TALES OF THE
UNEXPECTED
THE ROAD WARRIOR’S PATH ISN’T ALWAYS A SMOOTH ONE – BUT WHAT CAN BE LEARNT FROM TRAVELLERS’ MISHAPS?
I HADN’T REALISED HOW INEXPENSIVE IT COULD BE to procure services in a German brothel before arriving in Berlin in March 2007. I was in the capital city for three days and two nights attending the ITB travel trade exhibition. I’d only recently started working at my company, so didn’t benefit from a long lead-in time before the event in which to reserve reasonable lodgings. My colleagues hit the jackpot with a
couple of suites at the Ritz-Carlton on Potsdamer Platz. I vividly remember the sparkle of the lobby chandelier, just visible through the raindrops running down the taxi window when I dropped them off. I wished I were staying there, too. But no. The instruction from the publisher was to book something as close to the con- vention centre as possible for under Ð120 per night (the business had no real hotel
80 BBT SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
programme). And though a travel manage- ment company (TMC) was in place, em- ployees were encouraged by line managers to find the cheapest deal online. I guessed something was amiss when we stopped in front of a hostelry in Kaiser-Friedrich Strasse, its most prominent feature being the neon signs in the window exclaiming ‘LIVE’ and ‘GIRLS’. Sure enough, on the floor above, was my accommodation. Flanking both sides of the entrance
was a group of unusually clad ladies. Two presented themselves, and reeled off (in perfect English) a menu of activities and the price of each. I was pretty nervous – though I do remember thinking, for a split second: “Gosh, is that all you charge? How on earth do you pay the electric?”
On the landing at the top of the concrete
staircase was an iron chair, on to which was taped a piece of white A4 paper. A
one-word instruction read: ‘Rezeption’. A short, sinewy man in an old suit told me I had to pay cash up front (for the room), though I assumed credit cards would be accepted, given that I’d provided my details to the hotel booking site through which I’d made the reservation. I can tell the rest of the story to you over a coffee some time, but suffice to say that when I reported back to HQ, my plight was met with more laughter than concern. I’m sure the reaction would have been differ- ent had the same fate befallen one of my female colleagues. In short, nothing was learned and no change was implemented as a result of my situation – but that’s not always the case. As long as there are business travellers, there will always be incidents and crises with which to contend. It’s what we learn from these stories that is important...
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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