Finding Zen (and donuts) in Business Travel
Friday, October 26, 2012 I started my first job three days after I graduated college, and that was only because I graduated on a Friday. I've never done a semester abroad, set foot in a hostel, or partaken in a cross-country journey of self-discovery, only to realize that what I really loved was right here at home the whole time.
I'm 40 years old, and I've never even taken a real vacation in my adult life -- the kind where you aren't there to visit or bury someone. My sedentary ass would be easy pickins for a drone strike if it weren't for business travel.
Most people I talk to hate traveling on business. The jet lag, the fast food, the rental cars, and of course, the hotels. "Nothing beats sleeping in your own bed," people say. While there is some truth to that statement, there's something to be said for hearing the "beepbeep" of a properly magnetized key card, walking into a tidy room with a made bed, throwing your stuff on the floor, sitting on the bed for a quick secon-- and then waking up at 3:30am fully dressed with your shoes on, trying to guess where you are. Because once you figure it out, you realize that nobody cares that you passed out, smell like $7 bottles of airplane booze and Designing Women is on TV.
The best part is you pick up the phone, hit zero, and somebody polite not only answers, but they call you Mr. Lin. Then you ask them to wake you up at 6:30. You can't even get your mom to do that anymore! You crawl under the blankets, shoes on or off because it's totally your choice, and fall soundly asleep because you don't have to worry about if you set your alarm for PM instead of AM.
The next morning, you take a shower, throw your towels on the floor because you can, get dressed, and go do what you have to do. That night when you come back, guess what? Your bed is made, there are clean towels on the rack, your toilet paper has a pointy fold, and you have brand new shampoo. Some of my wildest fantasies don't even involve folded toilet paper!
When you know you've got a decent place to rest your head at the end of the day, everything else just falls into place. I offer some highlights from recent business trips as proof:
I got to fulfill my dreams of driving around like a jerk and still have everyone slow down for me because they think I'm a cop. Nothing like renting a Crown Vic for the week!
Actually, there is one thing better... and that's driving around like Jack Ryan from Clear and Present Danger. Wearing a suit and driving a Suburban with tinted windows (in Washington DC no less!) makes you feel like a man's man. My only disappointment was that nobody tried to take us out with a rocket-propelled grenade. But fate more than made up for that by granting us a parking space. In NEW YORK CITY. Smack dab in front of THE APPLE STORE, when we were trying to find parking to go to the Apple Store! It was such a sign of divine intervention that we simply left the car there and walked back to the hotel, on principle, and picked it up the next morning. I know... pics or it didn't happen. See below. Amazing.
From the city to the country, I was all over the map the past couple years. And for most of it, Shannon was there to snap the most memorable moments (you should have seen her massive eye roll when snapping that Crown Vic one). But where our opinions differ on police vehicles, we both like donuts and fishing. This one below was snapped two hours before we had to be at a government conference in North Carolina.
We caught this beauty, pictured below, in Portland. That is a maple bacon donut from the world famous Voodoo Doughnuts. We found this because we saw a line wrapped around a city block and figured something must be good at the end of that line, so we waited. We were so right.
I should really just end this post here because nothing tops a donut with bacon on it. Wait... this just in. Oh yeah, we also caught ourselves a double rainbow!
Later that year, work brought us to the other side of the world, where I was able to do things that looked really official, like sign documents that celebrated some glorious spirit of partnership or something like that. I don't know. I'm just up there because the suit fits me.
I also got to do some planking. I say that like it's some privilege or something. It's not. It's just idiotic. Which simply ensures that I will do it.
Here's me failing the "you must be this civilized to ride this ride" test in Shanghai.
So why am I writing about business travel? Because all successful business trips have one thing in common: a good night's rest at a great hotel. And it just so happens that one of these great hotels is turning 50 this year. You might have guessed that it's the Radisson because you skipped ahead and looked at the graphic below. I cannot control you people. It's frustrating sometimes.
Anyway, Radission is celebrating its anniversary by giving away one room a day for 50 days, through 50 blogs. Today is my day to choose one of you to be the next winner. Just leave a comment by 9pm PST on Friday, Nov. 2 telling me what your favorite thing about hotel living is, and I will throw your name in a hat. Then I will think "This is so stupid and inefficient" and then use random.org instead to choose my winner.
If you don't win, but want more chances, just go to Radisson's Facebook page for that day's giveaway blog.
And in case you're wondering, yes, I did get some free hotel stays in lieu of cash compensation for this post. I fully intend to use them, ironically, for non-business travel.
