Young is the new Old
Posted by Dalif on 27/05/2009 at 06:11
Filed Under: Hotelling, Real Life
I guess I'll have to recall a statement made the other day; germans can't understand humor. Ok ok, so I knew it was quite the generalization, and of course I didn't mean to claim every german is as stonefashed as the Berlin Wall. We've had many guests around here, that were nice and humorous people, and of course, I've also met them outside the hotelling business. The contrast between those, and the ones I was on about the other day, however, amuses me.
Tonight two girls came in to the hotel. They didn't look more than 25 at the very most. I noticed them heading towards the huge spiral staircase in the lobby, and walking up it, towards the first floor. Usually I'd ask them if there was anything I could assist them with. You know. The nice way of asking what the fuck people are up to. But I noticed how they were checking out the stairs themselves, and looking about them with astonished faces, so I figured they were just looking as a tourist would. Not as a person scouting for stuff to steal.
They approached me shortly after, and asked, in rather well spoken english I might add, if we had a bar on the top floor. A question we get many many times, particularly during the weekends. And a question we, sadly, have to answer no to. Only a restaurant, and it's by reservation only. The money that could be made with a skybar. Anyway, that's not the point here. I told them about the restaurant, as I have many times, sort of offhand, because most people just need to hear the "no we don't" part, and then they are off again. But not these two. They stuck around.
They asked about the brunch, how much it was, and when it was. I told them, and it was clear that they didn't have a lot of time for it, the day they planned for it. They were interesting, because they seemed to actually have a genuine interest in the hotel, and the info I gave them. I always find this a very pleasant treat in people, so I was friendly and even eager to help them out. You know... go the extra mile because I felt it meant something to them and, thus, to me.
They considered the breakfast thing a bit, and asked if it was true that we still had a room kept in the original style of the hotel from 1960. I said we did indeed have, and went on to tell them, that if they wanted to see it, it was available at the moment. Their faces lit up, and when I told them I could take them up there right away, they were thrilled, and thanked me many times. Humble as I am, I told them it was just a pleasure for me, part of my job since I worked anyway, and no trouble at all. They went into the room, and looked around astonished, asking many questions, and savoring the answers. Very carefully, one of them asked if she could take pictures. Knock yourself out, I told her. You can sit in the furniture as well. She shrieked with joy, but not in an annoying way.
"I've only ever tried sitting in one of these once, in a furniture shop. It was thousands of euro", she exclaimed, while lowering herself into the curvy chair. I acknowledged the fact that they were ridiculously expensive. Her friend took pictures of her, and afterwards they switched. I had wondered for a bit, about the nature of these two young girls, and their interest in the hotel, which seemed professional and affectionate, rather different from what girls of that age usually focus their attention on. I took the chance, and asked if they were students of architecture.
"We are architects" one of them said, and quickly added, realizing she might have sounded a little reserved; "But only finished for one year". She laughed. "Oh right, I said. That explains it. Usually people who want to see this room are 50 and 60 years old, and have a longer history of interest with the designer and his work". They didn't seem surprised. Had likely thought about it themselves before. I showed them some of the quirky and funny little things in the room, and spoke about various details. Told them I couldn't show them the restaurant on the top floor, since it still had guests dining. They understood.
Back in the lobby, I told them to hang on, and went and fetched some of the material we have in the back, about the hotel, and the history of the design and building. Nice stuff. They were thrilled. We spoke about the breakfast again, and I told them, that the breakfast might be fairly expensive on the top floor, but the view and the experience, particularly if you are interested in the design, is well worth the money.
They were convinced, and would return on Sunday, before taking the train back to Germany. They left the hotel, I'd like to think, an experience richer, in good moods because they had seen some of the stuff I'm sure they've looked at in books during their education. And they left me feeling I had made even the slightest difference in their lives, by showing them what is essentially not mine to show, but what I have been put in charge of. That's one of the truly great parts of working at this hotel. The story is unique, and you get to indulge people with your knowledge of it. It's like feeling special by proxy. Very nifty.
They approached me shortly after, and asked, in rather well spoken english I might add, if we had a bar on the top floor. A question we get many many times, particularly during the weekends. And a question we, sadly, have to answer no to. Only a restaurant, and it's by reservation only. The money that could be made with a skybar. Anyway, that's not the point here. I told them about the restaurant, as I have many times, sort of offhand, because most people just need to hear the "no we don't" part, and then they are off again. But not these two. They stuck around.
They asked about the brunch, how much it was, and when it was. I told them, and it was clear that they didn't have a lot of time for it, the day they planned for it. They were interesting, because they seemed to actually have a genuine interest in the hotel, and the info I gave them. I always find this a very pleasant treat in people, so I was friendly and even eager to help them out. You know... go the extra mile because I felt it meant something to them and, thus, to me.
They considered the breakfast thing a bit, and asked if it was true that we still had a room kept in the original style of the hotel from 1960. I said we did indeed have, and went on to tell them, that if they wanted to see it, it was available at the moment. Their faces lit up, and when I told them I could take them up there right away, they were thrilled, and thanked me many times. Humble as I am, I told them it was just a pleasure for me, part of my job since I worked anyway, and no trouble at all. They went into the room, and looked around astonished, asking many questions, and savoring the answers. Very carefully, one of them asked if she could take pictures. Knock yourself out, I told her. You can sit in the furniture as well. She shrieked with joy, but not in an annoying way.
"I've only ever tried sitting in one of these once, in a furniture shop. It was thousands of euro", she exclaimed, while lowering herself into the curvy chair. I acknowledged the fact that they were ridiculously expensive. Her friend took pictures of her, and afterwards they switched. I had wondered for a bit, about the nature of these two young girls, and their interest in the hotel, which seemed professional and affectionate, rather different from what girls of that age usually focus their attention on. I took the chance, and asked if they were students of architecture.
"We are architects" one of them said, and quickly added, realizing she might have sounded a little reserved; "But only finished for one year". She laughed. "Oh right, I said. That explains it. Usually people who want to see this room are 50 and 60 years old, and have a longer history of interest with the designer and his work". They didn't seem surprised. Had likely thought about it themselves before. I showed them some of the quirky and funny little things in the room, and spoke about various details. Told them I couldn't show them the restaurant on the top floor, since it still had guests dining. They understood.
Back in the lobby, I told them to hang on, and went and fetched some of the material we have in the back, about the hotel, and the history of the design and building. Nice stuff. They were thrilled. We spoke about the breakfast again, and I told them, that the breakfast might be fairly expensive on the top floor, but the view and the experience, particularly if you are interested in the design, is well worth the money.
They were convinced, and would return on Sunday, before taking the train back to Germany. They left the hotel, I'd like to think, an experience richer, in good moods because they had seen some of the stuff I'm sure they've looked at in books during their education. And they left me feeling I had made even the slightest difference in their lives, by showing them what is essentially not mine to show, but what I have been put in charge of. That's one of the truly great parts of working at this hotel. The story is unique, and you get to indulge people with your knowledge of it. It's like feeling special by proxy. Very nifty.
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