Rockin’ round the Hotel

Disclaimer: If you are under the age of 50 you’ll either want to skip this blog or your curiosity will lead you to seek out a senior citizen for an explanation.

Staying at the Holiday Inn Dallas Market Center in Dallas Texas was like listening to a 45 RPM record. The hotel was shaped like one of those adapter doo-dads we used to put in the middle of the 45 so it would fit the spindle on the record player. From the moment I stepped into the hotel, I felt a bit like I was putting the stylus in the groove.

The elevator was the middle of the hole. Getting off the elevator was a little weird but nice, since there was no way to get lost. If I turned the wrong way off the elevator I just walked around and around until I found the hallway leading to my room. And there were no straight walls in the room - they all had a slight curve.

The whole hotel was sort of a time-warp. For an older hotel it was well-kept and the staff was exceptionally friendly. Maybe the lack of modernization was because the hotel was so isolated. There was a train track running alongside the property. I almost expected to see Uncle Joe movin’ kinda’ slow at the junction. And yes, I could hear the train at night - but that’s what earplugs are for, right?

I do have a semi-major complaint. I didn’t like having to enter the hotel through a smoke screen. Four or five people were sitting and smoking on the two benches on either side of the front door of the hotel. I’m guessing that either I arrived at shift change or the kids sneaked out of the prom for a Chesterfield.

Since there was absolutely nothing nearby, I ate dinner in the restaurant. After a nice meal I walked back to the elevator and went up to my floor. I noticed the halls had a slight musty smell, and I swear I could hear the crackle and pop of I Want to Hold Your Hand.

Ready? Set?.....go figure!

I arrived at the Crowne Plaza in Little Rock, Arkansas fairly late in the evening. It would have been nice to have had my priority check-in ready to go when I got there, but it wasn't. The desk clerk gave me my keys and said thank you. I had to ask where to go to get to the room. I asked if I was on the executive floor and she said yes. Since she didn't offer any other information I decided that I was on my own.

The executive level "club" floor of the Crowne Plaza Little Rock is key access only. My room was spacious, nicely decorated, comfortable - and right next door to the ice machine. So here is a bit of advice to anyone staying in room 507 of this hotel...make sure you have earplugs. Fortunately, Crowne Plaza Hotels usually provide these in a little amenities bag on the bed when you check in. Earplugs are in there along with an eye mask, and linen spray. I never use the spray. Or the eye mask. But the earplugs come in very handy when people decide they need ice at 2:00 in the morning.

The executive floor had a concierge lounge with complimentary breakfast, evening appetizers, and children. Children everywhere. Now, one of the things I like about executive floors is the fact that the concierge lounge offers a quiet area to snack and unwind at the end of a long day. Not so when the executive floor is filled with children. I finished my nice appetizers and went to my room.

I stayed in this hotel on a business trip, so my stay was during a work week. Apparently the executive floor of this hotel isn't a "quiet" floor catering to business travelers. It was more like a race track in a daycare center. I listened to children running track and field time trials as they raced up and down the hall. When they weren't running they were knocking on doors and slamming them once they were let in. Well, they were slamming them when room service wasn't delivering, which was every thirty minutes or so. This went on well into the night. Somewhere around 2:00 in the morning I arrived at the conclusion that the parents couldn't stop them because they were busy filling their ice buckets.

The second night of my stay, (more accurately the second morning) I received a phone call at 5:08 AM. I picked up the receiver and the guy at the other end of the phone asked if I had received my earlier wake-up call. I said I had not, but then I hadn't actually requested one either. The guy said "Oh, I guess I read the number wrong. I apologize." But he didn't sound very sorry. I was sorry, because he woke me up out of a no-children-no-ice machine sound sleep.

Crowne Plazas take their wake-up call service very seriously. In fact it's guaranteed that you'll be awakened as requested. Hence the call to make sure I'd received the call. But I didn't want either call at 5:00 in the morning. I wonder if they have some sort of guarantee that they'll call the right room?

