The Shakespeare Hotel

19 June 2013

I try to stay upbeat and positive.  I'm congenitally cheery.  Even Pollyanna-ish.  I can find a bright side in most things.  And I try not to complain.

This blog isn't going to be like that.

Let me start by saying that we're moving to new accommodations, once again.  This is part of rolling luggager life, and we've become good at it.  But this time, it isn't because we're heading to a new city, or that the place we're in is unavailable.

No, this time we're moving because the place we're in is unacceptable.

First, almost everyone in the house smokes.  In the house.  Even though the listing was posted as NO smoking.  And anyone who knows me knows that we wouldn't have looked at a place had we known that smoking was allowed.

Then there's the fact that we were asked to come early, the guy didn't bother to tell us this was a different house down the road and around the corner, and that he didn't have a key for us.  One of the guys in the house gave us his key later on.  Turns out most of the guys in the house don't have keys - so the house is left open 24/7.  Whether anyone is home or not.  Luckily, I had a small luggage lock in my stuff, and we've kept our room locked.  But we also accidentally locked someone out of the house, before we found out that the house was left open.

And, well, it's a mess.  Filthy.  Dust mice that are morphing into dust gorillas.  Missing panes of glass in the bathroom window (which is an issue when the temperature is about 40 F outside - yes, maybe 5 C).  Makeshift rooms to cram in a few more beds.  Moldy shower stall.  Filthy bathroom floor that somehow is always wet, because there isn't a bath mat.  Grubby dirty filthy hallways. 

Gross.

The guys living here are sweethearts, they've been friendly and helpful, and they're equally fed up with the owner.  Who lives here, in this filth, but he's in Thailand right now.  We're in his room.  Equally dirty.

Anyway, I contacted the place we booked through, www.airbnb.com.  I explained that the main issue was the smoking, because I have asthma.  BIG props to them - they cancelled our reservation, and are crediting our card with the amount.  THAT is customer care!  But alas, it's very last minute to find a place in our price range within the city limits, so we haven't been able to find another bnb place.

So we're taking the same money that we'd have paid here for 2 weeks, and moving to a nice hotel, above an old authentic 1880-ish pub, at a special weekly rate (because it's slow season for hotels).  We found it on our walk to the train station yesterday, so it's in the neighborhood.  One of the last in the city, and touted as one of the few of a dieing breed of pubs.  Complete with $12 meals, gorgeous woodwork, and newly renovated rooms in the style of 1880-ish.  Our room has a brass bed, a fainting lounge, a wardrobe (well, armoire to us, but wardrobe or just robe in Aussie) - beautiful, warm, inviting, CLEAN!   

I'm looking forward to this.  

Raising a pint with the boys, and all that.

Well, okay, so I don't drink beer.  But I'm sure we'll spend some time in the pub in the evening, so Richard can eat his bangers and mash (sausages on mashed potatoes with gravy - yes, this is British food) and I can have a Thai beef salad or something.

It should be cozy.  And I'll take some photos of our lovely room.

And who knows, maybe it will elevate my language skills.  (Wouldn't you love to be able to speak Shakespearean English????)