WEIRD: Bathrobe from one chain hotel found in another

I stayed in Adelaide over this last Queen’s Birthday long weekend to have a bit of a break, eat at some great South Australian restaurants, and catch up with family. The husband and I stayed at the relatively new Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets, part of the IHG/Intercontinental group. I have stayed there before in several different room categories.

Good service in difficult circumstances

This time I had booked a Junior Suite which had a view of the Adelaide Markets, and a long access corridor, that made the room feel private. At 43 sqm for roughly AU$310 per night for a 2-night stay on a long weekend it was a pretty good deal, and very comfortable. The hotel staff were amazing and even dealt with breakfast and room service delays gracefully. They kept us informed and sent us a complimentary bottle of wine in compensation for the delay, and for the wine we ordered, that was no longer in stock. That’s the way to deal with guests and to make your Diamond Elite (their top tier. Why thank you!) members feel valued.

Amenities

The one weird thing was that one of the robes provided had Sofitel branding – shown in the featured image above. How did it get there? Why had no one spotted this and exchanged it? I happily wore it, although totally synthetic, it was more comfortable than the usual bathrobe provided.

Now that’s just serendipitously weird, but replacing personal amenities in plastic containers, with bulk dispensers still in plastic containers. Is that a more cost-cutting measure than a reducing microplastic pollution measure? You decide.

2PAXfly Takeout

The aviation industry has a difficult road ahead when it comes to sustainability. It’s going to require a relative revolution in technology, with ‘electric planes’ or hydrogen planes, or some form of jet engine that doesn’t require a carbon based fuel. And that is going to require the development of an alternative to jet engines probably.

It’s a big ask. It will take time to develop.

This move to home grown and manufactured SAF is a first step – maybe even a baby step in a very long road of innovation. In the long run, US$200 million won’t even touch the sides.

A big thank you to the staff at the Hotel Indigo Adelaide. I think they had a full hotel, and probably not quite enough staff. They delivered service with grace and in difficult circumstances. When our assigned room was not available when we arrived, they changed it to one that was. They recognised my status with complimentary breakfasts and sorted out an unavailable wine, and a delay in room service by comping a replacement bottle of wine.

It’s certainly the way to get me to return.