I ate dinner one night in the hotel lobby bar, Rocks. They had a live artist who played guitar and had a lovely voice that reminded me a bit of Dan Fogelberg. He played to a group of people that basically ignored him like they would elevator music. And, he had the background accompaniment of the kids screaming and laughing in the lobby's indoor pool. But I clapped and said thank you. He seemed a little surprised that anyone was actually listening. I've played to audiences of 6 people, too. I sensed a psychic bond between under-appreciated performers. Just then, the waitress, a 20-something sweet young thing stopped by and asked "Can I get you anything else sweetie?" Suddenly I felt like I was the little blue-haired lady on the front row at a Sunday afternoon matinee.

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…

Frankly my dear, they sort of give a damn

Fort Worth North-Fossil Creek in Ft. Worth, Texas is a property next to a really big post office processing center. Its location right off the interstate makes it a bit of a challenge to leave the hotel because it requires a left turn on a busy street, but I solved this by turning right and driving down to the Liq-o-Rama parking lot a block or so down. Liq-o-Rama. It still makes me laugh as I type the name. Liq-o-Rama. OK. So it's been one of those weeks...

Now where was I? Oh, I was reviewing the hotel. Check in was smooth and the clerk at the front desk was pleasant and efficient. I was recognized as a platinum member immediately and my keys were ready and waiting. I was not offered an upgrade or any platinum perks other than a silver gift bag with potato chips, a bottle of water, and a (large) 3 Musketeers candy bar. It reminded me of breakfast when I was in college. Nothing wrong with that.

This hotel was either relatively new or recently remodeled and was in pretty decent shape. My room was a little too small for me, but like I said I wasn't upgraded. Maybe I'm just spoiled. The bed was comfortable though, and the room had plenty of electrical outlets.

One interesting feature was the little electronic "privacy/clean this room" switch on the wall. It lights up a little sign on the outside of your room. I've never seen that before. That means no one can steal your do not disturb sign off the door. I liked it.

I had a couple of issues. For one thing, the shampoo had been used. Now I know it was just soap, but it begged the question... What else was used? I figure the housekeeper didn't see it because the light was dim in the bathroom even if you turned on all three lights. There were three light switches in the bathroom, and none of the lights were heat lamps - just three lights.

I don't think the floor had been vacuumed. It didn't look like it. I was looking for a phone book and opened the nightstand drawer. In the drawer with the phone book was trash... including a used tissue. Gross.

The sound on all the TVs in the hotel was just weird. Some stations were really loud, some were nearly silent, and all of them were completely distorted when turned to NBC. It was extremely annoying. The desk guy told me they were trying to work it out with Direct TV. Later I learned (from a different hotel employee) that the hotel probably just didn't want to pay to get it fixed. But, since the batteries in the remote were dead it didn't make any difference anyway.

Not able to watch TV, I decided to go use the treadmill in the exercise room. The communal TV was turned to NBC.

There was no fan in the exercise room, and it was very hot. I'm not sure why they didn't have the air conditioner turned down as in most hotels. After 30 minutes on the treadmill I was glad to see a water cooler in the corner. I grabbed a cup, and the cooler was empty. That's the kind of experience that makes one want to go hang out at the hotel bar.

I went back to my room. The most interesting feature of the room was a larger-than-life picture of Rhett and Scarlett in a passionate embrace. It was totally out of character and in fact looked as if someone left their souvenir poster. But I liked it. Gone With the Wind is one of my all time favorite movies. It inspired me. "With God as my witness... I'll never go hungry again."

Especially since I had that big ol' candy bar.

If only they could all be like this

Near hotel perfection awaited me at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. From the moment I walked in the door until I walked out it was an outstanding experience. Check in was smooth, and I was recognized immediately as a priority member. I received a personalized envelope which had enclosed a thank you and a coupon for a complimentary drink and a full breakfast in the restaurant. I wasn't sure if I would use them though, because I was upgraded to a room on the the "key access only" executive club floor. One of the perks of the executive floor is a complimentary happy hour with appetizers, and complimentary continental breakfast. Ah, decisions decisions.

