I used to have romantic notions, too. The old-style pubs are alright except you have to go to the bar and place your food order. Follow up service (would you like dessert?) is sporadic. The flower boxes and hanging baskets are gorgeous. But they're everywhere, especially in summer. (It always makes me think of how much my poor little flowers struggle in the dry Texas heat.) The reality of most old hotels is not so grand. (I suspect the grand ones have been updated.) Narrow staircases with no elevators. (And even if there's a strapping young man to assist you getting your bags up two or possibly three flights of stairs, he will have disappeared when it's time for you to check out and get the bags back down.) Your room will be small. There won't be enough room to store your bags. The bathroom will be smaller. Sometimes it will be across the hall. In most cases, it's been retrofitted and the layout of the room may be "unique". The floors may be slanted to some degree. (We stayed in a place one time where I feared falling out of bed.) There may not be a closet and if there is, it too will be small. There may not be a convenient place to park. And those cobblestones can really hurt your feet.
But let's be realistic, what really puts me off the romantic old world charm at this stage in my life is the narrow staircases and lack of elevators. And even if you could be guaranteed a ground floor room, the trade-off is that you'll have a view of the parking lot (if there is one) or the adjacent building.
I think I'm ready to be practically modern.
No comments:
Post a Comment