My, what a beautiful doormat...
I spent most of my lunchbreak today looking for the best place to spend 14 lazy days this summer. Vietnam, Cuba, and Northern Spain have all been duly considered. Some of this time I spend on octopus.co.uk finding out how much hotels cost in my designated area. The website, as on most travel websites, offer you 4 photos of the hotel. 4 crucial photos in deciding whether this is the place for you. What are these photos of then?
Well, 1 is of the bedroom (or usually the bed itself) focusing the holidaymaker on what holidays are really about. Fine although I am shallow enough to shun a hotel purely on the basis of having a chintzy bedspread so you might want to think some more about offering a wide-angled shot.
Another is of the hotel's exterior. This is also useful, no-one wants to stay in an ugly tower block. Particularly enlightening here is when the photo is merely a close-up of the steps; if this is the hotel exterior's piece de resistance, I'll give it a miss thanks.
Then (drum roll please) there is the inevitable picture of "the lobby". Ah the lobby. Such a crucial feature in the holidaymaker's pleasure. You know, some of the best holidays I've ever had have been spent wiling away the hot days on a sumptuous lobby seat, watching the cleaners go to and fro, people coming - people going, reception keys clanging. It's a non-stop whirly gig of fun.
Which brings me on to the final photo - the one of the reception desk itself. This is the one we've all been waiting for, the one upon which the entire holiday hinges. Does it...does it... have a top? Yes it does, thank god. I can rest my elbows while I get the keys to my room. And I'm so happy that they showed me a picture of the staff working there too otherwise my nights leading up to the holiday would have passed feverishly. What if the staff never came to the desk? What if I spent my whole holiday just waiting for someone to show me to my room?!
Who cares, when I know the lobby looks good...
Well, 1 is of the bedroom (or usually the bed itself) focusing the holidaymaker on what holidays are really about. Fine although I am shallow enough to shun a hotel purely on the basis of having a chintzy bedspread so you might want to think some more about offering a wide-angled shot.
Another is of the hotel's exterior. This is also useful, no-one wants to stay in an ugly tower block. Particularly enlightening here is when the photo is merely a close-up of the steps; if this is the hotel exterior's piece de resistance, I'll give it a miss thanks.
Then (drum roll please) there is the inevitable picture of "the lobby". Ah the lobby. Such a crucial feature in the holidaymaker's pleasure. You know, some of the best holidays I've ever had have been spent wiling away the hot days on a sumptuous lobby seat, watching the cleaners go to and fro, people coming - people going, reception keys clanging. It's a non-stop whirly gig of fun.
Which brings me on to the final photo - the one of the reception desk itself. This is the one we've all been waiting for, the one upon which the entire holiday hinges. Does it...does it... have a top? Yes it does, thank god. I can rest my elbows while I get the keys to my room. And I'm so happy that they showed me a picture of the staff working there too otherwise my nights leading up to the holiday would have passed feverishly. What if the staff never came to the desk? What if I spent my whole holiday just waiting for someone to show me to my room?!
Who cares, when I know the lobby looks good...