If you see skid marks on the way out of St. Louis, that would be me, trying to leave before the creeping FOR LEASE fungus that appears to have infected most of downtown attacks my hotel too. I haven’t had a decent meal here – the breakfast place several readers recommended, Roosters, is opening an hour later than normal this week due to the All-Star Game, with no signage up anywhere at the store to explain this. That’s right: In a week when there are more potential customers than usual in town, Roosters is open for fewer hours. They did not teach us this strategy in business school.
My first Futures Game recap is here on ESPN.com, and I just filed a second one today with notes on more players. I also appeared on Mike and Mike this morning for a segment and a half. Those are so much better when I’m live with the host. We didn’t do Futures Game talk but I thought their question about balancing the future versus the chance to win now was a good one with no clear right answer.
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Anyway, here’s the ridiculous story of the post’s title. I’m allergic to feathers. It’s not a huge deal, just annoying when I go to hotel rooms, since most hotels assume people would rather sleep on feathers (which I don’t like anyway because I’m used to sleeping on foam), and some hotels decide to get all fancy-like and use down comforters too. Like, for example, the Union Station Marriott in St. Louis.
Occasionally, a hotel will see that my reservation has a “no feathers” request and they’ll just prep a room without feather pillows or bedding. It’s great when they do it, but I don’t expect it, and the first thing I do when I get into a hotel room is punch one of the pillows. (If the hole fills back in, it’s foam. Otherwise, it’s down. Either way, it’s fun.) If the room has foam pillows, I’ll just swap them out. I used to call housekeeping when I encountered down bedding beyond just pillows, but what usually happens is a giant production where two or three people come up and detox the room, including an almost choreographed effort to remake the bed with regular bedding, begging the question of how many hotel employees it takes to make a double or queen bed. There’s no reason for me to cause this kind of disruption, since I am perfectly capable of making a bed myself, so when I discovered down pillows and comforters in the St. Louis Marriott, with a cotton blanket in the closet, I fixed everything myself. Each bed had one foam pillow and one regular one, so I took the two foam pillows and put the two feather pillows on the other bed. I threw the down comforter on the unused bed and made my bed with the regular blanket. It wasn’t very complicated.
I come back from the Futures Game the next night to find the room made up … incorrectly. The maid did leave the fabric blanket on my bed, but topped it with the down comforter. Even worse, she took one foam pillow off my bed, moved it to the unused bed, and took one feather pillow from that bad and put it back on my bed. I’m imagining a maid with OCD who was highly disturbed to find anything in a place other than the one in which she had left it 24 hours earlier.
I’m checking out in a few minutes, but I was contemplating the hypothetical situation if I was staying another night or two. Do I call down and have the feather stuff removed, risking an army of hotel employees coming through the room for no good reason? Do I simply play cat and mouse with the maid every day? Do I hide the feather bedding in the closet or under a bed, and see if that’s sufficient to stop her? I have no answers.
You could just leave the Do Not Disturb sign up for the duration of your stay.
Keith, since you might be somebody who would appreciate subtleties of grammar and language, das Wunderkind is technically correct.
Next time play cat and mouse with the housekeeping staff it’s fun. When I travel with the family, I bring my “stop snoring” pillow from Brookstone. According to my wife, it actually helps a little. One time the staff kept putting “my” pillow in the closet and replacing it with a regular pillow. After a couple of days of this, i started hiding the regular pillow (in a drawer, under my kids crib mattress). But instead of leaving “my” pillow on the bed, they kept putting it in the closet and leaving an empty space where the pillow should have been.
It’s much easier for people to return things to the default setting than guess at what your preferred settings are.
Perhaps you hope for a little critical thinking, but I suspect that there aren’t many critical thinkers working as or looking for employment as hotel maids.
“No Feathers” is a preference. Hotel managers understand liability. Call ahead the day before you check in. Talk to the manager in person when you check in. Tell him that you carry an EpiPen, but that you prefer to not have to use it.
Histamine reactions can be funny. I took allergy shots for about four years. Then, one day, boom. Big reaction. Throat swelling shut, etc.
No comment, other than to say I love the “ridiculous” tag and hope to see it more often.
Hotels are graded on how the room is made up. It is not a matter of critical thinking but rather following a template. They are REQUIRED to make up a room with pillows here, mints there and a bar of soap in this spot. The maids will simply follow instructions when making up a room and they are to use certain items when doing that (unless specified otherwise).
