Last weekend we spent some time in a Fairfield Inn, a motel chain which seems to be owned by Marriott Corporation. Now I’m not picking on Marriott; it’s just that our recent experience reminded me of my attitude toward hotel/motel chains in general.
As a rule, I find motels to be adequate as long as your expectations are relatively low. You’re not going to get fine dining in an on-the-premises restaurant; you’re not going to get chocolate mints and a turned-down bed. But you’re not going to pay a fortune either.
Yet, even when my expectations are lowered, I still want a modicum of service. For instance, I want all lights in my room to work; I want the waste basket to be clean. And I want the toilet to flush effectively.
The Fairfield Inn we stayed at this past weekend met two out of three of my expectations. The lights worked; the waste basket was clean. I leave it to the imagination to determine what the problem was. In addition, the wake-up call we asked for didn’t come at the wake-up time we’d asked for.
These are minor things in the grand scheme. But they remind me of my quest to let hoteliers know of their shortcomings. So when we checked out I mentioned that the plumbing in Suite 322 wasn’t up to my par. The wake-up system too. The clerk acknowledged my concern and encouraged me to return. Maybe I will; maybe not.
I will, however, continue to take an active role in critiquing the hotels where I stay, regardless of whether they are in southern Illinois, southern Florida, or southern California.
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