The room itself was great. When I arrived in the room waiting on the bed was a little gift bag with lavender linen spray, ear plugs, and an eye mask. I got the feeling that they really wanted guests to have a very restful night. I didn't need any help though, because the bed was comfortable and the room was quiet. I almost didn't need the fan, but left it on anyway. I slept very well.

There was a spacious desk and a plush lounge chair with an ottoman. Perfect for watching the large flat screen HD TV. Nice.

Sometimes I find myself wondering if my unpleasant hotel experiences cloud my judgment. After the previous experience did this one just seem better because the plumbing worked? Did I just imagine the softness of the bed? Was it really that terrific?

It was really that terrific.

A whole new world

I have a confession to make. After my last hotel experience in Columbus,Georgia I was a little nervous booking a trip there again. But after I thought about it - and, being the open minded person that I am - I decided not to book the Holiday Inn Columbus North I-85.

I booked the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites at Northlake (also in Columbus) instead. This was a good decision. I was warmly welcomed at the front desk by a friendly employee, immediately acknowledged as a repeat guest, and my priority check-in was ready and waiting. Less than five minutes after arriving, I was on my way to my room. I was upgraded to a spacious and comfortable suite and waiting for me on the table were bottled water and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Very nice.

For dinner I decided to try out the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant next door because it was, well... next door. On my way to dinner I stopped by the front desk because I was looking for a pencil sharpener (can't do Sudoku with a pen, you see) but they didn't have one. The nice desk lady was very apologetic. I told her it really was okay. She gave me a coupon for a free appetizer at the Roadhouse.

It was happy hour at the Texas Roadhouse. Margaritas were $1.50. I think a person could get very happy on six bucks. I had an excellent steak dinner, but could've made an entire meal out of salad (with their homemade house vinaigrette dressing) and rolls.

By the time I got back to the room I'd forgotten all about my Sudoku. I guess I didn't need that pencil sharpener after all.

Out In the West Texas town of El Paso

I didn't fall in love with the El Paso Airport Holiday Inn. I chose this hotel mainly because of its proximity to the airport in El Paso, Texas. I do that a lot because its just easier most of the time. This time it wasn't such a good thing.

First impressions.
Let's start at the first trip to the hotel desk. Just off the plane, I decided to see if I could check in a little early - usually this works since I'm a Platinum Priority Member. Plus, I'd made my reservation over a month before. When I arrived at the hotel the (pleasant) desk girl told me they didn't have a room yet. OK. No problem. I know I'm early so I'll come back later - I just hoped I'd get lucky before my appointment. Oh, and she said I couldn't have an executive room because they were full. Hmm. So, I went to my appointment, and came back after the regular check-in time. Now the desk girl (a different one from the first) said they only had one room available in the "front" section with a sofa bed. What did that mean I asked? She said it has a sofa in the room. "A suite?" I asked. "No, only a sofa" she said. "You mean I have to sleep on a sofa?" "No," she said - "it has a bed." I decided we didn't speak the same language, said ok and took the key. I went to the assigned room and discovered that it was an outside room with a door that opened to a high traffic area. (I somehow wasn't expecting a cheap motel.) Anyway, I went back to the desk and explained that as a single female traveler I preferred a room opening into an inside hallway. Did they have any inside? She said yes, but they were in the back section. What? She directed me to an out-building behind the main hotel. Fine. Will I still have access to the concierge lounge? "Of course," she said.

The room.
So off I went to the Back 40 to find my room. Opening the door, I flipped on the light switch only to find that it was not connected to any light. No, really. I tried them all. It was pretty easy to do since there were only two lights in the entire room, and no entryway light either. I turned on the bathroom light to see if it would help, and only one of the three fluorescent bulbs worked. Now I'm thinking I'll have to go sit in the car the next morning to put on my makeup because the room is so dark. No reading in bed either because the light didn't reach that far. I couldn't use my laptop because the battery was low and there were no plugs in the room. Well, there was one plug on the desk, but it was too far away and I was recharging my cell phone with it. The room itself was in general disrepair. For instance, the air conditioner had one speed and temperature. The wall had been poorly patched. The ceiling had been filled in with so many layers of texture that I was afraid it would fall in on me if it was bumped.