Some hotels are penalized by the brand (if company X owns the hotel and the contract with Marriott or Starwood or whatever) as rooms are checked by the brand and can penalize if they are not following the template. Hotels operate (like hospitals) based on their scores and they do everything to ensure they meet minimal scores.
In order to avoid this you might consider letting the front desk person know about your needs upon check in and to have him/her inform housekeeping and especially the head housekeeper of your needs. Essentially you seem rather low maintence but you want to create accountability. Also know, since hotels are based upon scores, they will happily do what you ask for as long as you make sure the right people know.
My theory on strange goings-on is that it’s a result of people doing jobs they’ve never done before.
I’ve noticed an exceptionally high amount of poor/awkward service at restaurants lately, and my theory is because the servers used to have 9-5ish jobs and have taken on this other type of work out of necessity.
So maybe you’ve got a noob “maid” who strictly follow a checklist, which includes specific pillows on specific beds. Who knows. My wife doesn’t agree with my theory, so perhaps it’s crazy, but it’s a thought.
I heard a rumor Ryan Franklin was seen entering the Union Station Marriott shortly after the Futures game began.
That’ll teach you, Keith!!!
Feathers are allergic to Matt Wieters.
To give some anecdotal evidence, re: Rich’s comment, I have a good friend who is the GM of a very nice hotel in downtown Chicago. She once got written up because they were using the wrong model of coffee pot in the continental breakfast service. They have to do everything according to strict procedures, and they’re graded on how closely they follow them.
And I always use the Do Not Disturb sign. I just don’t like the idea of people coming in and cleaning up my stuff.
I’ve lived in St. Louis for 21/25 years of my life. After living 4 years in Houston where food is amazing and returning to STL for the past 3 years, I can conclusively say that there really aren’t any good or great restaurants here.
Hearing you say the same thing makes me feel justified in my opinions. Thank goodness I’m moving to Boston in a few weeks.
I agree with Brian here, as it is likely that the person attending your room was simply doing things “by the book”. As someone else pointed out, it would be difficult to ascertain exactly what you wanted, and whether the configuration you left was deliberate, an accident or what-have-you. I have left hotel rooms in all kinds of states of disarray, and I can imagine the staff would go crazy attempting to figure out if the mattress was upside on purpose (it wasn’t) or if we meant for two beds to be pushed together (we did).
However, I would caution against that same poster’s assumption that hotel staff lack “critical thinking” skills. While the job may not call for it, or actively discourage it (for reasons relating to branding and such), to assume that the individuals do not possess them is unfair.
To sum up, quit your bellyaching, KLaw. If it’s not such a problem to redo it yourself, is it such a problem to do it two days in a row? Feather-hating baby.
Just for the record, I’m not so allergic that I need an Epi-pen. It’s like having hay fever, and it’s really only if I sleep on the stuff.
It’s not a problem to redo it, BSK, but I think it’s hilarious. Why go out of her way to restore the original pillow configuration? Isn’t it faster to just leave them as is?
KLaw-
I do agree that it’s funny, and I could see a brilliant Monty Python-esque sketch involving such a scenario.
My guess is just that it’s NOT faster. If he/she has to pause and figure out “Hmmm, is this deliberate or not? Why did this guy fuck with my pillows?” that might slow him/her down from what might be a fairly automated process.
Douglas: Where to? We just moved up to Somerville 5 months ago and have loved it so far.
Dave – Feathers may be allergic to Matt Wieters, but he is also the antidote.
sometimes people do strange things in a hotel room. I for instance (and I travel frequently enough that my vacations are all but free) always throw the comforter on the floor and all the pills. I also create a towel trail on the floor so I can walk around barefoot without contracting some disease that resides on hotel room floors. And the next day…the maids clean up after my tornado putting everything back in the proper place.
Couldn’t you just leave a note for the maid to leave the pillows and blankets how they are?
I agree with Rich. I always leave the DND up when I stay at a hotel.
I like to leave the DND up too, though I’ve found that some hotels tend to leave a big back of towels/tiny shampoo refills/etc hanging on my door, which annoys me too. I wish there was a “I don’t want my room cleaned” sign in addition to the DND sign.
whoops, that was BAG of towels. Writing FAIL
Keith, listened to the Mike and Mike piece and was wondering how much Lincecum you have seen lately and your thoughts on his changeup. To me it seems like one of the better ones from a right hander, but I am no scout and was just curious as to what the pros on this matter had to say.
You literally can’t eat well in St. Louis without a car. I really wish you’d visited the Hill, if only because negative reviews of Mama Campisi’s, Zia’s, and Tony’s would have been useful to mock my friends.
