AFTER THE COMPUTER, MORE DISASTER – A TALE FROM THE ROAD

The day my computer died and recovered, Hubs and I took a plane flight to Utah. He had booked a three night stay at the Park City Hilton, part of a promotion to lure time share buyers, but knowing we wouldn’t bite. What an experience our stay at the ‘Elegant Resort Hotel’ turned out to be! Sound the drums and bugles!

We arrived in Salt Lake City around 8:30 PM but didn’t arrive at Park City until after 11 PM. We made sure to call twice along the way to let them know we were coming in late. We were looking forward to the apartment pictured in the brochure – wide open space with comfortable furniture and looking out through large windows to a views of the mountains!

We checked in and were directed to go into the underground parking deck – a subterranean cave that looked like it had been carved out by Neanderthals – and drove around in a circle three times looking for the door that said Cedar East. We were told to try to park close to that door. Turns out someone had left the Cedar East door open so we couldn’t see the sign. There was only one parking spot left in the cave, anyway, on the other side of the circle from the door. I must admit looking for bats.

The building was really, really old, which should have been a clue to what awaited us. The hallways were dark and dim and someone had been digging at the plaster walls, so the carpet was covered in plaster and dust. Probably the same cavemen who dug out the parking deck. The ‘apartment’ we’d been given had a cathedral ceiling with lighting that candles would have improved.

The only windows anywhere were on either side of the fireplace — which we discovered the next day had a fabulous views of the side of a mountain fifteen feet from the building. The kitchen contained nothing – not even the usual two bottles of water most hotels provide. At 1 AM our time and exhausted to boot, the water would have been nice. Wine even better.

Then we looked for the bedroom. Nothing on the ground level, but then we saw a steep flight of stairs leading up into the gloom. At the top, we discovered a light switch which illuminated the one bedroom and one bathroom on opposite sides of the hall. Perfect for two older people with four knee replacements at the end of a long day.

The bedroom had just a double bed and no windows! By this time I was beginning to feel like a Neanderthal myself. Now Hubs and I don’t mind cuddling, but we haven’t actually ever slept in a double bed. So we made the decision that he would sleep on the pullout couch downstairs. We both spent a restless night.

In the morning, we called the concierge and voiced our concerns about the “Elegant Resort Accommodations” we were promised, only to be told they had given away our reservation because we were late, and this was the only place they could put us.

In the meantime, my daughter and son-in-law had purchased cards and balloons to be put in our ‘Elegant Resort’ apartment since it was Hubs’ birthday. They’d been thinking of champagne but decided against it – good decision! As it was, someone else got the cards and balloons.

We left at 7AM the next morning, after getting the rest of our Elegant Resort Vacation cancelled and feeling like we’d escaped from the Stone Age.

At least we didn’t have to attend the promised presentation on the Elegant Resort and our Hilton Hotel in Layton had water and queen beds waiting for us. The rest of our trip was all uphill.