ROW NYC: the saga

My NYC flights are usually morning ones, most often the 7.30 a.m. departure on Southwest to LGA.

But district solo/ensemble contest was Saturday, and I booked the 7.20 p.m. flight instead.  That meant arriving at LGA around 10.45 or 11 p.m.  Then waiting for luggage (‘overpacker’ is my usual middle name, and was this trip).  Then being shuttled to the remote-location taxi queue.  Then the trip to Manhattan via the Midtown Tunnel and across Manhattan and up 8th Ave.

Since I’m with a Webster group this trip, I’m at Webster’s usual NYC hotel, ROW NYC.

I finally arrived at the hotel at midnight.  The queue for the front desk took another 12 minutes.

And at 12.15 a.m. I arrived at room 819 . . . to find a Do Not Disturb sign on the door, and noises emitting from the room that suggested the room was not empty.

With luggage, I went back down to reception. From what I could tell from the conversation, Security never did go check the room, and after about 20 minutes I said something about going to the Hilton down the street.  (I was actively checking the Hilton app.)

And just like that, I’m put into a suite for the night, with clear instructions to leave that room on Sunday morning, check my luggage, and return Sunday afternoon for an upgraded room (from the original 819).

The hotel made the situation right, and took care of me.  The two inconveniences — waiting an hour on Saturday evening for a room, and moving the next day — both brought apologies, and also thanks from me for ‘making it right.’

And I’m now in a corner room on a high floor, watching the fog roll in over the Hudson River!