Reader Comments (57)
I am a big fan of the "make your own waffle station" at the breakfast bar and after managing my way back to the room after possibly one too many drinks finding the value - no, the brilliance - of a six dollar pint of Ben & Jerry's bought at the hotel store. But for my money, nothing beats the anonymity of being the tenant in one of 120 well appointed boxes. Unless I tell someone I'm in room 324, no one has a clue I'm in room 324. Including me. I only remember which one it is because it's two doors from the staircase.
Once sealed behind the heavy auto-closing door with the swing guard lock thing, I am gone. I can watch all the HBO I want, order pizza, eat in bed, shower three times a day, or not shower at all. I can drink four beers, fall asleep to a Saved by the Bell marathon or yes, even not have to pretend I'm not interested in a Designing Women episode. God help me if Steel Magnolias is on. Point is, it's a 24-72 hour world of my own making. If I want to meet up with people, I'll go out. And when I'm done, Ben, Jerry, Screech, Slater, Ouiser and M'Lynn await my return to sanctuary.
You may find this pathetic, but my favorite thing about hotels is that I throw trash in the wastebasket even though I don't have to. This proves that I am a Good Person deep down inside.
My husband and I took out three year old daughter to San Diego earlier this year and she has not stopped asking to stay in a hotel since! She got her own roll away bed that she thought was the coolest thing ever and especially loved the giant Japanese soaking tub. My favorite thing about hotel living is the pure joy it gives my kid :)
Growing up as a hotel manager's daughter, I actually did LIVE in hotels for months at a time when we would move to a new city for his new hotel job, while my parents searched for an actual house to live in. One of my fave hotel benefits is the same now as it was then: ROOM SERVICE.
My favorite thing about hotel living is the sweet beds!
My favorite part of staying in a hotel is the sense of an adventure. I'm not much of a traveller (also never studied abroad or really left the United States), so visiting another city and staying overnight somewhere is a mini adventure for me.
-Steve
P.S. Yes Dennis, the waffle station is phenomenal.
I love not having to cook or clean!!!
I don't get to stay in a hotel very often but I love the fact that it's so clean and everything is taking care of for you. The beds are always so comfortable. My children love to go swimming in the pools and we just sit in the room sometimes and watch a movie and order room service. I think this prize would be AWESOME!!!!
I love just taking the elevator downstairs and having breakfast! Everything is always already prepared and the food is usually great!
I live simply getting away and relaxing, with no pressure to cook or clean
a few of my favorite things...
falling asleep with TV on and e-reader dropped beside my head caz I fell asleep; plush beds and bedding ; keeping the toiletry items for the basket in my own guest room ; luxury of a fine bath ( only shower at home :( )
It's silly as can be, but I love that I essentially have permission to jump on a freshly made bed and know that it'll be just as freshly made by somebody who's not me the next day.
I love using the fitness room before breakfast!
Hotel getaways are rare for me, but I love lounging in bed watching cable tv. We don't have cable, so preferably I'm solo, relaxing. Oh and room service, late night! I'm easy like that.
My favorite thing about hotel stays? Well. You know. Definitely not sleeping!
I am the front desk supervisor at a hotel so I enjoy going to other hotels knowing I don't have to worry when things go wrong.
My favorite thing about a hotel room is that I'm NEVER there with my kids. Typically, it's just me. I can walk around naked if I want. Watch anything or nothing on the tv. Eat what I want. When I want. And take as long in the bathroom as I want - because I'm the onnnnnllllyy one there.
In a family of 8 - you've gotta know that I'm never ever ever alone.
The best thing about hotel living is free breakfast. Well as long as you're living with status!
My favorite thing about hotel living is to stay away from home !
Room service!!
Free breakfast! I love hotel make-your-own waffles.
I love staying in hotel near attractions
I truly love hotel stays! We have not been able to stay in hotels on a regular basis but my boys (now teens) recall each and every stay as they all have great memories attached. We have always loved the pool and spa area and have made good use of these, my boys especially love the continental breakfast buffets, my husband has a fondness for the fridge with the little bottles while I love the fact that I do not have to do any laundry or cooking while there. I love walking in to a perfectly tidy room knowing that I didn't have to clean it, nor will I have to. Top choice for me is good old fashioned customer service and Radission is right at the top of my list of favorite hotels for that reason, amongst others. Love your blog, you must keep your wife laughing :)
When it's included; The Hot Breakfast bar.
When I see a waffle station and matching
troughs of eggs and bacon, I turn into Honey boo boo
Near a barrel of cheese balls. I'm thinking about it now!
Now I have to win because I really need it!
I love that no matter how much you destroy a room, when you come back from a late afternoon hangover brunch it's nice a clean and perfect. Just daring you to do it all over again.
My favorite thing about hotel living is just getting away from the daily grind. A perfect stay for me is to use the pool, the hot tub, and the fitness room, then relax with a great movie!!
