For my job, I usually travel once a month to either a conference, customer or partner meeting. However, for the past several months travelling for business has picked up.
This week, I spent the first half at the DIA (Drug Information Association) conference in Atlanta and the latter half at an IPC Standards meeting held in Gaithersburg at NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology).
My meeting ended early on Friday, but unfortunately there wasn”t a flight out from IAD until 5:15 pm EST…which did get delayed to 5:50 pm. Travelling as much as I do these days, I can attest to the fact first hand that the airport delays are getting worse.
However, I rarely complain now about airports, I found the suffering is much less if you just accept. I am now on a mission to get to 1 million points on American Airlines by the time I retire. I can’t imagine travelling without any status when I am old and feeble.
As much as I accept my fate in airports these days, I do look to hotel rooms to provide a glimmer of comfort in an otherwise impersonal world of business travel. And so, I want to share with my dear readers my version of the hotel wishlist – immortalized in this entry so that I may also refer to it next time I am requesting a hotel accomodation.
Firstly, a comfortable bed is key. Most hotels have finally understood this…was it not the “Heavenly Bed” that started the trend? A good night sleep is not only dependant on the mattress, but also on the sheet set. High thread count ensures sheets that feel soft against the skin and soothe one to sleep in unfamiliar territory.
Second on my list is wireless highspeed. There is nothing like being chained to an ethernet port by a 5 inch cable the hotel provides in the closet (why the closet, I have never understood).
Third is plenty of power outlets, especially near the bed. I have literally moved 100 times my weight in king-sized beds, to get to the one and only power outlet close enough to my bed so that I can keep my laptop powered up. If I have #1, #2 and #3 on this list satisfied, I am able to keep my cell phone within reach and work on my laptop in the comforts of my hotel bed.
Finally, a quiet heating and air conditioning system…that or provide ear plugs.
It was a long week in hotels. Oh so the more grateful I am to be in my own bed tonight…even if I do have to share it with Clint.