But there was a sofa in the room.

Wining and dining.
Before I went to the room to settle in for the night I went to the concierge room to have a glass of wine. I went up to the bar and the cute young thing asked me my name. I told her and she said she was sorry but I wasn't on her list. I told her I wasn't surprised because they didn't have a room for me, but I was eligible for the concierge. After a little more discussion she wrote my name on her list and gave me a glass of wine. She was quite friendly and understood proper customer service. After a glass of wine I decided to try the hotel restaurant. The restaurant was actually very good - no complaints there. The restaurant was nearly empty though, so I don't know how it would have been if it had been busy.

The final straw.
I was supposed to stay two nights in this hotel. It was a little thing that pushed me over the edge. The next morning I lifted the lid on the coffee maker to pour in the water, but the hinge was broken and the whole lid came off and fell on the floor. That was it. The irritation of it all just got to me. I called a different hotel, made a reservation and checked out.

What a difference a few miles can make.
About 20 miles away I found the El Paso Sunland Holiday Inn. Nothing but kudos to this hotel. The staff was outstanding, the room (I got a complimentary upgrade because of the Platinum status) was wonderful. They put me in a bi-level jacuzzi suite. The downstairs has a large sitting area and a jacuzzi, and upstairs has a king-sized pillow top bed and a huge shower. The only (minor) negatives I can offer here is that the room has an outside corridor entrance and it is upstairs with no elevator. But, the room is on the second floor, has a great security latch and is well worth the climb. I was told that the hotel has been recently renovated, so I imagine the regular rooms are also very nice.

After a margarita and a 45 minute soak in the jacuzzi... I have decided that life on the road isn't too bad sometimes.

The Midnight Express

I liked Albuquerque, and I liked the Albuquerque Midtown Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites on Menaul Boulevard. I had appointments all over the city, so location wasn't an issue. I picked this hotel completely at random off the list of hotels on the website. As it turns out, I made a good choice. Due to a delayed flight, I arrived at the hotel at midnight rather than the anticipated 7:30 pm. The desk clerk was a wonderful young man who immediately acknowledged me as a Priority Member, and had my room keys ready and waiting for an express check in. He offered me a "goody bag" with bottled water and a snack. The snack came in very handy as I had missed dinner because of the airport delays. I was upgraded to a suite, and the room was quite spacious with a nice executive workspace. The only real downside to the room was the bed. It was an extra firm mattress with no nice comfortable pillow top. Most hotels nowadays have pillow top mattresses, so I missed that.

I was key-challenged at this hotel. The key reader for my room was quirky. If you put the key card in too slow it didn't work. If you put it in too fast it didn't work. After two replacement keys, they sent me with the maintenance guy to see if he could help and he showed me the "slow slide while pushing up" method. A little weird, but I didn't have any more problems after that.

You just gotta love the complimentary breakfasts at the HI Express. (If for no other reason, they provide excellent people-watching opportunities.) While the choices are the same at all properties, the quality can be questionable. This breakfast bar was well stocked, fresh, and had a very pleasant and attentive hostess.

The next time business takes me to Albuquerque, I would definitely consider this hotel again... especially if I want to work out the kinks in my back from sleeping on all those soft pillow top mattresses at the other properties.

