Ultimately was the case when first I called the supplied number and was told there was only one room left in the area, it was forty-five minutes away, and there was no hotel-supplied transportation. Let's see - it was then 10pm, about 11pm before I'd even get to the hotel, then up at three to get a cab, four to get it, five to get...
I dropped my carry-ons into a nearby seat just as a Denver International employee asked "Staying the night?" "Yup." "Compliments of the City of Denver" and handed me a hermetically-sealed blanket.
This wasn't looking promising.
Adjacent to where I'd dropped everything was a telephone bank, and from where I was seated, could see another weary traveler tapping away at his laptop, his AC adapter plugged into an outlet next to the phones. I figured, what the hell, I'll surf the night away.
That's when I noticed my hotel voucher had a website address. Hmmm... I had nothing to lose.
"Only one available room in the area" my ass. There was a room available, it was only fifteen minutes from the airport, and their shuttle was shared by Marriott, among others. And only $69.
I'd never packed my laptop bag that fast. I was out the door even before the hard drive had spun down.
Waiting for the Marriott shuttle out in ten degree weather - and blowing snow - in a light jacket wasn't fun, but after a short ride I was checking in at the Aloft Hotel Denver.
From the outside, I'd never have guessed that this was even a hotel. It honestly looked like an office building. Inside, however, there was a bar, funky sofas, and a slightly-heavy metal beat in the background. The circular check-in desk was a bit unexpected, but I wasn't in the mood to be picky. What awaited me was a soft bed to catch some Z's before my 6am flight the next morning.
Card key in hand, I made it to my room in no time. Landing on the second floor, it again looked like I was in an office building. This is a hotel?
Once in my room, I wondered aloud who the hell had the air conditioner on in this weather and made a beeline for the heater controls. Cranked it to 79 degrees - the highest setting - and waited. And felt... something.
It felt a bit like I was back out waiting for the hotel shuttle. And amazed that SNOW was blowing in through a gap between the heating unit and the wall.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PqlYZ1OV71zYCWrBy7aSOD3gqtyuW0E8D9KRKGiWJA1TYodjvYihfsLvzeQ1vNjco-W8s2oLu3yzIGrKyeVWJ6g5eWJgG_brdooopKKO3tqH9NiUOEXBSw8nRLe5EWjBVeTtnPjUlVDl/s400/snowmachine.jpg)
Others have reviewed the Aloft chain, and there's no reason to go into too much detail here. The place is designed for the upwardly mobile executive who needs a place to hook up their laptop, a place to sleep, and a place to freshen up before that next multi-hundred dollar business meeting. Million-dollar? I'd have chosen the Marriott next door. But for my needs, it was just OK.
I did eventually make it home; that's where I am now. While the amenities were overly-modern, and unexpected, the surprise of the in-room snow machine made me want to write this review.
No comments:
Post a Comment