Faux pas in Zurich

[ShoogarBear]

What the kind of hotel has the fricking hot receptionist take you up to your room? Better not let Kobe hear about this.

Oh, and how many languages do you speak, Slomo?

[Slomo]

You wish.

How's the weather over there? Still in the 20s or has it dipped into the teens?

I know , but she did nail me - just not in a good way

Cloudy, slight rain and 15 deg C

Your lucky the hotel in Zurich I was at in May of 07 was semi dumpy. I have horrible luck with hotels in Europe. To me, the Super 8 in the USA is just as good or better than some of the "better" hotels in Europe.

Hotels are very different in Europe than in the US. The local specifics vary a lot and there are very few "standardized" hotel chains - which is the norm in the US. I can easily see how somebody from the US would be disappointed by the size of the room (specially the bathroom) in London, even if we're talking about a top notch (American) hotel chain.
But on top of that hotels are expensive over here, compared to the US they are just as expensive in the top range (4 seasons, Hyatt...) but in the lower ranges (Very good quality business type hotels) the difference is quite big. The strong Euro making the comparison even worse.
All is not that bad though, and good affordable hotels (not as affordable as you guys expect them to be) can be found, but you need local knowledge much much more than you do in the US.
Zurich, Paris and to a certain extent London are places were for the same amount of money you'll either be staying in a nice small family owned hotel or in a dump - so I'm not really surprised by your comment.
Also we tend to concentrate on other things when we talk about quality than you do and if somebody doesn't show/explains that to you - chances are you won't figure it out by yourself (and you're not alone). I have a few business acquaintances from the US that used to hate coming over here, but now love it provided I take care of their traveling plans (the secret is FOOD ) - and I can say the same thing about a few European friends who used to hate US trips (Las Vegas more specifically) but now have learned to like it.

He better not be dipping into the teens ....unless she is eighteen.

It's been established that he's a dirty old man.

What the kind of hotel has the fricking hot receptionist take you up to your room? Better not let Kobe hear about this.

Oh, and how many languages do you speak, Slomo?

It's becoming the norm in the better hotels. It happen to me three times already in the last couple of months. The porter bringing your luggage showing you around the room is/was quite frequent - but the receptionist taking you to the room is new to me. The first time was in Prague, where I was staying at the Brangelina suite in the 4 seasons (that's another very long story - and no I wasn't paying for the room).

I speak 6 languages: Slovenian, French, English, German, Italian, Serbian/Croatian. I understand Macedonian and a little Czech.

[duncan228]

I speak 6 languages: Slovenian, French, English, German, Italian, Serbian/Croatian. I understand Macedonian and a little Czech.

Wow. Nice Slomo. That's an impressive accomplishment.

[T Park]

The first time was in Prague

Did you see the GEICO Caveman there learning dance moves?

[Slomo]

Wow. Nice Slomo. That's an impressive accomplishment.

Not really. Except for English, I never learned any foreign language, just traveled a lot for a very long time and living in an area of the world where there's a huge mixture of cultures and languages.
Basically I'm a vagabond, who has slowly worked his way up to some nicer hotels .
It's also much more common for people from small countries to speak several foreign languages.

[Slomo]

Did you see the GEICO Caveman there learning dance moves?

No... Is that the latest ad from GEICO?

[1369]

Hotels are very different in Europe than in the US. The local specifics vary a lot and there are very few "standardized" hotel chains - which is the norm in the US. I can easily see how somebody from the US would be disappointed by the size of the room (specially the bathroom) in London, even if we're talking about a top notch (American) hotel chain.

No doubt, I stayed at the Savoy on the Strand in London a few years back and the room was about the size of my closet.

Really good single malt though...

[Slomo]

No doubt, I stayed at the Savoy on the Strand in London a few years back and the room was about the size of my closet.

Absolutely! and the Savoy is among the finest hotels in the world...

Really good single malt though...

... but I see you've learned to concentrate on the things that REALLY matter

[1369]

One thing I did notice in the European hotels is that you have a REAL concierge. Anything you want (and have the cash for), and they will arrange it for you.

