Hotels on the Internet May Be Cheesier Than They Appear

During a recent user research trip to Calgary in Canada, I took the opportunity to stay overnight in beautiful Banff nearby. My change was relatively last-minute so I didn't do a large amount of research - just picked the first hotel I found on the internet with nice photos, and with availability, at an ok price. They said they had an available internet connection, and asked if I wanted to pay a little bit more for a room with a view. Why not? I thought... when will I be in Banff again?

I knew the hotel was going to be a wee bit cheesy when I picked up the key - it was the punch-card type, if you've ever seen that (no swiping here - you insert the plastic tab and turn the handle of the door to open it). Turns out, the extra I paid for the view just upgraded me from a brick wall view, to one of the Domino's pizza across the street. Well, a tree was visible so it was an improvement I suppose...

And, the internet connection they promised? When I asked, the person at the front desk pointed to a chair nearby. "If you sit in that a certain way, you can get a wireless connection. It comes in from the hotel next door."

The silver lining? When you throw out class, you make room for convenience - in the form of a beer bottle opener attached to the bathroom sink.









And yes, of course I used it!


And it was very satisfying.