I'm going to hijack your post to vent. Don't stay in the hotel I am sitting in as I type this!
Funny thing is I have no idea what hotel I'm in. I was sent here by Ministry of Tourism guy, and I hope he did a better job on the rest of my trip because this place sucks! I don't know what it is because there are no brand names on the key, the door, the phone, the paperwork, the room service menu, etc. I'll have to check the door on my way out, because they have nothing branded. GPS says I'm on Patel Road next to the Delhi Library.
I am way overspending at $60/night. For the last week I was at the Country Inn way to the south of the city. For the same price they were better in every way: cleaner, safer, well-built, better food, better rooms.
Yesterday I checked in; from the photos it looked new and chic. Instead I find a few nice fixtures poorly installed with mold, peeling plaster, leaks, non-closable windows, a bucket shower, only a couple of hangars in the wardrobe, and a barely working A/C.
Other features: I thought it weird the bathroom was wired with an alarm. It got even worse when I closed the door and saw they had a special doorknow with no handle on the inside. Meaning this bathroom was designed to be able to lock human beings inside of it...
I was really freaked out for the first few hours because fire alarms kept going off for just one beep. As in there would be ear-piercing beeps just like my smoke detector takes, sometimes from down the hall, once from inside my room when room service stopped by. That's when I finally realized these ear-shattering noises that knock me upright and have me covering my ears ARE THE FREAKING DOORBELL!! I want to strangle whoever designed a doorbell you can hear everywhere in the hotel that literally is causing hearing loss. I've yelled at the room service guy to stop using the doorbell. Through sheer perseverance I got him to understand he needs to knock instead. He just came back and dutifully knocked....then rang the doorbell when I didn't open immediately.
Speaking of room service, I think he decided as an American it is my duty to overtip him. I don't usually tip when there is both service tax and a 10% service charge, but he stands there and insists on it. He also claims he has no change ever, and will keep anything I give him even when I insist on change. I've started giving him less than the total and making him come back with change, otherwise he'll just keep it all.
He also changes my order as sees fit. I figured it was language barrier, but we just had a two-minute discussion where he will not let me order one beer. They are big beers, and no matter what I say he tells me I have to have two (because festival). When he comes into the room I'm going to hand the 2nd one back and subtract it from the total just because I'm sick of his shit. He insists he's bringing lamb but I'm 90% sure it will be chicken. And I ordered Tandoori lamb but $5 says he changes it because he insists I must have gravy. He also skips receipts and tells me if I want a receipt for food or laundry I need to go ask the front desk.
Sorry to hijack your post, but I'm furious waiting for my food. Oh well, tomorrow I'll switch hotels, then it is off to Agra where things will be better. Hopefully I don't have to call and give them 15 minute notice when I want hot water to be available. I don't care about any of this stuff at $20/night, I'm just upset to lay down this much cash for such a poor experience.