It was all about the oysters

I spent five days at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans, Louisiana. I stayed in this particular hotel because it was associated with a conference I was attending. For the price I paid per night, I expected it to be a spectacular hotel and a room with a view. The hotel was very nice, and the room did have a view looking out over the traffic circle in front of the hotel toward Harrah’s Casino. It was kind of pretty at night, but the room itself was nothing special. I think I was in a section of the hotel that was an older part, because my colleagues were in a different area and were thrilled with their accommodations. (I was actually a little under-whelmed after reading the hotel website’s description.) The room was spacious, comfortable, and clean, so no complaints there. Parking was $30.00 a night for self-park and $36.00 for valet. I think that’s too high, but it was New Orleans after all and the parking garage was protected. Probably a good thing.

I ate several times in Drago’s Seafood Restaurant. Everything about this restaurant was absolutely wonderful. Even though it was always crowded, the service was outstanding and the food was amazing. It was worth the price of the trip just to have Drago’s signature dish: Charbroiled Oysters.

I did have an issue with the front desk. I found it fascinating that after I’d stayed two nights in the hotel that the desk clerk called me to tell me I hadn’t given them a credit card to pay for the room. “Uh, excuse me? You wouldn’t let me check in without giving you a card.” “Well,” she said, “we don’t have one on file.” So I asked her what she did with it. She said nothing - since I never gave it to them. (I’d had a very long day by this point.) I asked if the hotel was in the habit of allowing people to stay without first presenting a confirmed method of payment. She said “of course not.” I said “I’ve been in this room for two days, and you don’t know how I’m paying for it?” Like I said, I was really tired and didn’t really appreciate the problem that was not of my making. Besides, I was a little worried wondering just who had taken my credit card when I checked in. Somebody had that number.

Now I think I’ll backtrack a bit and fill you in on the reason I was so tired. I checked in the hotel on a Friday night. Apparently it was a designated party weekend at the Hilton, because the hallways were filled with people yelling, laughing, and slamming doors throughout the night on both Friday and Saturday nights. When I didn’t hear noise in the hallway (usually slowing a bit by around 3:30 a.m. or so,) I found myself listening to the couple in the next room. They were having serious domestic arguments complete with expletives that bounced around my room before landing. I realize this was not the fault of the Hilton, but considering the price of this hotel I somehow didn’t expect the clientele to be so... interesting.

Five days in New Orleans was too long, even with a nice hotel.

Live from our studio in beautiful downtown Burbank

So what can I say about the Holiday Inn Burbank-Media Center in Burbank, California? It is basically a "cookie-cutter" Holiday Inn. Nothing stands out, but nothing really to complain about either. It's too bad I wasn't upgraded, though. I'd like to see the Executive Towers.

There's a Hostage Negotiators Conference in this hotel. I'd be willing to bet all the bad guys in California are somewhere else.

Buck Owens would be proud

The only thing I knew about Bakersfield, California was that it was Buck Owens hometown. I stayed two nights at the brand new Bakersfield North Holiday Inn.

It was a beautiful drive through the mountains to Bakersfield. Good thing I went when I did, because I heard on the news that about an hour after I arrived a chemical truck crashed and leaked out noxious fumes. It closed down the entire highway for three hours. That would've been unpleasant I think.

Pleased that I wasn't stuck on the closed highway, I made my way to a steak restaurant a block or so away from the hotel. It turned out to be crowded so the hostess said I could be seated immediately if I wanted to sit in the bar, and that the same menu was available. As it turns out, it was happy-hour and all the appetizers were half-priced along with the drinks. OK. That worked for me.

Everything in the hotel was great, and the "newness' of the hotel was refreshing. The delightful young man at the front desk was text-booked trained and went out of his way to make sure I had everything I needed. I really liked the updated look and style of the lobby as well as the entire hotel.

The room was great and had a wonderful king-sized pillow top bed. They had actually correctly labeled the softness level of the pillows. The room even had that "new" and very fresh smell.

I had breakfast in the restaurant. It was excellent. The chef even came out to check and see if I was pleased. Each booth had a remote-controlled flat screen TV mounted on the wall. I noticed that diners all over the restaurant were channel surfing, keeping their channel preferences to themselves. It was nice not to have to listen to Kathy Lee Gifford sharing personal details about her life on a communal TV. I started off my morning with Spongebob. It would have been fun to hear the conversation of the elderly people at the table looking toward my booth.

