Oh, the wonderful things you'll find

So in prep of our busy summer season, we are deep cleaning the rooms. New paint, some with new carpet, carpet cleaning and what have you.

The other day, my boss comes to me and says, 'Come here, you have to see this."

In my job, I know that is never good. Often interesting, but never good. In fact, the last time was because someone left five sex toys in their room after checkout.

So I go into the back room and see this:

This all came out of the BOX SPRING for 229, which housekeeping found only after moving the bed. Not under the box spring. In the box spring.

Contents include:

Photo #1: A plastic storage box with a santoku in sheath, scrubby, dish soap, dog toys, plastic cylinders for unknown use, screwdriver with attachments, dryer sheets, and misc sundries.

Photo #2: metal colander, laundry detergent, Pyrex type measuring cup with lid.

Photo #3: tote bag with children's sticker book, 3 comics in plastic sleeves, 2 novels, Ziplocs, paper plates and plastic silverware

Photo #4: the tote bag with two Glade three tier candles and some soy sauce

Now, we're trying to figure out where these came from. Obviously, it was the box spring in 229. But who left them there? Our only thought is there a regular who is frequently in that room, and recently left after a 3+ week stay. But he doesn't have a dog. Or any kids that come with him. But he does always request 229.

In fact, no dogs have been in that room. We keep them on the 1st floor. Kind of makes you wonder what the toys were for...

More Desk Love

If you love your front desk worker:

~Don't crank call from your room. Your room number shows up on my phone.

~Don't write passive-aggressive notes on your folios. Just tell me there is an issue and I'll take care of it.

~Don't blow up three boiled eggs in the lobby microwave and not say anything.

~Don't announce you want to pay in cash after completely checking out and signing the credit card information.

Wow. So I come in tonight and there are two rooms in house - one is a regular - and one person due to arrive which is actually someone held over from last night and unlikely to actually show up.

So bored.

I took the time to swap the info from my 2G microSD card, added it to a new 8G for my Blackberry, put photos on the 2G to make a photobook, watching Sweeney Todd, Half-Blood Prince and Sense and Sensibility. It was an Alan Rickman kinda night.

Next time, I'm bringing my crochet.

Biebercide

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I had a baby and bought a house! I'm back now, part time. Still a front desk minion.

So, for entertainment purposes, I give you - yesterday's logbook, with the unfortunate death...of Justin Bieber.

--Start--

3:36am - In the morning, try to charge the card on 110 for the correct amount. If it does not go through, check it out normally and put the bill in D***'s box. I know CC's will be off if it does not go though. - T

*CC DECLINED*

Front Desk - (A, I believe you will be working the morning shift)-
"W" has two NDD2 reservations for Saturday (3-19-11), as well as a reservation for the party room from noon-3. If we are able to get the two reservations adjoining(144 &146?), that would be great but a little bit higher priority is getting them in early. They were pretty nice people, so if any of these requests can be done, please help them out. I told them they could at least get in early to decorate the party room. Also, if people show up for the party, you CAN give out room numbers. "W" has already okayed it.
If you have any questions, just call me.
Otherwise - just do the voodoo that you do so well. ~S

A- 105 was going to be coming later on Fri to put his CC on it, but the room was already checked in when I got here. His family has 2 other rooms and wanted to use that one if it had to be paid for, so I gave her the keys. He should still come in today to pay on his CC - T

Rms 119 and 142 extended their stays.

8:30am - Comp'd 50% of rm117(now 121) for their 1000 item list of complaints - A
9:46am - Could have REALLY used a 2nd desk person and/or bfast person - extremely busy - not enough breakfast pulled - A
10:00 - REMINDER: (C) Rm 121 didn't get their wake-up call because it wasn't ever moved from 117 when they were. Please remember to check all things like this when moving people - everyone needs to. - A
10:00 - Have the pool doors been updated since the time change? Several complaints about the door not opening 8-9am - A
10:01 - FML
11:41 - Schedule has been changed slightly, check it - S
12:15 - ICE-EE Machinge man came in - fixed the juice machine. Said filter on H2O was gunked up - cleaned out the whole machine - nice guy - A
morning - Rm 145 moved to 143 due to toilet handle falling off - A
12:45p - Rm 139 - "W" - also has party rooms - NOT nice guy. Wanted to punch me in the face b/c we didn't have an extra table. Found extra table, avoided punch to the face. Phew! - A
12:45p - Longest shift everrrrr. :(
12:53 - L. O. charged rm 212 & 214 into her credit card, everything updated - A
1:39pm - B. G. picked up some lost and found items left behind - A
1:50p - C. L checked out early -A

