Sunday, October 02, 2005

Back from London

Sorry for my absence of posts. It's been a helluva busy week. I have not been on the computer since Sunday. A week of emails and blogs to catch up on.

That first hotel we were at was pretty bad. The sad thing was, it could have been good. Lovely building, with original ornate plaster, tall ceilings etc. It had so much potential.

Unfortunately, it had been renovated recently, and obviously very cheaply, so you can tell in just a couple of years it will be pretty bad. It was run by a bunch of middle eastern guys who ran around the halls slamming doors and screaming at each other. Our room was on the ground floor, with reception upstairs. This did not make me feel at all safe, as they left the front door WIDE OPEN at all times, and it was a straight shot from the front door to our room. And with reception upstairs, what's to prevent someone from coming in and messing stuff up but good? (Girls, you do not want to stay at the Radnor Hotel* (on Inverness Terrace, Bayswater) by yourself. I did not feel safe.) Also, when I asked for a hairdryer, the guy at the front desk acted as if he had never heard of such an appliance, even as I pointed to my wet hair and made circular hairdryer motions and buzzing noises, thinking maybe his English was not so good. His English was fine, but it was obviously not a hotel that thought of the feminine point of view. (I see, now, after a google search that they advertise hairdryers in the rooms. Lying bastards.)

The "continental breakfast" was white bread still in the bags which you then toasted, packets of jam and butter, a box of Corn flakes, and some hard boiled eggs. Al Jazeera was screaming from the large flat panel screen at the front of the room. It was a gorgeous room, lovely proportions, it must have been a great drawing room or possibly even a small ballroom.

And, piece de resistance, there was no hot water on Sunday morning. I had a very cold sponge bath. Rich was brave enough to take a shower. The goose bumps on the man were the size of real gooses.

Luckily, we spent only two nights there, before we moved to the Thistle Euston, which, with its big king sized bed, quiet room facing a park, hairdryer and HOT WATER, was just about as luxurious as I could have ever wanted. And there was not a screaming middle eastern in sight.

*I see there is also a Hyde Park Radnor hotel, which gets great reviews. Do not confuse the two.

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