It's probably not very often that they see a woman in a business suit laughing at Mr. Krab.

Columbus never discovered this

I have stayed in a lot of Holiday Inns in the past, and the Holiday Inn Columbus North I-85 in Columbus, Georgia was by far the worst property I have ever stayed in.

I understand that construction and improvements are necessary to maintain a hotel, and I’ve stayed in numerous hotels in the middle of a remodeling process. However, this hotel appears to have made little (if any) effort to reduce the impact for guests.

While the lobby area was fairly nice, there were large piles of construction debris around the entire hotel. The side entrance closest to my room had a mountain of debris (read trash here) that made it impossible to enter without climbing through it and collecting dirt on shoes, clothing, and luggage. There was no way into the building that one could avoid tracking dust and dirt into the hotel hallways, or back into the car. The access ramp leading to the door was covered with construction materials, and the only way I could get my rolling luggage to the door was to lift it up and over the curb – stepping through the pile instead of next to it. But I felt oh-so-much better when I saw the tattered sign placed inside the door that said “pardon our dust.”

I went into my assigned room. I couldn’t believe this was a Holiday Inn property.

The guest room sliding glass doors opened to the debris filled parking lot. The doors didn’t close tightly and had a gap large enough to let in a cold breeze. The room smelled musty or like an animal had been in it, and the mini-fridge was sitting on the floor in the entryway to the room with the cord stretched out along the wall to reach the room’s only outlet. Lamp shades were askew and the sofa cushions didn’t match the sofa. The bathtub stopper was broken, and in order to take a shower the stopper (very nasty) had to be pulled out of the drain and set aside or the water wouldn’t drain.

I am a female business traveler and I never felt safe in this room. As I look back on this experience, I can’t believe I stayed. But I did, and I survived to tell the tale.

And, in the midst all the negatives, there is one positive note. The desk staff I encountered were pleasant and professional. It is my opinion that they should be commended for maintaining professionalism in a hostile environment. Either that - or they should be awarded Purple Hearts.

Georgia on my mind

I always have mixed emotions when I know I'm going to Atlanta, Georgia. I enjoy the city but hate the traffic, so when selecting a hotel in Atlanta my primary criteria is location. This particular trip took me to the Atlanta Buckhead district, so I decided to stay two nights in the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta. This was a good choice for a really great hotel. The hotel is gorgeous. I had a standard king-sized room (no upgrade here, but none was expected). The generous sized room was absolutely beautiful with upscale decor, had a nice assortment of bathroom amenities, and offered an extremely comfortable bed.

But even diamonds can have flaws. For instance, don't expect any old-fashioned-southern-down-home-friendly hospitality. The front desk was all business and efficiency when I checked in. I was the only person at the desk at the time, and there was no chit-chat and only an obligatory smile.

Many times when staying in a hotel I choose to eat in the hotel lounge instead of the restaurant since they usually have a variety of appetizers that are meal-sized. Sometimes they even offer a full menu. There's really no reason to go to a restaurant if I'm not really in the mood for a large dinner. This being the case, I went to the hotel's lounge only to be told by the bartender (the only one on duty) that if I ordered there I would have to wait for an hour or more to receive the meal. Now this was not an empty hotel lounge as many often are - this was a busy lounge, and a very busy hotel. The lack of employees in the lounge seemed an oversight to me. Not really wanting to wait over an hour, I went to the restaurant. The fine dining restaurant was full service and open all night. My meal was excellent and served quickly.

Sensitive readers be advised that the following may be considered a rant.

Now, before I make my next comments I need to put something into perspective. This was not a cheap hotel. In fact, it was almost too pricey for my business travel. So, I have to ask this question: when you pay that much for a hotel, why do they charge an additional $20.00 a day for self parking? $20.00 a day?! (Valet parking was $30.00.) It's not as if the parking spaces were at a premium as the large underground garage was relatively empty. And charging for the internet is also a mystery to me. If McDonald's and Starbucks can offer free WiFi, you'd think that expensive hotels would consider their customers important enough to offer complimentary access. But I have discovered that the more expensive hotels usually charge for the internet as if their access is somehow better than the less expensive hotels. I think this is a problem that should be addressed in the industry as a whole.

