48.46: California: Salton Sea: The Bat Cave with Robin and her hood.

That's the problem having a camera revealing a secret inactivity.
Sort of redemption.

We’ve noticed over the past 13 months a change in attitude and level of service in the hospitality industry. While we are not experts in anything (how sad), we spend 365 days a year away from a traditional home. We believe this gives us experience of living on the road, enabling us to make judgements that might be accurate, to a degree. For example, a person has to be blind and stupid not to notice these changes adopted in the industry. Fortunately, Jen reminded me that I’m still able to see well. As to the other attribute or curse, she took a pass.

Anyway, it got me thinking: Accommodation is just not the same any longer. In most places, cleaning services have been reduced at best or withdrawn completely. Breakfasts previously offered, are now provided in a brown bag (or transparent), withdrawn completely, modified to make them unattractive or replaced with ‘valuable’ coupons to the fast-food joint across the way allowing the saving of a dollar on a good day. 

Even coffee pots and tea urns positioned in the lobby have mostly been emptied. They stand idly by, as if waiting for a customer to stretch an arm with a cup in hand and make them feel useful again. It’s quite depressing...continues at the end.

Heading for a surprise.

Lovely view of Salton Sea.
Better views after some rock-climbing.
Not only lush green scenes are wonderful.
Looking out from Batman's cave.

The sand appears to be solid until pieces break off. Requires a little concentration.
He spots something at the end of the tunnel that is well-worth a closer examinination. (Each year, the position becomes more difficult.)
Aha! A familiar face waiting at the other side of the railway line rather than at the end of the rainbow.

As an aside, each establishment has its own set of rules and regulations of dealing with perceived Covid issues. One thing that’s consistent throughout the industry is using the excuse of the virus to cut costs by reducing services. Some do it quite well whereas other are blatant and quite crude in their approach. Customers notice these things and the implications for the future may be profound. 

It appears the virus acts differently depending on which region, the hotel group, hotel size, operator and a host of other variables. Clearly, the virus has a good understanding of the industry. A reader might gather we are not impressed. 

To that end, we have decided to approach the Comfort group, Wyndham and Holiday Inns with a suggestion of how to cater to their clientele base as well provide appropriate services in these strange times. We put together a plan which was converted into a working document, sort of legal thesis, which allows the hotel/motel to advertise the offered services in the form of a brochure, thus allowing the guest, as we are referred to although we are paying customers, an opportunity to understand what’s on offer. By placing such information on the website and on paper, a guest can make an informed decision. 

Here goes: The Comfort Inn is proud to announce, notwithstanding the torrid and trying conditions suffered since early 2020, we will be offering our guests the following services which were mostly reduced or withdrawn previously. As to be expected, there are some provisos, exceptions and discretionary clauses necessary for the system to work. 

1. Commencing from the first month of a blue moon, all guests shall be entitled to request a full cleaning service of the room. Such request must be made no later than 5am of the day service is required either in writing delivered to the office or in person. Telephone communication will not be accepted. Such request may not be made earlier than 2am of the same morning. However, should the guest be older than 65 years or turning 65 within 90 days of the request, then a telephone request will be allowed. (“Telephone Order”).

There is a further proviso. In order for this provision to apply, that is the “Telephone Order”, such guest should have stayed at the establishment or a group hotel within the previous 90 days provided the stay was longer than 4 days which should exclude a long weekend. Had the period included a public holiday then the qualifying stay shall be increased to 5 consecutive nights as long as the weekend stay was after the first Sunday of the month. 

2. Notwithstanding clause 2 above, should a guest have used points or a free night, such stay shall not qualify for “Telephone Order” privileges unless such guest can prove that not to use a telephone would cause undue hardship. In addition, should the guest meet the undue hardship test, it may only apply should the guest be older than 75 years and have stayed at the hotel/motel within the last 6 months. A stay at a group hotel/motel shall not qualify in terms of this clause as it does in clause 1. 

3. In order to be attentive to the needs of our guests, such guest/s should specify each service required on a separate piece of paper. The hotel shall not provide paper as it wishes to maintain it’s policy of saving the trees. 

With regard to the provision of food services, this is probably too difficult to digest just yet and so the regulations will follow after the fasting season. As always, should we be able to make your stay more comfortable, then we believe we are successful.

Cheers, 

Jenni and Jeffrey