not sure I really wanted to know. It was extremely disconcerting. I took the elevator back down to the lobby and told the desk clerk what had happened. She was polite, said she was sorry and gave me a key to another room.

Back up the elevator I went - this time to the 21st floor. I went into the room and it was a room with two double beds. I always reserve a king sized bed because the room seems to have more space and for some reason I feel claustrophobic in rooms with two beds. Down the elevator I go for the second time.

Now I'm wondering if it's a full moon or something.

The clerk is now not quite as friendly, but still polite and tells me she has a king room on the 7th floor. I don't mind which floor it is as long as it is quiet. I take the key and go back to the elevator. This time the room is a king and is definitely unoccupied. Finally.

Two: I only have ice for you

By now it is fairly late in the evening, and I want a glass of ice water since I didn't get my traditional bottle of cold water at check in. The guest services book in the room said there was an ice machine located on each floor across from room something or other. I take the ice bucket and head down the hall. The ice machine was broken. I got on the now familiar elevator and went to the eighth floor. The ice machine was not working. Ninth floor. Not working. On the elevator I met a guy holding an ice bucket. Don't bother trying ten or eleven because those ice machines don't work either. I went back to my room and called the desk. The desk clerk said I had to go to the third floor.

Three: It's a no drainer

I usually stay in IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) properties. All of the Holiday Inns and HI Expresses have been undergoing renovations as a part of the re-branding of the chain. Many of the more upscale hotels in the chain have also been updated, and I think I heard that the Crowne Plaza Dallas had also undergone upgrades. One of the nifty things they did was add these classy looking sink stoppers to the sink in the vanity. But I discovered a problem when I washed my hands. There was no way to raise the sink stopper so the sink would drain. I looked everywhere. I thought maybe I needed to twist it or something to get it to stay up. Nope. I imagine the intent was for it to always be open, but this one was always closed. Each time I used it I had to put my hand through whatever I had just washed off in order to empty the sink. See the problem here? A person with OCD would have never left the bathroom.

That night before going to sleep, I made a reservation at another hotel. The phone worked.

The next morning I went to the front desk ready to check out. The friendly clerk asked about my stay, and I said unfortunately I was checking out instead of staying three nights as originally intended. She seemed genuinely concerned and called the manager. It turns out the manager was one of the wonderful employees I had encountered on my previous two experiences in the hotel. He was so nice and seemed genuinely sorry about my less than satisfactory experience. I told him I was really sorry too, and very disappointed. He comped my room. He also said he hoped I'd give them another chance sometime.

I might go back to the hotel some day. Everyone deserves a second chance, even after failing three chances on the same night.

Off by a minute?

Crowne Plazas get it. In fact, I don’t know that I’ve ever stayed in one that missed the mark. The Crowne Plaza Hotel Dallas-Market Center in Dallas, Texas was no exception. They treated me like I was the most important person to walk in their door. Now, there were no platinum perks other than a bottle of cold water at check in, but I can live with that if the other aspects of the hotel are quality - and this was a class act hotel.

I was on the 20th floor, which I was told was the “priority” floor. It was quite spacious and had a nice view of the sunset each evening. I was a little concerned when I first went into the room because the room faced the freeway, but the room was surprisingly quiet.

I learned that this hotel is regularly used as a place where new military recruits arrive for an introduction prior to shipping them off. I guess they like to send them off in style. I think it’s kind of a nice touch. Anyway, I was told that because of the crowds in the restaurant the service might be quicker at the bar, so I took that to heart. I had a wonderful dinner at the bar both nights and the bartenders were great.

They always leave a room service breakfast menu on the bed. You know - the one you are supposed to leave on the door at night. I laughed when I looked at it. It said that in order to receive breakfast you had to leave the request out by 3:01 AM. What happens if you leave it out at 3:02?

Probably the most interesting thing that happened was the express checkout ticket they slipped under my door the first night. I was staying two nights, so I knew it was a mistake. Oh what a mistake. The ticket was for Mr. So-and-so, and it had a rather large bar tab signed on the room. In the address section in very large print it noted “Please don’t send any mail.”

I bet there’s a story there…