Back from Miami

Miami...I didn't get to experience you as a tourist since all I did was work but I do have some observations which uphold my hatred and lack of desire to visit you.

Reasons I loath you:
1) I-95, once you hit the Miami/Dade county line = traffic nightmare
2) Spanish (no need to elaborate there)
3) Lack of customer service (you make Ft. Lauderdale seem like the mecca of nice)
4) Cracked out street engineers (yes, I took a wrong turn or two but why punish me with roads that don't connect, have left hand turns, or go straight!)

Seriously though I have to laugh. Our team was late registering for the retreat so we were put in an overflow hotel on Biscayne. It was supposed to be a Hilton but it hasn't quite made the transformation. I know I usually have a hotel story for you so here's a few that aren't just me, my whole team experienced it.

Check in-first team member was told the corporate card hadn't been applied, fork over money or you don't get a room. She had to make several calls and they were very nasty to her until they got their butt reemed from someone in our company. Then, sugar sweetness oozed from the front desk.

The rest of us checked in. We quickly put our stuff in our rooms before heading out for dinner...well, sort of. First, I couldn't get my door to work. It was jammed. Finally inside, I dropped my stuff off, took a quick tour of the room and peed. Interesting, the toilet paper was literally so far from the toilet I had to stand up to reach it! I leave my room and the door won't close! Meet the crew downstairs after fighting with my door. What's taking Laura so long we wonder? Well, her room was underconstruction! They put her in a room with repairs going on. She had to switch.

Ok, we all compare the missing items from our room. One girl had to call the front desk to clean her tub/shower, it was full of hair! No bath mats in any room. Missing coffee pot in one, missing clock in another, none but 1 had a mirror other than in the bathroom, missing toiletries...I had half a container of conditioner and lotion but no shampoo or soap. The list goes on. Glad I packed my own.

Now we are debating on walking to the main hotel since it said it was a few blocks away. We ask the front desk where the other hotel is and they tell us 17 blocks away! Umm...not walking distance. Ok, let's hail a cab even though work said they wouldn't pay for it. 15 minutes, no cab. Tell bellman and he says I called for one but let me take you in our shuttle. Ok, another 15 minutes go by-they couldn't find the keys. Get to hotel safely, pay driver, no change, no receipt...you see how this is going right.

Dinner was ok, two of us head back while the rest go out drinking. Fast forward to next morning. More horror stories about our rooms and the rec center. Long day at work. An ok dinner with the team, back to the hotel for drinks in the lobby. First, I got up to go the bathroom and drop off my stuff. No toilet paper. Where did it go? I call the front desk. 15 minutes go by, I head to a friends room to pee. Remember this, I will return to it.

My coworker took a digger going up two steps (not drunk, tripped on her flip flop). H2O goes flying and so does she. I ask the bartender for a rag. He says he doesn't have a dry one. Ok, how about something to wipe it up with? He proceeds to ask ME if I called housekeeping?!? Whatever dude, I am over it.

Back to room, gotta pee. No toilet paper still! Call front desk again. A few minutes later, I get TOWELS! No I called for toilet paper. Sorry miss, be right back. Finally, toilet paper arrives.

No ghost stories but man, what a shitty hotel. Casa de la Froyd in Sunrise is so much better than evil Miami.