4:20p - ADJ door to 231-233 on the 233 side - deadbolt doesn't work - T
4:30p - What are you waiting for? KILL ME! DO IT NOW! - T
6:30p - Broke up fight in pool over Justin Bieber cardboard cutout. 144 & 146 were trying to have a bday party for daughter and 30 friends w/a Bieber by pool. Other kids took it and threw it in the pool. Some deliquent tried to fight the dad of one of the other kids in the area. He told some little kids to fuck off and chased another up into the balcony, screaming at him to 'get the fuck out of my way.' He was w/144&146 but not a chaperone, so he was escorted from the building. 144 & 146 was very disturbed that the pther parents did nothing to stop the Biebercide, saying they shouldn't let the kids ruin something that isn't theirs. I asked why they would bring a cardboard Bieber in the pool area in the first place. 144 & 146 said it was a decoration for the party. D. A. brought the potential fight to my attention and said that 144 & 146 had way too many kids. I explained that only 5 ppl were allowed per room and she said most of the kids had already called their parents after the Bieber drowning. 144 & 146 said she didn't feel safe going in the pool area anymore. She said they'll probably leave at 8.
I have to inform D.A. that there are not supposed to be beverages and food by the pool STILL.
Stay tuned...
8:00p - Dear Diary,
144 & 146 opted to leave. Having had an absolutely miserable time, I'm just VOIDing the whole transaction. I wish I could just VOID the whole day.
With love,
T (with a heart over his i, lol)
9:30p - 119 had a few problems with noise - the kids running around. Later asked for rollway - I didn't charge them. -T

--End--

I love my job.

Key cards

Okay, I know that our key cards for the rooms are really sensitive. If you put them by a cell phone, money clip, credit card, air, whatever, it can be demagnitized. Had a lady come down tonight saying her card didn't work. Okay, no problem, can we see it?

She was using the coupon card for the restuarant as a key for her room.

For some people, there just is no help.

Expedia, Orbitz and Kayak, oh my!

No recent post as people have been mostly behaving of late. But, alas, all good things must come to an end.

Our town is in the midst of it's first big summer festival. This, coupled with two weddings in tonight, tells me that summer is now in full swing in our little tourist town.

I currently have four boys who are apparently going to spend their evening in my lobby. Why? No idea. The lobby is possibly the most happenin' place in town. I often have groups of people sit down here and chat all night. My favorite is the arguing couple who comes down here to escape the people in their room. They always start off quietly whispering to each other in an attempt to be polite and so that I don't hear them. Shortly, inevitably, they are loud enough I want to put on headphones or join the conversation.

But with the coming of summer comes a topic I feel we must discuss, dear readers. This is the topic of....The Third Party Reservation! Dun Dun Dun!!!!

No, seriously. It needs horror music.

Okay, so here's the skinny. When you purchase from any third party - Hotels.com, Orbitz, Priceline, Hotwire, Expedia, and so on and so forth - you are purchasing a hotel room from them. They have bought rooms from us. It's a triangle. They are reselling you our rooms, so you don't have a reservation with us. Expedia does in your name.

The bonus is the fact you can get a great room at a cheap price. The reason that it works is because places like Expedia can get them cheaper from us than you can. They buy so many rooms throughout the year, it's like they get prefered customer prices. And, well, you don't. So they can, in turn, resell it to you cheaper than we can. I know, it's odd, but there you have it.

The negatives include the fact that if you have a problem with your reservation, I can't help you. Seriously. Everything on my end is blocked, and you have to deal straight with them. Also, you are putting in a request for a room. You can ask for a non smoking room with a king sized bed. However, that isn't what they have to give you. Normally, you do receive it. But trust me, having that guest show up at 11pm only for me to tell them that they are in a smoking room or the bed type is wrong gets real ugly. And it isn't up to us. It's whatver room Expedia and friends decides to put your name on.

So basically, you trade customer service for price. If you are flexible with you're stay, it's a great way to go. If you need something specific, cough up the few extra bucks and go through the hotel.

And if you don't, and it's wrong, I don't want to hear about it.

IYLYFDW: Don't call me for the number for a different hotel. I live up north. I have no idea what the number for a hotel in Tampa is, and if you can call me, you can call them.

Don't poo in the pool. And if you or your child does, TELL ME.

Don't use the window as a door. Seriously. Not cool. And at 3am, the front lawn is not a football field.