Seriously, as soon as I heard you weren’t getting a car I expected this review. St. Louis doesn’t have a city. They have a place a city used to be.
As a Cardinals fan, I can say that Ryan Franklin’s inability to strike out those All-Stars was really embarrassing. And the fact that three balls in play turned in to outs made me realize that he is nothing more than a batting practice pitcher.
That’s true about needing a car in St. Louis though. There are some fantastic places to eat here, (and no, I’m not a hillbilly) but you do have to know where to look (see Niche, whose chef was named Best New Chef in America by Food and Wine Magazine in 2008–they probably ignored the meaningful stats when they gave him that award though, eh?).
If I’d had time after the game on Sunday, I would have hopped the light rail or taken a cab to find a good dinner spot, but I didn’t get out of the stadium until nearly 9 and still had to write an article. Niche sounds like it would have been worth the shot. There’s no way I would have tried eye-talian food in St. Louis. I’ve had it in Italy, I’ve had it in NY – why on earth would I expect to find equivalent meal in the middle of the country?
I’d take that one step further.
I’ve had my grandmother’s, I’ve had my father’s, why would I expect to find an equivalent meal in a restaurant. Italian food is easy to make well at home – I can’t understand for the life of me why people go out to get pasta.
Marco-
FWIW, pasta is just the tip of the iceberg of good Italian food. If you’ve only eaten pasta when thinking of Italian food, you’ve probably eaten mostly Italian-American food. Can still be delicious, but does not compare what you get in the hills of Tuscany.
I appreciate the tip, but growing up in a family full of people who came over on the boat, our home cooking is as authentic as it gets.
My other general gripe about Italian restaurants is that they tend to slather things with tomato sauce – and what’s worse – they put sugar in it.
Being a northern boy, I’ll take my brown butter and sage, thank you very much.
I had a feeling BSK’s comment would get that kind of response…
I’m with you, Marco. I’m not a big tomato sauce fan, and if there’s a drop of sugar in it, it’s inedible. The one exception for me is a vodka sauce, where the tomato is a complementary player rather than the overbearing diva.
I’m all about the Do Not Disturb sign. It’s more environmental! Literally, every time a maid changes your towels someone shoots a polar bear. I read it on Salon.
If you like to have a refresh (towels, shampoo, ETC.), but don’t want the pillow or the bed setup changed then call the front desk and tell them to tell the housekeeping staff what type of cleaning service you would like and be imperative. I used to manage the desk at a hotel and people do this all of the time.
Marco-
Fair enough. Didn’t mean to call your family out by any means. I just know people who chow down on spaghetti and meatballs and insist they know real Italian. I love a bowl of homemade pasta as much as the next guy (cooked al dente, light on the sauce, as noted); but there is so much more to Italian food that people don’t realize, it’s borderline infuriating.
My point was that I agree that there is no reason to go out for pasta; anything you get in a restaurant can be made just as easily and probably better at home. Rather, there are some exquisite Italian dishes I will go out for that I can’t make at home; in those situations, I’m all for eating Italian out.
If you didn’t have a good meal in St.Louis, it’s because you didn’t try.
Brian: So where would you send someone who’s only in the city for a day or two?
Saint louis has a ton of great restaurants, you actually have to you know…try.
Niche, Herbie’s Vintage, Pappy’s Smoke, Terrene, Vin De Set, 1111…the list can go on and on.
— Just a few minutes from downtown St. Louis, neatly tucked away in the southwest corner of the city, sits the neighborhood known as “The Hill.” Chef Mario Batali of The Food Network calls The Hill one of the top “Little Italy” neighborhoods in the country. —
ESPN won’t rent you a car?
aleksey: I was all set to go to Pappy’s, but the rain delay meant the game didn’t end till almost 8, and a few local writers said that on a Sunday, if you’re not there by 5 or 6 they’re usually done for the day. Sounds like it’s legit Q, though.
I am curious, though – great restaurants by local standards, or compared to great restaurants in NY, Chicago, or LA?
CD: Of course they will, but I’d always rather take public transit when I can. It’s easier for me and saves money, which means I can squeeze more trips into my travel budget and see more players. When I’m seeing amateur players, I always rent a car, but for big league coverage I try to skip it.
Re: Italian Food – Keith, St. Louis has a large Italian neighborhood (the same one where Joe Garagiola and Yogi Berra grew up) that has *authentic* Italian – it’s not a bunch of corn-fed midwestern hicks trying to pass pre-packaged spaghetti off as italian food as you seem to intimate. In that neighborhood, Favazza’s or Charlie Gitto’s are great representative choices that aren’t packed or overhyped.
