Perhaps I should have taken it as a premonition that Robert Scoble posted a hotel horror story the weekend before our family vacation. I didn’t think twice about it though, just as I didn’t think twice about the hotel I had chosen…but I should have….
I didn’t think it would matter much where we stayed when we went to see Fort Clatsop. After all, we don’t spend that much time in our room. I wanted an economical but pleasant experience. Someplace to stash our bags and slip under the sheets. The hotel I chose appealed to me with its promise of a view.
The last time I chose a hotel for a family vacation was four years ago. The last time I had stayed in a hotel was more than two years ago, when Ted and I splurged for our tenth anniversary and stayed at the Inn at Langley (one of the benefits of a January wedding is winter rates!).
The Inn at Langley and this to-be-nameless Astoria hotel both have amazing water views. But that’s where the similiarities end. It was a bit of a shock to discover that this place had only a push-in door-knob lock for security (Ted had never seen one but I grew up with one – a West Coast phenomenon?!), and I must say that after spending the week caulking my bathroom, I had a critical eye for the facilities there.
The worse part was the carpet. When I wore black socks, I discovered white hair, like those from a dog, all over my feet. I also found a pin in the carpet and lint balls so big around the beds that I could pick them up with my fingers. At least we didn’t have a crawling baby, but the kids still spend a lot of time on the floor at these ages. Abigail broke out with a rash the day after we arrived and I wonder if it was due to the lack of cleanliness.
When I complained to the front desk, we were only charged for one night instead of two. I appreciated the discounted price and the attempt to respond to our complaint. But as I thought about it, I realized that I would have rather paid the full price and enjoyed the experience then to receive a discounted bill and leave with a bad taste in our mouth, and dog hairs on our clothes and luggage…
If anyone is interested in staying in Astoria, send me a comment or email and I’ll let you know the name of this place. I’d also appreciate any recommendations…perhaps I should have asked this a few months ago!
I would have liked to have stayed downtown closer to the heart of Astoria, within walking distance of the bus stop, trolley car or restaurants. But the city seems sprawling, and I’m not sure if there are any hotels that fit those parameters. Ted and I did see one place offering Internet access.
Before our trip, I wasn’t sure how much it would matter where we stayed. In retrospect, I’m not sure it mattered that much. But it would have been nice to have had a nice stay.
