Confessions of a Hotel Snob

It’s my own fault for not looking into the hotel and it’s location. After spending most of my adult life staying at fine hotels, and especially during my career as a flight attendant it will come as no surprise to many that know me and what a neat-freak I am. I confess it openly, yes, I am a hotel snob.

The beginnings of a hotel snob.

Whether it was the Hotel Concorde La Fayette à Paris, on the Place du Général Kœnig, with it’s views of the Eiffel Tower, and short jaunt to the Champs-Élysées…

 

Or perhaps Intercontinental’s in the heart of bustling South American cities, with on-site seamstress available for alterations to your uniform.

Even The Holiday Inn London – Kensington Forum, a short stroll to Hyde Park, London’s Natural History Museum, or my favorite, The Victoria and Albert Museum may leave someone like me with high expectations.

Hotels with concierge service, fine dining, coffee shops, poolside bars…

Hotels that weren’t even considered to be nice, were really very nice! Like the Bonaventure in downtown LA. Crew members called it the badadventure. haha

It was not always so. When we were single, our standards may have been slightly lower. Before we were married, we admittedly stayed in our share of flea-bag motels for the sake of saving a dime. And in some cases- it really depends on the destination. An amazing destination can totally make up for a lower than usual accommodation and make you willing to put up with less. However, when you become parents some of this changes. Something about bathing your child in a bath tub with mold around the edge of the shower stall is very discomforting.

As the GPS noted our location was near, I started to worry. We were still on the highway, and nowhere near any downtown hotel locale, which I had assumed we were staying at. My stomach began to churn. As we pulled into our lodgings for the weekend already wanting to leave, my husband looked at me and laughed as he said in his finest drawl, “Hun-ny, we’re here!” It was then that we realized, we were a long way from our sometimes spoiledandweknowit crew member days.

To our terror, it wasn’t even a HOtel at all, but a MOtel. Ok. Breathe, maybe it’s not that bad.

According to USATODAY for clarification purposes, “Hotel,” according to Merriam-Webster, originated in the year 1765 and comes from a French word for an establishment that provides lodging, meals and other services. “Motel” came along much later, in 1925. It blends the words “motor” and “hotel” and is meant to describe an establishment that provides some, but not necessarily all of the services associated with a hotel. Hotels and motels employ varying types of workers. Motels employ a comparatively small number of employees. Hotels and motels also differ in price and often in the duration of stay for guests. Hotel accommodations commonly cost more. As for duration, hotels are built for longer stays; many are located in cities with attractions in walking distance. Motels, by design, offer shorter-term accommodations.”

The room itself was fair. Whether it was its position right next to a major highway, or the fact that several strip clubs lined the block it was situated on, I’m not really sure. It left us feeling uneasy. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against strippers, some have been my closest friends. It’s the people that frequent strip clubs that concern me. The unsecured parking area- and outside access to rooms kept me awake most of the night. All I could think about was someone busting through the door in the middle of the night as my children slept.

In my restless quandary, my brilliant plan in the event that I did fall asleep, was to move the desk chair in front of the entry door. When the intruders came in, I would most definitely hear them. What I was going to do next, I have no idea.

In my usual fashion, I tried to look for the positive. At least if the MOtel was below our standards, the food must be good, right? WRONG. Horrible buffet, severely lacking in choices. The eggs at the breakfast buffet actually made some of us sick.

Note to self: next time be sure and do some research. It’s hopefully supposed to be somewhere you want to be, a home away from home. In the end, this particular destination did not make up for the less than stellar accommodations, and we cut our trip short. We decided it just wasn’t worth it, and we would rather be at home.

 

 

Stand Up Guy

I am glad that my husband is the guy you call in the middle of the night when you need help. I really am. Not only does it say a lot about him, but it says a great deal about me, and my ability in choosing a life partner.

Sure, we’ve had our up’s and down’s after 12 years of marriage. And well, marriage is hard. Anyone that says otherwise, either does not have children, or they have not reached six to seven years of marriage yet.

He’s always been that guy. The one you can count on. I’ve counted on him. I count on him still.

So, if you call him at 2 AM. He will answer. If you need to borrow money, he will most likely lend it to you. I’ve known this about him for a long time. And yes, sometimes it’s for people that may not deserve his help, or will not pay him back. It’s not that you can’t count on me. I’m a little harder to convince. A slight bit skeptical, and less trusting.

As he left late that night to go and help someone, I found myself restless in thought. I could not fall back asleep. I felt panicked when my mind started to wander and ask questions like: what if he never came back. The What If’s began to take over my interrupted sleep.

In that moment, for all of the hard times or troubles we’ve faced, or days when maybe we couldn’t stand one another, I realized something that perhaps I needed reminded of. I could never bear losing him. I could not imagine my life without him. And yes, I genuinely love him. All things that no amount of therapy can make you see. You must realize it on your own.

Top 10 Reasons We Will Be Together Forever: 

10. we’re alike in many ways, but opposite enough that it works!

9. All it takes is a look in any situation and we know what the other is thinking. This is really helpful on many occasions!

8. Laughter. We are silly. We laugh all the time and share a million inside jokes!

7. We’ve both traveled far and wide and the only person I always wish was there with me, is him! Many continents, different cities- without one another, and always felt like he was the one thing missing.

6. We’ve met each others families and we are still married!! You may not realize at first that you are stuck with these people, but you learn to put up with them.

5. We’ve weathered some pretty rough storms, but always managed to hold it together. Our wedding almost didn’t happen! Read: https://molinawriter.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/september-15-2001-our-wedding-day/

4. Neither of us will accept failure. We are two of the strongest people you will meet.

3. Together we can accomplish anything! We have accomplished many things, and continue to do so!

2. We love our little family and life together. Everything we do is for this, and this alone.

1. Pretty sure no one else would put up with either one of us!