If you don’t want to leave downtown, try Kemoll’s (at the top of the Metropolitain Square building). The family is from the Hill and has been doing italian food for 90+ years.
Non-Italian options downtown: You may be familiar with nationally renowned chef Larry Forgione – he’s run restaurants in New York and Boston. He’s currently operating his “An American Place” restaurant in downtown St. Louis on Washington Avenue. There are actually a multitude of fine dining choices along Washingtone Avenue – I’m partial to the “Lucas Park Grille”. The recently opened Lumiere Place Hotel and Casino has a several restaurants in it. Head Chef Rupert Keller is nationally renowned. The best of the bunch seems to be “SLeeK” – that is if you can afford it on a blogger’s salary. “Cyberg’s” near your hotel in Union Station has decent food, but their St. Louis style pizza is underrated in the region – good stuff. If you’re into Sushi, “Wasabi” is some of the best around.
Just some stuff to keep in mind next time you’re in the STL. I know how fondly you feel about your time here, and I know you ache to return to your new home away from home.
I think I inadvertently deleted a comment about just leaving a note for the maid … aside from the practical consideration (in what language?), it wasn’t that big of a deal, just something I found funny. I’m not going to bug the housekeeper(s) unless it’s something critical.
RBB: Thanks for the rec’s. Everything I’ve read and been told about STL Italian food is that it is heavy, faux-southern-Italian food (heavy on the red sauce), which even if done well is not my thing. I prefer northern Italian food – more olive oil, fewer tomatoes, lighter fare in general. I had a long conversation with a local about STL pizza, and it sounded like it was nowhere near the style I prefer (either Italian ultra-thin-crust or at least NY pizzeria style).
I asked at the hotel for something close on Sunday night, and the concierge never mentioned Cyberg’s. Or anything but the mediocre chains that were right there.
Keith – true, St. Louis-style Italian is typically heavier and saucy. Very little made here is what you’d call ‘healthy’ – our signature italian dish is deep-fat-fried ravioli, fer chris’ sakes. But you can find your lighter fare – it’s on the menu and done well, as I can attest. It’s just not the featured item.
I can certainly understand your not liking the style, but to categorize all local Italian food as inauthentic comes across as either disengenuous or uneducated.
St. Louis style pizza is a bit polarizing – people usually love it or hate it. It’s characterized by cracker-thin crust and provel (not provelone) processed cheese, cut into squares instead of slices. It’s rare that you’ll find authentic St. Louis-style pizza outside of the area, as Provel is rarely sold elsewhere. IMO it’s good stuff, and may be more in line with the lighter fared items you say you prefer.
The concierges ’round here are awful. Locals can give you much better suggestions…
RBB: Just playing the odds. Boston has a sizable Italian-American population and its own little-Italy neighborhood, and the food is atrocious.
You lost any chance of me ever trying STL pizza when you said “processed cheese.” Cheese should be processed by microorganisms, not by machines.
Keith, having mentioned the two types of pizza you go for, do you have a preference between the two (thin crust Italian style vs NY pizzeria)? To me, they are barely in the same category; if I’m craving one, the other won’t suffice. But I know people who take intense stances on which one is better.
Re: Processed Cheese – no worse than cheese whiz on Cheesesteaks. That said, I can understand the reticence. Honestly, it’s quite good.
BSK: I prefer the Italian style. Can’t get enough of it, and it’s hard to make at home because a conventional oven doesn’t get hot enough.
RBB: Yeah, you will never catch me eating a cheesesteak. There is nothing that appeals to me about that particular food item.
Keith,
First time poster. Huge fan of your work here and on ESPN. Need a restaurant suggestion from you, and wasn’t sure where to post it (I am not into the Facebook or Twitter thing…). I am heading to Boston for my anniversary next month, and want to take the Mrs. to a fine steakhouse. Where would you recommend if you could pick any place in the city? Thanks in advance, and keep up the great work!
Matt – others will probably weigh in, but Abe & Louie’s is the name that comes to mind first. Obviously we have all the major steakhouse chains here, but that’s the truly local place.
If you’re willing to go somewhere else for dessert, check out Finale. Or, on a Fri/Sat night, the $25/person dessert buffet at the Four Seasons’ Bristol Lounge.
And happy anniversary in advance!
Keith,
Thanks for the quick reponse. I may also check out that dessert buffet. We are also going to a wine tasting event that looks like it should be a good time called Wine Riot. Looking forward to it already.