I could kill you for making me ride around like a felon for a week in that f*cking crown vic. And for catching a bigger bass than I did. The donuts kinda made up for it.
I travel a lot - both for work and personal reasons. I love staying in a hotel for the feeling of security it affords, and because of how familiar it is to walk into a hotel room no matter where you are in the world and the feeling of instant "home away from home" - at least in the best hotels. :)
I also love the concierge. A good concierge makes my life so easy no matter where I am to explore, and it's better than Yelp for finding local haunts...
I was going to write a sensible and serious reply, but this totally belongs to Dennis McGrath!
Business travel rocks, because:
- I can get up in the morning and know that someone will be making my bed.
- I can order room service and BILL IT to the client.
- There is no one yelling "MOM!" from across the room.
- I get to play with the little hotel bathroom toiletries. If they're high quality, I will marvel at my score. If they're not, I get to feel superior by dismissing them to the darkest corner of the counter (or even - gasp - the top of the toilet tank) and pulling out my own little stash of 3 oz. or less liquids that the airport TSA folks so lovingly approved.
If I travel with family, though, our deal-breaker is a free hot lobby breakfast, because in that scenerio, there is no one to bill for for room service outside of my own VISA, and mommy needs the mortgage payment.
I love the free breakfast, since I only have oatmeal when I am at home!
I love exploring the regional TV channels. It gives me a little slice of the local culture.
I love to look out the window of a great hotel and see the ocean or a busy city.
love not having to make breakfast
My favorite thing about staying in hotels is just the idea of getting away. Being in a place that isn't your normal. That awww feeling when you walk in and its comfortable and relaxing, none of the regular distractions you have at home. It's even better if they have down comforters on their beds, HEAVEN!
I commute a lot to Detroit and love the fact that I dont have make the bed or clean up. Clean towels and free shampoo and conditioner are the greatest.
Room service
Maid service & that staying in a hotel means that I'm traveling!
I was considering entering this, but I'm totally with Kirsty B: If Dennis McGrath doesn't win, there is no god.
My favorite thing is being forced to really slow down. There is no feeling of "I should be doing this", no need to think about any household responsibilities. I can relax, unwind and come as close to thinking about nothing as I'm ever able to ;)
I love the toilet paper folded into a triangle. I used to have a maid service AT MY HOUSE that did that.
And then I got a mortgage, had a kid, etc. yadda, yadda.
I love hotel life because I am away from home and can veg out and not feel guilty about not doing anything. I love having more cable TV to watch. We only have basic cable at home. Having a great breakfast is a must and I aways get that at Carlson properties. I love having someone else clean up the room. I grew up in a house with lots of chores. Now I don't have to do them at a hotel. We stay away from home 30-50 nights a year and love it.
I have to travel frequently for work and I LOVE having the bed all. to. myself. No kids, no cats, no snoring husband. I also love not have to make the bed, hang up everyone's wet towels, vacuum, or take out the trash.
The bed (depending on hotel chain), someone else making the bed. I am trying to save the world from water waste so I reuse my towel (you heathen!), shampoo, conditioner and body wash (from certain hotel chains) and free breakfast. That part is awesome.
Since I have a billion and three kids, staying in a hotel is super stressful. Too many bodies, someone gets a sleeping bag (because fuck-it-all if I'm paying for TWO rooms for ONE extra person), too much drama over one tv, it's the worst ever. AND THEN my husband insists on cleaning the damn room when we're leaving. WHY? Isn't that the point?! Business travel sounds like heaven sent rainbow colored unicorns down to save my sanity.
Anyway. If I won, I'd use that room to discover the beauty of quiet sleeping, choosing to watch whatever I want, and sleeping in dark without being kicked. Or slapped. Or groped.
I love the housekeeper! Oh my gosh but I love the housekeeper!!! I would like one for my own house. I guess I could hire a cleaning company, but then I would feel the need to clean before they ever came, which would kind of defeat the purpose of a cleaning company. I feel no such compulsion at a hotel oddly enough? :o)
I love traveling for work! I enjoy using the "yelp" app to find the best restaurants and bars nearby. I also like walking (or going for a run) at night, exploring a new city with no deadlines or other folks to worry about pleasing.
And, it's hard to beat a good hotel bar. I'm usually pretty good at making new friends among the other travelers.
I love that I can sleep without any small feet kicking me. And that there's no cooking, dishes or grocery shopping.
Favorite thing about hotels is having 3x as many towels as you would normally use! And to use them all!
Definitely the housekeeper! So nice to not have to clean, make bed, empty trash, pick up towels, LOVE the housekeeper.