An Undeserved Reputation
Dec. 5th, 2005 09:48![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mapsedgeA good number of you out there, dear readers, are either in or from at are at least familar with the Kansas City area, and as such I'm sure have heard the stories about The Elms. For a quick refresher, The Elms is a spa/salon/"resort" hotel resting on laurels that date back quite a long way. If you're interested, look here. Elegance, fine dining, comfort. Well, two outta three ain't bad.
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mljm and I are sticklers for detail. When we stay at a hotel we expect certain things to be true: the room and bathroom should be clean; the bathroom should be free of mold; the sheets should fit the bed. The Elms is a hotel that details forgot.
The company Christmas party was Saturday night. We invite the investors in, and everyone and their spouses gets together for a good dinner and a State of the Company address, drinking and socializing for the evening with people we don't get to see very often. All told it's usually about a dozen people and is, honestly, a good time. Part of the deal is a night's stay at whatever hotel is hosting the meeting. That's great if we're somewhere like the Radisson or the Hyatt, but sucks mightily if it's the Elms.
Oh, we were pleased enough at check-in: the room was spacious and warm, with a view over the back courtyard and woods beyond. The bar service was surly, but the coffee was good. After dinner, we went to The Library room for drinks and the service was exceptional. About 11:30, we retired to our room for a good night's sleep, sans children, and it was then that we discovered What Was Wrong With The Bed.
Did you know that you can turn a queen size sheet sideways and it will appear to fit a king size bed if you short-sheet the bottom? Hey, me neither! Damn, I'll have to try that at home! My toes were scraping mattress from almost the first moment, and within half an hour the bottom sheet had become a crumpled mess under the top of me. I guess a queen size sheet turned sideways is just wide enough to tuck in, but not wide enough to stay tucked in.
The Elms has had it's share of problems over the decades, and has apparently had to economize to make ends meet. The mattress was a "firm" mattress. I've slept on "firm" mattresses that were far, far softer than the slab we were laying on: the pad on top of the springs was wafer thin, and had the cheap feel of a mattress purchased from one of those wholesalers that advertises on late night TV.
KING SETS FOR ONLY 99.99!!!
Honestly, I've slept more comfortably at Super8 motels.
At 3:00 I still hadn't fallen asleep. A sinus headache with pressure great enough to make my lower jaw ache didn't help. If the rest of me is comfortable, I can cope, but laying on what was essentially a mortician's prep table with a flannel sheet over it made the night unbearable. Michelle got me drugs and a cold washrag to put over my face, and if I could have convinced her that we could have made it home safe, we'd have checked out at 3:15 and been in our own bed by 4:00. As it was we were on the road by 8:45, and sound asleep on our own Stearns and Foster Pillow Top by 10:00.
Have your wedding there if you like: the Gazebo is pretty. The conference room downstairs is very nice if you need that sort of service. The restaurant makes a really good Kansas City Strip. There's pretty good BBQ one block away.
But find somewhere else to sleep.
mljm and I are sticklers for detail. When we stay at a hotel we expect certain things to be true: the room and bathroom should be clean; the bathroom should be free of mold; the sheets should fit the bed. The Elms is a hotel that details forgot.The company Christmas party was Saturday night. We invite the investors in, and everyone and their spouses gets together for a good dinner and a State of the Company address, drinking and socializing for the evening with people we don't get to see very often. All told it's usually about a dozen people and is, honestly, a good time. Part of the deal is a night's stay at whatever hotel is hosting the meeting. That's great if we're somewhere like the Radisson or the Hyatt, but sucks mightily if it's the Elms.
Oh, we were pleased enough at check-in: the room was spacious and warm, with a view over the back courtyard and woods beyond. The bar service was surly, but the coffee was good. After dinner, we went to The Library room for drinks and the service was exceptional. About 11:30, we retired to our room for a good night's sleep, sans children, and it was then that we discovered What Was Wrong With The Bed.
Did you know that you can turn a queen size sheet sideways and it will appear to fit a king size bed if you short-sheet the bottom? Hey, me neither! Damn, I'll have to try that at home! My toes were scraping mattress from almost the first moment, and within half an hour the bottom sheet had become a crumpled mess under the top of me. I guess a queen size sheet turned sideways is just wide enough to tuck in, but not wide enough to stay tucked in.
The Elms has had it's share of problems over the decades, and has apparently had to economize to make ends meet. The mattress was a "firm" mattress. I've slept on "firm" mattresses that were far, far softer than the slab we were laying on: the pad on top of the springs was wafer thin, and had the cheap feel of a mattress purchased from one of those wholesalers that advertises on late night TV.
KING SETS FOR ONLY 99.99!!!
Honestly, I've slept more comfortably at Super8 motels.
At 3:00 I still hadn't fallen asleep. A sinus headache with pressure great enough to make my lower jaw ache didn't help. If the rest of me is comfortable, I can cope, but laying on what was essentially a mortician's prep table with a flannel sheet over it made the night unbearable. Michelle got me drugs and a cold washrag to put over my face, and if I could have convinced her that we could have made it home safe, we'd have checked out at 3:15 and been in our own bed by 4:00. As it was we were on the road by 8:45, and sound asleep on our own Stearns and Foster Pillow Top by 10:00.
Have your wedding there if you like: the Gazebo is pretty. The conference room downstairs is very nice if you need that sort of service. The restaurant makes a really good Kansas City Strip. There's pretty good BBQ one block away.
But find somewhere else to sleep.