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Puttin' On The Ritz
Nov. 1st, 2007 06:00 pmOr the Observatory Hotel in this case.
Thanks to SarinG's obsession with Justin Timberlake, we spent last night seeing how the cashed-up other half lives. SG won 2 tickets to last night's JT show, a $200 voucher for Supre clothing & a night for 2 at one of the more upmarket hotels in town, including a spa, massage & breakfast.
Well...
If people have so much money to throw around that they think $600 per night for a room with 2 single beds, no balcony, no view & the inevitable over-stocked & over-priced minibar is a bargain they're happy to shell out for, then I've just become a Marxist Revolutionary. Don't get me wrong, the room looked good, the beds were pretty comfortable & the bathroom was pretty impressive. I just can't see $600 worth of value. Especially not when all the little sundries (the minibar, CDs, DVDs, internet access) all came with their own, separate, hefty prices & fees. They're even willing to sell you the bathrobe for $180!!! The only 'complimentary' thing in the room was a platter with 4 strawberries & some icing sugar. Just enough to whet your appetite & think about dinner & drinks. But wait...
Downstairs in the bar & restaurant they hit you again with outrageous drink prices & a set menu 2 course meal at $78 per person.
Needless to say, the minibar was left untouched, DVDs unwatched, CDs unheard, the bathrobes were not bought & I'm not even sure the strawberries were all eaten... SG & I headed out the door & into The Rocks for our dinner & drinks at the Lowenbrau Keller & the Lord Nelson pub respectively. As an aside, I know the Lowenbrau's kind of an institution in Sydney, but having been to the Bavarian Bier Cafe a couple of weeks ago, the BBC beats the LK hands down for beer & menu.
The only downside to this decadent experience was that I had to get up earlier than I would have liked & go to work, while SG got to sleep in & (probably) enjoy the spa & massage package. I know she enjoyed the breakfast... which reminds me... I'm STARVING!!!
So, to sum up ~ I can't believe that so many people would pay so much for so little. God knows how much you'd pay at the Shangri-La, Four Seasons, or another of those multi-storey bed'n'breakfasts... I was perfectly content a couple of months ago at a little motel in Mudgee that charged $70 per night, had rattling air-conditioning & 2 TV channels to choose from. A hotel/motel room's just a place to sleep ~ if you're looking for entertainment, look outside your door & GO somewhere!!
And, for god's sake, if you have so much money that you're willing to waste it in places like that, then do us all & the economy a favour ~ get a life.
P.S. I don't want it to sound like I had a bad time ~ I had a great time! This has just been a rant against rampant materialism, capitalism & a few other 'isms' that contribute to the modern malaise...
P.P.S. We didn't end up going to the JT concert... SG already had tickets to a later one. Thank goodness for E-Bay!
Can't wait to see what she'll buy at Supre though...
Thanks to SarinG's obsession with Justin Timberlake, we spent last night seeing how the cashed-up other half lives. SG won 2 tickets to last night's JT show, a $200 voucher for Supre clothing & a night for 2 at one of the more upmarket hotels in town, including a spa, massage & breakfast.
Well...
If people have so much money to throw around that they think $600 per night for a room with 2 single beds, no balcony, no view & the inevitable over-stocked & over-priced minibar is a bargain they're happy to shell out for, then I've just become a Marxist Revolutionary. Don't get me wrong, the room looked good, the beds were pretty comfortable & the bathroom was pretty impressive. I just can't see $600 worth of value. Especially not when all the little sundries (the minibar, CDs, DVDs, internet access) all came with their own, separate, hefty prices & fees. They're even willing to sell you the bathrobe for $180!!! The only 'complimentary' thing in the room was a platter with 4 strawberries & some icing sugar. Just enough to whet your appetite & think about dinner & drinks. But wait...
Downstairs in the bar & restaurant they hit you again with outrageous drink prices & a set menu 2 course meal at $78 per person.
Needless to say, the minibar was left untouched, DVDs unwatched, CDs unheard, the bathrobes were not bought & I'm not even sure the strawberries were all eaten... SG & I headed out the door & into The Rocks for our dinner & drinks at the Lowenbrau Keller & the Lord Nelson pub respectively. As an aside, I know the Lowenbrau's kind of an institution in Sydney, but having been to the Bavarian Bier Cafe a couple of weeks ago, the BBC beats the LK hands down for beer & menu.
The only downside to this decadent experience was that I had to get up earlier than I would have liked & go to work, while SG got to sleep in & (probably) enjoy the spa & massage package. I know she enjoyed the breakfast... which reminds me... I'm STARVING!!!
So, to sum up ~ I can't believe that so many people would pay so much for so little. God knows how much you'd pay at the Shangri-La, Four Seasons, or another of those multi-storey bed'n'breakfasts... I was perfectly content a couple of months ago at a little motel in Mudgee that charged $70 per night, had rattling air-conditioning & 2 TV channels to choose from. A hotel/motel room's just a place to sleep ~ if you're looking for entertainment, look outside your door & GO somewhere!!
And, for god's sake, if you have so much money that you're willing to waste it in places like that, then do us all & the economy a favour ~ get a life.
P.S. I don't want it to sound like I had a bad time ~ I had a great time! This has just been a rant against rampant materialism, capitalism & a few other 'isms' that contribute to the modern malaise...
P.P.S. We didn't end up going to the JT concert... SG already had tickets to a later one. Thank goodness for E-Bay!
Can't wait to see what she'll buy at Supre though...
