Text 20290, 94 rader
Skriven 2014-12-09 19:55:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: trip 415
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Aloft Dulles North - a mixed-reputation place where hitherto
I have had good luck with, but this time, well, read on.

Another interesting shuttle driver, my age; we talked about
second careers and second jobs and so on.

Another very cheery check-in girl, who forgot to give me my
drink coupon, easily remedied.

After washing up and scanning the tube for a while, I alit
at the bar and found a noisy gathering of attractive young
folks - turns out it was someone's 40th birthday party. Why
a bunch of affluent-looking professionals would choose the
Aloft in the middle of nowhere for such a party I don't know
but they seemed to be having a pretty good time. At the bar
itself was a cluster of other people my age, perhaps older.

The drink coupon was good for a signature cocktail, and the
bartender said, what signature cocktail? I said, what do you
have, and he countered with what do you drink. I confessed
to Bourbon straight up with a water back, so that's what I
got. I shouldn't have done it, but I ordered a pork chop,
which turned out to be the world's saltiest, more the taste
and texture of ham than a pork chop. They were out of the
requested spicy peanut sauce so they substituted that odious
sweet-sour stuff that you dip spring rolls into. Veg were
broccoli, yellow carrots, and green beans. I substituted
tater tots for the "potato medley." What can I say, it was
food and nonpoisonous. I went back upstairs and after the
e-mail and a few rounds of the travel channel went
contentedly to bed at 0100 or a bit after.

And then.

0455 - the phone rang. I didn't pick up until too late.
Checked the clock and reflected on whether I had to be
anyplace at 0455, decided no. Turned over and thought no
more of it. I was just getting back into that pleasant
drowsy state when

0510 (approximately) - the phone rang again. I was very
unhappy. Called the front desk, who challenged me by saying
that my room number was written down for a call (in effect
telling me that I was lying). After a bit of a jawing at, the
kid working promised he'd take care of it. I went horizontal
again and was not yet drowsy when at

0525 (approximately) - yes, you got it. I was really hopping
mad this time and called again and let the kid have it with
both barrels, composing the now-much-derided e-mail to the
management in the process.

By now Aloft hath murdered sleep, so I started an online
chat with Starwood, which cut me off before I could even say
anything; then another chat with Eva de S., who actually
tried to mollify me and actually tried to call the desk
(though in my current state I gave her the number of
another hotel instead, sorry other hotel).

Sometime in the 0700 range I heard someone at the door; when
I went to open it, the person was gone, but there was an
apology letter with 20- in food coupons. I don't want 20- in
food coupons. I want this place to be out at least what a
night's sleep would cost me, and as the MiPo thread has made
it to page two of a Google search on the place, I guess I
have my wish if I have dissuaded one person from booking.
Aside: asking for my money back doesn't give me as much as
you might think - this was my cheapest Starwood stay of the
year and is likely to remain so, if I get charged, which I
sort of doubt will happen; but I became an at least
temporary fan of retributive justice this night.

On checking out the lady recognized my room number as "you
are the one who got the phantom wake-up calls." She tried to
be pleasant, but I brushed her off though not too rudely,
pointing out as I have done so many times that it was the
third call that broke the camel's back. She tried to blame
it on a glitch in the phone system. What I actually think
happened.

There's this story about the guy who was on the train from
New York to Chicago who told the conductor in no uncertain
terms that he must be wakened up in time to get off at
Cleveland. Well, the inevitable happened, and he found
himself in Chicago, so he found the conductor and gave him
the what for. Afterward, the conductor mused to himself,
I wonder what became of the guy I put off in Cleveland.

Somebody didn't get their wakeup call. I hope they got
their flight.

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