This review wont be giving you any tips on how to ’’Enjoying the Hotel stay’’ so Give me a straight NR , But do read the Review)
Cos If I knew how to enjoy a Stay at the hotel I would have enjoyed better when I had the chance :-(
This is more of me thinking aloud, rather what I was thinking when I was there for about 10 days. Playing it back now!
A fortnight back if some one had asked my wish list, an all expense paid stay at a fancy 5 star hotel for about 10 days would have definitely featured in that list. Now surprisingly, within one experience, it no longer holds charm and value.
Honestly, I am confused. Cos I felt like the frog who just leapt out of the well. So, hope that this review makes some sense and drives home the point!
Cut to: Indira Gandhi Airport (New Delhi). Two guys walking out of the airport, One of them is me. Elated at the fact that a Chauffeur driven Ceilo is waiting for us at the door. With the driver holding out a placard of our names
I would point out to the guy saying ’’That’s me..’’ He would come and take the luggage take us to the car, Hold out the door ...;-)
Well so much for hoping and dreaming. What actually happened was, I went thru each and every placard at least three times, Paraded the gangway a dozen times searching for the driver And then suddenly I spotted a driver:- white uniform, cap, gloves and all holding out a board. I dashed to him, only to see that he was waiting Mr.Lee Chen. Moreover, as I was sure I am not Lee Chen I started to walk off dejectedly. Then I decided to ask him, If he cud take us in his car as we had a booking in his hotel, and we are stranded (and Feeling utterly stupid how I’ll tell my wife that I had to take a rickshaw to the hotel, when I had already told her about the Chauffeur driven car!).
However, he had three guests already in the car, so he gave me the Hotel No: and told me to call them, they would send a car. But we decided we are not that desperate to sit in a car so with a heavy heart took a cab (Not a Rick) At least we still will reach the hotel in a car :-)
Reached the hotel, The Durbaan came and held out the door , picked up the luggage , A salaam and a wish and we were in ’’ THE HOTEL ’’
We were later to find out that Rickshaws are not allowed in the hotel gate. So in all probabilities if we had taken a rickshaw , we would have had to get down at the gate and then walk, luggage at tow to the lobby which is at a good first floor level from the main gate.
~Confusion~ Why aren’t rickshaws not allowed till the hotel door. Why should I walk until the hotel door from the gate. Even I am a guest at your hotel. How do I make you understand that though my Office is paying for the room rent here? It only pays me Rickshaw fare :-). So till the time that I get a promotion and am entitled to Taxi fare please let me come in a Rick. I am the same Guy.
Then we tried putting the blame on the lady at the reception for not sending the car to the airport, but she showed us a computer printout in which a small box was not ticked against my name. I never knew a small tick mark on a paper can make such a difference in a guys life. If she had ticked that box I would have been Mr.Lee Chen. It seems we had not informed we would be needing airport transfer!
Checked in and went straight to the room. Nice , Cool , Great room , Spacious , Neat décor and furnishings and a pool side view ;-)
After a through examination and survey of the room and opening each and every drawer and closet to see what they contain. Settled down.
Then began a search for water, drinking water. We scanned thru the entire room again but could not find a glass, tumbler, jug or bottle of water. Strange?
Then suddenly I found neatly wrapped in plastic, two glasses and two bottles of mineral water. But it was kept in the bathroom next to the washbasin.
Every night fall, came dinner time. Tough time. Decision time. My soul would be split in to two. One who wanted to indulge, enjoy. The second typical middle class mentality; would look at the menu and think I can have dinner for five days at our Udipi hotel at the price of one biryani here. Then would ensue a battle to order or not to order! Then eventually the middle class soul dies. We order. We eat. We like. But somehow we don’t relish, The middle class soul hasn’t given up as yet! The cost comparison is still on at back of our minds. How Typical. How true.
Moreover you expect a Hotel of that cadre to have a wide ranging a-la-carte menu, But sadly no. There’s very limited choice. To be exact there were only Nine Indian Vegetarian curries on the menu. So that is a put off!
Breakfast was included in the tariff. So we could have our morning meal with peace ;-) A widespread menu, from cornflakes to sausages, omelets to parathas.
They have put up so much on the table it is hard to choose.
The first question that pops up in my mind: Can I eat with my using my hands or will it be plain stupid? Do I have to use a knife and fork? I don’t how I would eat a paratha and alubhaji using a knife and fork! Am I doomed?
The first two days our plates are full and the trips from the table to the buffet more frequent then as days passed , the laws of economics come into play, we are more than satisfied with our paratha and alu bhaji and dying to get our hands on an Idli or a Dosa !
Walk into any Indian hotel (Restaurants/eating joints) The first thing they offer you is a glass of water. Not here. The table is so well decorated, the buffet is full of juices and shakes but the table should at least have a glass. So that if I ask for water I do not have to wait five mins.
Another incident that comes to mind is an English man was sitting on the next table, He asked for water and the waiter brought a bottle of Mineral water, we ask for water and he gets it in a glass from somewhere in the kitchen.
Being Indian, we do show our Indianess. I happened to do so one more time. My colleague shouting at me and calling me a fool for doing so. I only ask-why ? What is so wrong in asking for a small sachet of Hair-oil or Hair-Cream in a 5* Hotel. Correct me if wrong, I would say at least 3 out of 10 Indian men (with hair of course) would be using hair oil or hair cream, then why was the attendant stunned when I asked for Hair oil?
~Confusions~ Tell me one house or place where people would be keeping drinking water and glasses in the Bathroom ? Anyone, anywhere? Unheard!. There is a nice table in the room. Please keep drinking water there. Thank you.
And you don’t keep a glass of drinking water on the dining table ????? Where it is supposed to be kept !!!!
You Keep Body lotions, bath and shower gels, moisturizing creams etc etc in the bathroom. And Hair oil for you is an unheard bathroom accessory. I bet, more people in India would be using hair oil than bath and shower gels and creams!
The hotel is superb , the service is the best. The points and confusions mentioned above are mine. Maybe No other guest in the hotel will find fault with such things.In fact those are not even faults(Maybe).
Do these grand five star hotels in their strive to give the best of services to the guests, overlook certain basic details. Maybe the next time I step in such a hotel. I wont expect such things, I will excpect for certain other better things , Maybe then I will be in place. Maybe then I will Enjoy ! Maybe then I’ll have a Five Star Experience! And then I’ll write a review on How to Enjoy your Hotel Stay !!
But till then a question that pops up in mind again and again…
I wanted to enjoy. But could not. Why?
Am still searching for my answers. Help Me!
comments please !