Lubbock in my rear view mirror

I had to smile when I first saw the name of this hotel... Holiday Inn Lubbock - Hotel & Towers. Towers? In Lubbock, Texas? (The name still cracks me up.)

The hotel staff was very pleasant, made me feel like a valued guest, and upgraded me to a suite. Actually, I got the feeling that I could have had my pick of rooms since the hotel had only a few cars in the parking lot, and seemed almost empty.

The area of the hotel the suites are in is set apart from the rest of the hotel and had a convenient side entrance. The room itself was nothing spectacular, but it was clean and quiet.

It turns out that the section of the hotel with the suites had an open space with a fountain that could have been considered an atrium if you squinted your eyes. I guess that counts. I found it rather amusing that the "atrium" still had an imitation floral arrangement in the shape of a cross that was obviously left over from a memorial service. I guess that's one way to keep decorating costs at a minimum.

I tried the restaurant for dinner, and while only three tables were occupied, I heard the guy in the next booth saying his meal took thirty minutes to arrive. I ordered a salad, so it's hard to mess that up.

When I was checking out I mentioned how quiet it was at the hotel, and was told it is usually empty except for game weekends and Tech graduation. I wonder if they leave floral arrangements, too?

The Alleys of Austin

Occasionally I find myself in a non-Holiday Inn property, so it's only fair that I subject the other hotels to the same scrutiny offered to my hotel chain of choice. I found myself this trip staying four nights in a lovely Marriott property, the Renaissance Austin Hotel in Austin, Texas. It was a wonderful experience, as most of my Marriott stays are. I'm not sure why I don't stay more often at the chain. My father was a Marriott "Black Card" holder - pretty high up on the Marriott frequent traveler chain from what I understand.

It was a bit too high-priced for my regular business trips, though. Probably the reason I don't stay in such hotels too often.

This was a great hotel stay. Excellent service, and a beautiful well-lit room with an exceptionally comfortable bed. It was a good location for my home base, had complimentary on-site parking, but charged $13.00 a day for internet. Another added perk was the proximity of a nice upscale shopping mall within walking distance (for evening entertainment) and a terrific Japanese Restaurant next door with $5.00 Martini specials.

I enjoyed Austin. It's a really pretty place. But if you visit you have to be careful. I was driving along enjoying the scenery while on the way to a meeting, and I found out that other people on the road don't want you to enjoy the scenery. They just want you to get out of the way.

I drove by the Church of Conscious Harmony and found myself wondering what the services were like. Does the congregation sit around listening to someone with one of those tuning harmonica thingies that barbershop quartets use to get their pitch? And is there somewhere a Church of Unconscious Harmony? The church was right down the street from the Telepathic Tattoo Shop. I hope the Church of Conscious Harmony doesn't interfere with the psychic nature of the tattoo artists. That could get ugly.

A Steak Out

I've never been to Baton Rouge, Louisana before. I selected the Holiday Inn Baton Rouge on College Drive based on its location in relation to my meetings. It is a bit of a challenge to get to the first time if you don't know about the weird intersection that you have to negotiate to get to the correct street. All in all this is one of the nicest (regular) Holiday Inn Hotels I've stayed in to date. They truly understand customer service.

Tonight after a recommendation by the front desk person I ate dinner at the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse just down the street. I just spent thirty minutes writing about the best steak dinner I've ever had. (It was a word doc and I didn't do an automatic save.) Before I could post it to the blog the hotel wireless kicked me off. So now you'll just have to imagine that you've read my glowing review of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Baton Rouge Louisiana. Sorry. I think you would have enjoyed it.

Even a nice hotel has a few problems now and then.