White is right?

I stay often at the Intercontinental Dallas, in Dallas Texas. I like the hotel for the most part, but it has issues. My biggest complaint is the lack of wireless internet in the guest rooms. For almost four years now the front desk clerks have told me that "they are working on it." Yeah right.

I get free mini bar access at this property because I am a frequent, elite level guest (to be exact, I am a Royal Ambassador) so I guess I can overlook the whole wireless thing.

I've stayed at this particular hotel more times than I can count, and have a pretty good feel for the hotel and the types of clientele the hotel serves. Most of the time the people I encounter are business travelers, or people in town for conventions. This hotel does have it's share of interesting things going on, though. I mentioned in a previous entry the crazy guy at the bar. He was a regular for a while, but eventually they asked him not to come back. They said he got to be a little too much trouble, but I kind of liked the guy. And, I remained loyal to the hotel and stayed multiple times when the entire hotel was under renovation and wrapped in saran wrap. It was a real mess when it was under construction, but I stayed true. (Hey, a free mini-bar is great incentive.)

This particular stay was the first of four nights in different hotels on a long business trip. I should have known it was going to be an interesting couple of days when I walked out of my room at the Intercontinental the next morning. I wondered if I had stepped into a weird time warp or something. First, when I went for breakfast the concierge lounge on the executive floor was packed with people. And kids. Lots of kids. It reminded me of a Holiday Inn Express. This is not the norm for this property. I couldn't even sit at a table, so I took my Raisin Bran back to the room. That was a first for me.

But this time I was starting to think I had stepped into an episode of the Twilight Zone.

When I went to check out the next morning I noticed that the entire lobby was filled with people in very interesting white attire. Skirts, saris, turbans, shawls, slacks - all white. I'm not sure what was going on or who they were.

After I checked out and went to my car I found a flyer on my windshield advertising Swami Somebodyorother speaking the next day at a neighboring city. Maybe that was the draw for the hotel.

Then again, maybe I just missed the memo on the dress d'jour.

Dust in the Wind

I have a love-hate relationship with the Intercontinental Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Well, maybe hate is a little strong. I have a love-dislike a little relationship. Yes, that phrase represents it well I think. Most of my stays have been absolutely wonderful. But the hotel has no wireless, and that alone impacts my feelings of love. It's just one of those things I have learned to put up with. I guess I view my relationships with my favorite hotels a lot like marriage. If it is worth the commitment, you just have to learn to live with strange little habits.

Anyway, since my last visit to the property several months ago they have gutted the lobby and started extensive renovations. One of the managers met me when I arrived, showed me the blueprints and fabric swatches, and assured me that the hotel was going to be quite the showplace when everything is finished.

Staying in the hotel during renovations was interesting to say the least. There was no check-in desk, no restaurant, no lobby bar, and no concierge lounge. I usually take advantage of evening appetizers and continental breakfast in the lounge, so I had to figure out where to have dinner. There was a makeshift restaurant in the lobby, but I really wasn't interested.

It would have been nice to know all this before I checked in. If I had known about this in advance, I could have stopped after my meeting for take out. The first night I ended up changing clothes and going to Jack in the Box for fine dining. The second night I splurged with Taco Bell. Ah, the joys of life on the road.

I spent two nights at the hotel on this trip. As usual, my room was very nice, but it was hot. Nothing cooled it down. Maybe during the remodel the process was to re-route all the cool air from the guest rooms to cool down the construction workers in the lobby.

When I checked out I asked if part of the renovation plan was to install wireless internet in the guest rooms. No one could give me the answer to my question. I would like to think they read my 482 comments to that effect. Time will tell.

I have another trip to the DFW planned in a month or two. I'm anxious to see if the renovations will be finished. Maybe I should call first. It would be nice to know in advance if I need to take a fan - and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Only normal people at the bar, please.

The Intercontinental Hotel in Dallas, Texas is becoming one of my favorite hotels. It's consistent, and I like that. I especially appreciate that the reception desk employees act like they really care that I am staying at their property. Yes, I know that this is all taught in customer service training, but it is still nice at the end of a long day.

But, I think I may be the only Platinum Ambassador at the hotel that has ever asked for a downgrade to a different room. They upgraded me to a lovely bi-level suite, and it was beautiful. But there was no way to access the internet in the bedroom. Really now, how can I tell these fascinating tales when I can't sit in bed and write while I'm watching TV? I'd rather be in a regular room so I can relax. It's the little things that make life on the road more pleasant.

Caution... repeat rant follows....

Am I the only person that travels that uses my computer for stuff other than work? Does every other traveler use their laptop only for work?

OK. I'm through ranting. I think that was actually a mini-rant. I guess I'm starting to mellow in my old age.

Speaking of mellowing, remember in an earlier blog about this hotel I mentioned a guy that was talking to himself in the bar? Well, the bartender told me tonight that the poor guy was recently banned from the bar. He said that he started getting a little too weird. I wonder how "too weird" is defined at the InterContinental? I've seen some very interesting and really weird people at hotel bars. I think it's a shame. That guy was certainly more interesting than sports or CNN on the bar TV. I'll miss him.

The trip from the Twilight Zone.

From start to finish, this was a weird trip. I expected Rod Serling to pop up any minute reminding us not to adjust our sets.

