It was the time when regular GSM mobile phones didn’t work in Korea. It seemed like I had lost touch with the world as soon as I landed in Seoul. But things changed as soon as I checked into my room in Holiday Inn. On the desk was a mobile phone on a charging cradle with a note: ‘call anywhere.’ WOW!
[October 1999]
Archive for the ‘Hotels’ Category
Holiday Inn Seoul: Free Mobile!
October 11, 2007Galleria Suites Manila: Inflexible Room Service!
October 11, 200710:30 Saturday morning. I called room service to order breakfast. The lady said, ‘Sorry sir, we only serve breakfast till 10:00.’ I told her all I wanted was some fresh juice and cereals. She kept saying ‘Sorry sir, we don’t serve breakfast after 10:00’. I spoke to the duty manager and asked him if they would make an exception for a regular guest. And guess what? He said, ‘We can serve you juice but not cereals!’ SHIT!
[February 2004]
Conrad Hotel Istanbul: Great Compensation!
October 11, 2007I called up room service and ordered a sandwich with “lots of ketchup”. Someone wasn’t paying attention, and my sandwich was delivered without ketchup. I called up to complain and insisted on talking to the person who took my order. The lady said, ‘he’ll call you back in a minute.’
I was thinking ‘he didn’t have to hide; all he had to do was take my call and accept responsibility.’ That’s when my doorbell rang. There was a guy carrying a bottle of wine. He said, “Sir, I am the one who took your order. And I am so sorry. Please accept this bottle of wine. And I can also send you another sandwich on the house.’ WOW!
[November 2000]
Taj Samudra Colombo: Plug In!
October 9, 2007You are traveling for business. You check into a hotel, go to your room and unpack. One of the first things you do is take out your notebook computer, put it on the desk and try to connect to the Internet using the cable or wireless. Wait, you need to connect to the power first. You start looking around the desk for an outlet. If you are lucky, you find an outlet under the table. You move the chair and go sit under the table to find that the only power outlet is being taken up by the lamp. You unplug the lamp to find out that your computer adapter does not match with the power outlet. You are not foolish enough to try to force it in. But you are lucky enough to have the right adapter. You finally have the power supply for your notebook computer – but no lamp on your desk! Now, if you want to charge your mobile phone or camera, you need to go looking around the room and unplug the TV or refrigerator or bedside lamp. You wonder when will you find that perfect hotel room!
I found one in Taj Samudra in Colombo. Quite an old hotel with old furniture and fittings in the room. But as soon as I started my computer-connecting ritual, I noticed the difference. Not only there was a power extension fitted right above the desk with four outlets, it could take different power plugs! WOW!
[May 2007]
Green Park Hotel Chennai: Pleasant Surprises!
October 9, 2007Hotel prices in India have more than tripled in the last few years, and 
you can’t get a decent 4-5 star hotel in less than USD300 a night. That too, you need to book months ahead. For my recent first trip to Chennai, I was booked in Green Park Hotel by our local office. I got a little uncomfortable when it didn’t show up on any popular hotel sites on the internet; and the price was only USD125 a night. I imagined a small 2-3 star hotel with a small green park behind it.
But I was blown away the minute I saw the huge new hotel building. The lobby 
was big and beautiful with a very high ceiling. The room had everything I need and wish for in a hotel room: big double bed, cupboard with light and hangers, place to keep the bag, working desk with multiple power supply (nothing beats Colombo’s Taj Samudra when it comes to power supply!), high-speed free Internet access through a long cable and a beautiful view of the pool and lawns! But the highlight was the bathroom: not only it was spacious with a glass partition for the shower area, it had a shower from outer space! It was powerful and easy to operate, and had four horizontal jets for targeted acupressure (I am guessing). Food and service was great; Internet connection worked; they gave me a late checkout till 3 PM without any fuss. The final wow came in the form of a small gift that I was 
presented at the time of checkout – ‘thank you for staying with us!’ It was gift wrapped to look like it was sent by a friend, and had a nice pen inside. WOW!
[October 2007]
