[Assam] The Nano & not so nano stuff

[Krishnendu Chakraborty]

>>Incidentally the bed-bug infestation in NYC is NOT
>>confined to sleazy 
>>hotels. It is an epidemic even in some of the
>>city's glitziest 
>>high-rise condos and apartment houses, a public
>>health crisis, almost.

Exactly  and so Bed bugs in some sleazy hotel in India
should not be considered as a bench mark

>>*** American consumers have many recourses. Easiest
of it is 
>>availability of CHOICE.

We did move out a day after the incident  did not have
much choice ... it was a holiday weekend.  In fact, 
on day of incident we did not have ANY CHOICE except
moving to some 5 star paying a couple of hundred
dollars.   you will surely have such CHOICE everywhere
in India if you are ready to pay for 5 stars


However,  having choice does not justify the business
model of HOJO ... an  American Company.   Imagine you
buy a Tata Indica/Nano in Guwahati and if there are
problem,  Tata says your dealer should take care of it
.... we do not have any responsibility !



>>I have no trouble believing that.

>>Actually my very first experience in a Chicago 
Travelodge in 1976 
was very much like what these videos portray.

>>But to suggest or imply that these facilities in NYC
or Chicago or LA 
or SF or Boston define the hotel/motel scene in the
USA is what 
defies ordinary logic.

>>Incidentally the bed-bug infestation in NYC is NOT
confined to sleazy 
hotels. It is an epidemic even in some of the city's
glitziest 
high-rise condos and apartment houses, a public health
crisis, almost.

Wonder where they came from.


>  >HOJO Franchisees are owned by various people.  The
one
>I am talking about is owned by some hispanic person
>... but does that mean HOJO will shrugg off all
responsibility ... I mean is it the American way of
doing business.


*** American consumers have many recourses. Easiest of
it is 
availability of CHOICE. In more damaging instances
consumer courts 
could be approached for damages.  If I go into a motel
that causes me 
concern, the very first thing I do is to go check the
room out BEFORE 
I pay and check in.

I did that in Kolkata too, after I experienced  one of
those 
three-star rated joints near Dum Dum the first time.
Next time I did 
not go by the Pre-paid Taxi operator's recommendation
or the taxi 
driver's urging. I went, checked the room, looked
around the windows 
to see if the panes were all in, flushed the toilet to
see if it 
worked , looked under the bed cover , turned the
shower on to see if 
it worked or if it had hot water and so forth. In this
place with a 
Rs. 2200/- per night  rate  the toilet did not flush.
It was a fast 
good bye. UNfortunately the CHOICES were few. I had to
settle for 
something not a whole lot better, but at least the
toilet flushed. 
The third time I found Stadel.

But I stayed at Sonar Bangla for a couple of nights.
That was great! 
But hurt the wallet.






At 8:59 AM -0800 1/11/08, Krishnendu Chakraborty
wrote:
>  >>Should that define the general standard of hotels
>and motels across
>>>the USA?
>
>
>May be or may be not.  check this ....
>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11916682/
>
>Also check the numerous blogs on hotels ... does not
>look too good.
>
>My experience in US says that the standard of hotels
>have degraded rapidly over last 10 years or so.
>
>
>>>Incidentally HOJO is owned by desis if I am not
>mistaken.
>>>That might explain it
>
>Where did you get this piece of info ???  As I
>understand it is owned by Wyndham Group and the CEO
is
>Stephen P. Holmes .... does not sound an Indian Name
>nor does he  look Indian.
>HOJO Franchisees are owned by various people.  The
one
>I am talking about is owned by some hispanic person
>... but does that mean HOJO will shrugg off all
>responsibility ... I mean is it the American way of
>doing business.
>
>>>BTW, did you report it to AAA?
>
>Oh yes !  and they sent me a nice letter ... we have
>forwarded your complaint to the local AAA Inspector !
>
>
>
>>>I won't try to compare the US quality of motels and
>hotels with
>>>Indian ones. It will not be fair to do so. But when
>an Indian hotel
>>>charges prices like US hotels,
>
>Hmmm ..... where did it charge prices like US hotel.
>As I said,  first find a hotel in a Major US city
>where it charges $30 that too for walkin customers!!
>
>Two years back,  I visited Kanyakumari ...hotel was 3
>star (as claimed by them and might be true) Rs1500
per
>night (< $40)for a sea facing room and was excellent.
>  I had earlier experience in Goa (Tourist Dept
hotel)
>in Calengute Beach (on the beach)  where a suite was
>Rs1600 .   I will not say it was a Star facility but
>clean and fantastic location (you can see the sea
from
>your bed). 
>Try finding a sea facing hotel in a Tourist location
>in US for that price  !!!!



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