off-site – The Ramble https://the-ramble.net Lisa and John and the world. Tue, 26 Sep 2023 20:44:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://i0.wp.com/the-ramble.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/favicon_symbol__32x32.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 off-site – The Ramble https://the-ramble.net 32 32 197161873 Demise of the Airport Hotel https://the-ramble.net/2023/09/25/demise-of-the-airport-hotel/ https://the-ramble.net/2023/09/25/demise-of-the-airport-hotel/#comments Mon, 25 Sep 2023 09:00:00 +0000 https://the-ramble.net/?p=3777 Last night we arrived at Frankfurt airport close to 11pm. I was comforted by knowing that our hotel was at the airport, the map made it look like just a short walk right off of the next terminal. And yet, after getting out bags and going to look for this hotel . . . it became clear that it wasn’t a short walk at all. Mostly because to do so would traverse many multiple-lane (and busy even that late) streets where — and here’s the kicker — there were no sidewalks.

NO sidewalks.

Turns out that the so-called airport hotel was a single subway/tube stop from the actual place where planes arrive. It was part of a sprawling complex of buildings — office, retail, hotel, and (maybe?) living space. Once there, there were a lot of lovely green spaces and invitations to walk around. You just had to get there to enjoy it.

This isn’t the first time this has happened to us. To some degree, it’s my fault for not double-triple-checking the hotel’s location before booking. It turns out that I am oddly naive in thinking that if its labeled ‘airport’ it will, in fact, be AT or attached to the actual place where planes arrive and depart.

Much like the moving of rental car locations offsite, apparently lodging is now moving completely away from terminals.

I think this is a bad idea, and a PITA.

Our taxi to the hotel cost 13eu, mostly because although it was only a bit over a mile as the crow flies, the car route was winding and indirect. (Also taxis cost a fortune in most places.) Not a fortune, by any means, but it felt kind of rude after we expected to just walk there.

Once when we were arriving at one of the London airports our plane was delayed, and we didn’t touch down until something like 2 AM. The hotel was a mile offsite and so short a distance that taxi drivers quoted us $50 for the ride – that may seem paradoxical, but they wanted us to subsidize the opportunity cost of losing their place in line and nevermind that it was two in the morning. There was a bus that went right to the hotel . . . and ran once an hour. So we checked in around 3am, beyond exhausted.

I don’t have anything witty, or wise, to offer. Just this: double check exactly how close to the airport your “airport hotel” is before you book or else be prepared for the adventure of going further than you planned.

(images: airport, google image of actual hotel location)

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