New Orleans has been on my list of places to visit for years. For some reason it never surfaced to the top while planning vacations. It's also surprising that the hundreds of cities I've traveled to for business, New Orleans and I never crossed paths. So when asked to attend a conference this week in NOLA that old familiar excitement of work travel returned.
With work travel comes long, exhausting hours. This trip was no exception. But I was determined to find a few hours to explore this grand city. I didn't have to look far for an adventure...one was waiting for me as I arrived at the hotel. It should have been apparent when the cab driver had never heard of The Hotel Modern, it wasn't in the Hotel Snob worthy category. Yet after waking at 4:00 am for a two connection flight, setting up the exhibit hall display and a pair of shoes that made my feet swell like watermelons I was just ready for a nice meal and a warm bed.
The Hotel Modern has a snazzy ring to it, but ironically lacked the modern amenities that its name implies. Such amenities as an iron or a coffee pot, two basic items required of the business traveler. The hotel does come equipped with a squawking parrot that greets you in the lobby, a dark entry lit with candles and a chair to sit in while the attendant goes into the back room to retrieve your room key. There is no registration desk. The friendly manager did provide me with a nice glass of white wine during my 15 minute wait for the room key to arrive.
"Your room is located on the third floor," stated the obnoxiously snide young man. As I walked away attempting to balance my luggage, laptop bag and glass of wine (apparently the Hotel Modern doesn't have bell men), the young man smirked, "It's in building B, follow the signs." The door to the all black elevator closed and I took a deep breath when I selected floor three.
There were no signs for building B and the hallway ended before my room number. Looking disgusted now the poor housekeeper looked at me out of the corner of her eye. Without saying a word she pointed to a gray door in a dark hallway that had a red exit sign lit above it. Slowly, I opened the heavy door, still attempting to juggle my belongs to find an gloomy open court yard that led to two sterile gray buildings. “I have to walk outside to get to my room?” I thought. Too tired to go and complain I ventured my way into the 80-degree 10x10 hotel room that was hot, musty and dark. Not a place for a business woman traveling alone.
Knowing that there were no other rooms left in this city, I decided not to let my persona “Hotel Snob” take over and find a better room, I just crashed on the small bed to take a long, hot nap. Note to self. Next time I will do my homework.