And yes, the single malt is a priority. My next big trip is to the Homeland and sample the local wares.

[1369]

Hey Slomo, another cool trip if you can swing it is to hit Stockholm and check out the Wasa exhibit. I was there in '99 on my way to check out a Timken factory and got to check out the Berlin Philharmonic do a sound check in the museum in preparation for one of their concerts.

[DancingCaveman]

Did you see the GEICO Caveman there learning dance moves?

Don't knock it until you try it, TPark.

[T Park]

No... Is that the latest ad from GEICO?

Yeah the Caveman is dancing and he says "I learned this while traveling through Prague"

As soon as you typed that, the image of the caveman dancing popped up

[T Park]

Not really. Except for English, I never learned any foreign language, just traveled a lot for a very long time and living in an area of the world where there's a huge mixture of cultures and languages.
Basically I'm a vagabond, who has slowly worked his way up to some nicer hotels .It's also much more common for people from small countries to speak several foreign languages.

Me and you both brother.

I tip my glass of single malt to you my friend

[ShoogarBear]

Hotels are very different in Europe than in the US. The local specifics vary a lot and there are very few "standardized" hotel chains - which is the norm in the US. I can easily see how somebody from the US would be disappointed by the size of the room (specially the bathroom) in London, even if we're talking about a top notch (American) hotel chain.

When I was traveling around Germany a couple years ago, by far the worst (and most expensive) hotel was the Marriott, and the best were the local ones.

It's becoming the norm in the better hotels. It happen to me three times already in the last couple of months. The porter bringing your luggage showing you around the room is/was quite frequent - but the receptionist taking you to the room is new to me.

Dude, you missed a signal, methinks.

The first time was in Prague, where I was staying at the Brangelina suite in the 4 seasons (that's another very long story - and no I wasn't paying for the room).

Oh, the horror. The hot Czech receptionist takes you up to your room.

I speak 6 languages: Slovenian, French, English, German, Italian, Serbian/Croatian. I understand Macedonian and a little Czech.

Man, I'm jealous as .

One thing I did notice in the European hotels is that you have a REAL concierge. Anything you want (and have the cash for), and they will arrange it for you.

Did they bring it to your bunk?

[ShoogarBear]

It just occurred to me that Slomo just pulled off a "I'm a richer/smarter/funner" thread.

Faux pas in Zurich. How much more fricking pretentious can you get?

[Slomo]

It just occurred to me that Slomo just pulled off a "I'm a richer/smarter/funner" thread.

Faux pas in Zurich. How much more fricking pretentious can you get?

It took 40 posts to get busted - not bad even if I say so myself.

Another le I was considering was: "I needed a cold shower after she left my room" - but faux pas sounded better.

And I kinda hoped some of the females on this board would have noticed the "...smarter/funner" part - not a senior citizen from the Sates

[ShoogarBear]

If you were really a funner, we would have gotten pics of the receptionist.

[ORION]

If you were really a funner, we would have gotten pics of the receptionist.

I hate to do it, but I agree with Shoog

[Shelly]

It's also much more common for people from small countries to speak several foreign languages.

Even though I was a kid when I lived in Luxembourg and despite having to take French all those years, I never learned how to speak it. Mainly, because almost everyone spoke English or you could get by with enough English, German, or French to get your point across.

Plus, going to an American school didn't help and most of my friends were American (Goodyear and DuPont had plants in Lux). All the non-American kids that went to my school spoke English.

[ORION]

Hey I've been out of the US too. I went to Boystown once...

[Mark in Austin]

Slomo,

Just out of curiousity, what language did the receptionist speak?

[Das Texan]

Slomo,

You are one dirty old man.


I hope to be like you when I get older.

[tlongII]

Slomo,

Just out of curiousity, what language did the receptionist speak?

I'm guessing french.

[Slomo]

Slomo,

Just out of curiousity, what language did the receptionist speak?

She spoke English.

[Chief]

Did you think maybe she was just playing hard to get ?

seems like you wimped out