The Abbott Hotel is a quaint little hotel not far from where I live in Chicago. It is one of those hotels that surely makes its money off nostalgic folk who like the idea of a hotel which hasn’t been updated in forty years.
Now, I can’t speak to the inside of the hotel as I’ve never been in, but I think that what they market on their outdoor sign seems a bit misdirected, even for when it was brand new.
So, if I stay at this hotel I can expect:
- Free TV — That’s good
- Color TV — That’s even better … but do I have to pay extra for that?
- Free Air — Wait a second … Free Air?
Seems like we’re going a bit far there doesn’t it? Charging people for the air they breathe seems a bit ridiculous (although I am certain that some airlines would try it if they could figure out a way to measure it!). And if color TV was the newest technology available offering when this sign went up, I seriously doubt they had any technology at this hotel to measure the amount of air one breathed. I guess it could have been a flat rate charge.
“So, did you want to stay in our vacuum-sealed air-less rooms or would you like to upgrade to the executive air-filled suite?”
Now, my bet is they meant Free AC, but why write “air”, when “AC” is shorter and more clear? Perhaps they did it just to provide a chuckle to my askew sense of humor.
I think my favorite part about this hotel is the bulletproof-glass encased front desk.
P.S. I had never actually noticed that detail because I’m pretty sure I had made an effort to never look in the windows, but my dad noticed this past summer and then forbade me from walking in the neighborhood at night.
@ Meg:
Well, if the following reviews are to be believed, it wouldn’t surprise me that the reception desk has bullet-proof glass:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/abbott-hotel-chicago