Hotel Tango
Back to the hotel, finally, at 8:30 pm. Shared a Skype call with my mother, which was cheering. The room service number was busy (say "engaged") for half an hour, so I went down to the coffeeshop (which in fact has a full buffet all the time) and looked beleaguered and pathetic until someone took care of me. He's sending room service up with a ground chicken burger (please, God, let it resemble a turkey burger) in 20 minutes.
Bill has taken the Hotel Situation in hand. (There's a situation? Apparently.) From the moment he booked the trip, it has rankled him that all of the "good" places were full. By U.S. standards, you want a 5-star hotel or better in India, and the Royal Orchid is a 3-star. (Here's a tip: When you are required to travel, and you're stuck with what's left, don't go look up customer comments on the internet. Although, I never have as horrible a time as the whiny people on the internet. I think if you approach an experience with a chip on your shoulder, you'll have a rotten time. So the floor is a little grungy. So the traffic noise is ceaseless. Roll with it. You're only hurting yourself by being indignant about it.)
So here we are in lasty-last-choice 3-star Royal Orchid. Bill starts checking websites and calling around. The city is packed; everyone's booked for an upcoming air show. But if you're more flexible about the dates...
On Thursday we're moving to the super posh Oberoi. On Sunday we're coming back here to the Royal Orchid. Then on the following Thursday, it's back to the Oberoi. On Sunday I fly home, and Bill moves (as originally planned due to hotel availability) to another branch of the Royal Orchid for the remaining week of his trip.
I should mention, Bill would probably have had an easier time finding a single room for himself, but it was two or nothing. He's looking out for me.
Room service results: Just like a turkey burger. With superlative French fries. Yay!
Bill has taken the Hotel Situation in hand. (There's a situation? Apparently.) From the moment he booked the trip, it has rankled him that all of the "good" places were full. By U.S. standards, you want a 5-star hotel or better in India, and the Royal Orchid is a 3-star. (Here's a tip: When you are required to travel, and you're stuck with what's left, don't go look up customer comments on the internet. Although, I never have as horrible a time as the whiny people on the internet. I think if you approach an experience with a chip on your shoulder, you'll have a rotten time. So the floor is a little grungy. So the traffic noise is ceaseless. Roll with it. You're only hurting yourself by being indignant about it.)
So here we are in lasty-last-choice 3-star Royal Orchid. Bill starts checking websites and calling around. The city is packed; everyone's booked for an upcoming air show. But if you're more flexible about the dates...
On Thursday we're moving to the super posh Oberoi. On Sunday we're coming back here to the Royal Orchid. Then on the following Thursday, it's back to the Oberoi. On Sunday I fly home, and Bill moves (as originally planned due to hotel availability) to another branch of the Royal Orchid for the remaining week of his trip.
I should mention, Bill would probably have had an easier time finding a single room for himself, but it was two or nothing. He's looking out for me.
Room service results: Just like a turkey burger. With superlative French fries. Yay!