Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica

ByThe Skeptical Traveler

My wife and I arrived at the hotel and it took some time to check in. I should have used the online check-in; yes, they offer this at Fairmont, but last time I used this (in February 2011*) it didn’t seem to make any difference,  I still had to go to the front desk, so I didn’t bother this time. We went to the suite where there was no welcome basket awaiting us, as I’d become used to due to my status. The image shows a cozy living room with a beige sofa adorned with two floral-patterned cushions. In front of the sofa is a glass coffee table with a magazine on it. To the left of the sofa is an armchair with a patterned fabric. On the right side of the room, there is a wooden desk with a chair, a table lamp, and some items on the desk, including a laptop. Above the desk is a round mirror with a decorative frame. The room has beige walls and is lit by natural light coming through a window with closed curtains. There is also a black backpack on the floor near the desk.

I did not want to call the front desk, but I did send an e-mail (I thought a phone call might sound too needy) to Customer Service asking whether the welcome basket depended on location (this was my own explanation for the lack of it).
They answered in some 30 minutes,an impressively fast response: “Yes, it does depend on each hotel. Each hotel decides if they will be offering a welcome amenity and what type of amenity they would offer.” The mystery had been solved and that was it. However, after some time, someone knocks at the door and delivers the missing welcome basket. A rectangular white plate with a variety of cheeses, green and red grapes, dried apricots, and a small bowl of honey. Behind the plate, there is a small white basket filled with crackers. To the right, there are two folded white napkins with a fork and knife placed on top. The setting is on a dark countertop.

There was no coffee machine in the suite; I can’t remember the last time I had a room without a coffee machine, not that I use it but I found it quite odd. However, this was in the suite:

The image shows a small rectangular box with a blue and white striped design. The top part of the box is solid blue with a white emblem or logo in the center. Below the emblem, there is text that reads "INTIMACY KIT." The box is placed on a dark, textured surface.
The image shows a box labeled "Intimacy Kit." The top part of the box has a humorous message that reads: "Guarantee: What happens here stays here... unless you really like each other. Or god forbid you really love each other. In that case, it's been a pleasure having you as a customer." Below this message, the box has a striped design. A label on the lower part of the box lists the contents of the kit, which include: - 2 Condoms - Personal Massage Oil - Personal Lubricant - Vibrating Pleasure Ring
My wife said : “When you made the reservations, you must not have specified that the second adult was your wife !”
I don’t think the kit was complimentary, and I didn’t want to call the front desk to ask.

And a phone in the bathroom, again, not something you see often.

The image shows a close-up of a white cordless telephone with a numeric keypad. The phone is vertically oriented, and the earpiece with speaker holes is at the top. The keypad includes numbers 0-9, along with the star (*) and pound (#) symbols. The number 4 key is illuminated with a green light. The background features a wall with vertical stripes in light blue and white.The image shows a bathroom with a wall-mounted telephone next to a toilet. The wall has vertical stripes in light and dark shades. Below the telephone, there is a toilet paper holder with a roll of toilet paper. The toilet tank is partially visible on the right side of the image.

I wonder, does anyone make calls from the bathroom? Why? By its position, one could be doing only one thing at that moment of calling. I imagine the conversation:
“How is it going?”
“It is going well.” or possibly, “It isn’t going to well.”

Unrelated to this post, but I have had a strong urge to share it with other people and here seemed to be the best place.

My niece has a blog and one of her posts is about how oatmeal that contains fiber was good for transit.
I suggested that she put the following poll at the end of the post:

Do you want to see the result?
1. No
2. Yes, black and white photos
3. Yes, color photos
4. Yes, video on Youtube       
5. Yes, video on Youtube with musical background

My wife didn’t like the suggestion at all so my niece didn’t post the poll, but I still think it was a good idea.

* quite surprised to have recently read in the Globe and Mail:

Frequent guests at Fairmont Hotels in North America will soon be able to bypass the front desk by checking in and out online. The service will be available to members of Fairmont President’s Club and Fairmont Gold. Prior to arrival, members will be able to register using a laptop, smart phone or other Web-connected device. An e-mail will inform guests where to pick up their room key. Before leaving, guests can check out online and receive a receipt by e-mail.

2 Comments

  1. The phone in the loo is helpful if you get an inbound call from the hotel (perhaps room service or sow otter call).

    Phones in the loo are common at higher end hotels.

  2. As the old joke about taking a bath goes:
    “What happens when a body is immersed in water?
    The telephone rings.

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