I travel to the Dallas area often and I have yet to find the perfect "home" hotel for my visits. I keep hoping I will connect, but it hasn't been an easy search. This time I started this trip staying in the Crowne Plaza on Midway Road in Addison, Texas. I must say this was a lovely hotel in a nice location. The club lounge was very nice and offered excellent appetizers in the club lounge. But, the guest rooms didn't offer wireless internet.

[This is another rant, so if you don't want to hear me complain please fast forward.] Charging for internet access? No wireless? Good grief. What century are these hotels in???

Anyway, with no wireless internet and only a short access cord, I abandoned the idea of relaxing in my room while surfing the net and went to have a snack in the executive lounge. I mentioned the issue to the attendant in the lounge and she told me that wireless was available there in the executive club lounge. I must admit that I seriously thought about going back to the club lounge in my pj's. I could make myself comfortable, all propped up in front of the TV... But, after seriously thinking about it I decided that only when enough guests take their business elsewhere will they pay attention to what we want so I checked out after one night and went to another hotel.

OK. That might have been a mistake.

I looked up another IHG property on the internet and found the Holiday Inn-Dallas North Addison. I must admit that I was a bit concerned when I saw the sign outside the door that said "no public rest room inside." And there were no cars in the parking lot. But, I decided to go in but asked to see the room prior to checking in. It's a good thing I did, because the room I was given had a broken security latch on the door. The second room they gave me was disturbingly shabby. Needless to say, I left immediately.

By now I was very frustrated and did what every self-assured female business traveler would do... I called my husband. I had him look up other hotels in the area, and he gave me several options. I called a hotel I had stayed in previously, the Crowne Plaza Market Center in Dallas, Texas. After all, the manager had really encouraged me to give them another try. So, I decided what the heck... I would try them again. I was extremely disappointed in the front desk clerk who argued with me on the phone, and decided that a second chance was not going to happen.

Finally I decided to just drive to the closest hotel to see if I could check in. It happened to be Intercontinental Hotel, in Dallas, Texas. I'd stayed in the hotel before, and the only real complaint I had was the lack of wireless internet. By now I didn't care because I was tired and just wanted a place to relax.

The young man at the check-in desk upgraded me to the executive floor, and I took the elevator to the 15th floor and checked in to my room. This time when I checked in I asked if it was possible to get a longer access cord so I could use my laptop while sitting in the easy chair. He arranged for one to be delivered to my room. The hotel just got my vote for "wonderful" status.

So, I went to the room, unpacked my stuff and settled in for some down time playing on the internet. After I plugged into the modem I kept getting a message that my computer had "limited or no connectivity." I called the 24 hour internet help number and they told me to call hotel maintenance for a new phone cable. I did, they came and replaced it - and it didn't work. The maintenance guy called the internet guy and the two of them decided that the problem was in the wall. So, the maintenance guy called the front desk guy who decided to call the bell guy at 9:00 PM to move me to another room.

My silver stud earrings somehow didn't make the move. I never saw them again. sigh.

Anyway, the new room was fine, although a bit smaller. It had a connecting door to another room which normally isn't too big of a deal. But, when I signed on to the internet (which worked by the way) it signed me to room 1504 - which wouldn't have been so bad except that I was in 1509. Hopefully they were platinum members as well.

After a long trip of nothing going the way it should have gone, I ended my day in the hotel lobby bar where the guy at the end of the bar was carrying on a lively conversation with himself.

Somehow, I think I know what he was talking about. He must have ignored Rod Serling's warning and adjusted his set anyway.

All wired up and no place to go.

When I first started traveling, I hauled around a widescreen laptop that weighed around 152 pounds. I even bought a wheeled briefcase for it because I got so tired from hauling the darn thing through airports. Then I discovered the wonderful little HP notebook computer. What a brilliant invention. It weighs less than my purse.

Once I got this petite little laptop, I almost didn’t mind pulling it out to go through security. In fact, I remain a little proud of how smart I was to have made this purchase. I know I’m not alone. I think a lot of savvy travelers have purchased these handy little travel notebooks.

Handy unless you stay in the Intercontinental Hotel, in Dallas, Texas. But what a beautiful hotel! It exuded perfection. Décor, customer service - everything was wonderful. Well, the bed was a little hard, but I can live with that. It just makes me appreciate home a little more.

Just don’t try to use your little notebook say...across the room from the desk. Or while sitting in the comfortable easy chair. Or while in bed. Nope. You have to stay tethered to the desk with an Ethernet cord and a modem, which the hotel cheerfully provided. I thought it seemed a little cheerfully old-fashioned.

So there I was, all wireless in a wired world. What a dilemma I found myself in. The way I saw it, I had four choices:

1. Force myself to sit at the desk long enough to do some work and forget playing computer games for my evening entertainment.
   
2. Go cold turkey and just shut myself off from it for two days.
3. Use the wireless option the city of Addison offered, a weak connection but maybe adequate.
4. Make myself comfortable and/or tipsy in the lobby bar.
5. Sit in the hotel Starbucks and enjoy an grande iced caramel coconut amaretto chocolate macchiato with whipped cream.
   

My decision was all that, and had a cherry on top.