Traveling Rants

If you’ve ever traveled extensively for business, you know that the priorities for hotel rooms are short and focused.  After flying on five airlines this week (Korea, Cathay, Jet, Singapore and Eva) and staying in three different hotels, we just want the basic things.

For me, I can list the top things that are important and what really does not matter.

In order:

1. Quiet.  All I want is to have a quiet room without loud neighbors playing TV or having a party.  I’ve experienced that.  These rooms on this trip were all quiet.

2. A coffee pot or tea kettle. Two of the three this week had them.  We just want to wake up and make a cup of coffee or tea before going downstairs and facing the world.

3. Hair dryer. I know this sounds strange, but even for us guys, having a hair dryer and finding it is a good thing.  Korea did not have one for some reason and I had to search in India and Jakarta to find theirs.

4. Ironing board and iron. Again, two out of three.  It’s bad enough to keep track of our business clothes and suits and we want to be neatly pressed for each day.  How hard can it be to keep one in the closet?

5. A sensible shower.  Every shower is different with a bunch of levers and knobs.  Trying to get the temperature right and the flow coming out of the right nozzles is always a challenge and test.

6. Wireless Internet. One of the hotels only had wired, and one of them was free.  High speed access is just a given now that we are 24/7 and work goes on without us in the office.

7. Climate controls.  I stayed at a hotel in France in June where I could never get it below meat-locker temps.  The first thing I do is turn off the air-con, no matter where I am and try to get to room temperature.

8. Pillows.  I see why some young people travel with pillows though I never have.  It’s a fight every time to find the right balance between soft and fluffy and firm and supportive.  Is this too much to ask?

9. Electronic controls. Two of the hotels had electronic doo-dads to lower the blinds or curtains.  What ever happened to pulling the shades or curtains by hand?  Why do we have to figure these things out?

10.  And finally.  English TV channels.  In India it was largely cricket matches and India music videos and I had to look hard to find BBC or CNN.

We don’t ask for too much.  We don’t need sitting rooms or luxury, just the peace and quiet, good bed, showers that work decent temp controls and a little TV to go to sleep at night.

It’s so good to be home!