From: nelson_p@apollo.hp.com (Peter Nelson)
Subject: Setting expectations
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 14:22:50 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Chelmsford, MA



  My wife and I just returned from a vacation in French Polynesia
  (Tahiti, Huahine, Bora Bora, Moorea).   We basically had a very
  good time and many pleasant and exciting memories.   

  But there was one aspect of the trip we were troubled/surprised
  about:

  The quality of the accomodations was way below what we expected
  or are accustomed to.  

  We bought a package through Islands in the Sun (the first time
  we've ever bought a package) and they booked us in the Sofitels
  on all the islands.  All our guide books indicated that the 
  Sofitels were top-drawer.  One guide book said that "this is
  where people who want the best stay and don't give a damn what
  it costs".  The Qantas catalog gives the Sofitels the highest
  (and most expensive) ratings of any of their offerings on Moorea
  and Bora Bora. 

  And they were terrible.  Especially for rooms that cost approx.
  US$200+ a night (beachfront bungalow) or US$300+ for an over-
  the-water bungalow.  

  This was the hot, rainy season.  We knew that, but Sofitel apparently
  didn't.  The bungalows looked like they had been designed by someone
  reading at a Pier One catalog who was clueless about the practical
  realities of tropical conditions in the rainy season.  There were
  holes in the roofs, windows and doors without screening, and no
  cross-ventilation and totally wimpy ceiling fans.   And no air
  conditioning.  

  To stay cool we had to sleep on top of the sheets but then we were
  prey to the mosquitos.  In one night my wife received 8 bites on
  one leg!  (and the mosquitos in French Polynesia sometimes carry
  dengue fever!).  So we would sleep covered head-to-toe in Deep
  Woods Off (100% DEET).  Eventually I had to demand a decent floor
  fan (mosquitos can't fly in strong breezes and also it kept us cool)
  but the only one in the hotel was in the manager's office so I
  prevailed over him to give us that one.   This was the first time
  I ever had to play the Ugly American on a trip.  
               
  And there was plenty of other wildlife in the room too --
  centipedes, earwigs, huge roaches, lizards, etc.  

  Moreover the service was not up to international standards,
  especially at those prices:  one had to ask for washcloths,
  they don't change the sheets when they make the bed (so the
  sand accumulates) and they were not diligent about supplying the
  soaps, shampoos, and umbrellas that should supposedly come with
  every room.  

  For what we paid in the cheapest Sofitel we had recently stayed
  at the Sydney (Australia) Regent -- one of the classiest hotels
  in the city, where we enjoyed a marble bathroom, a beautiful
  view of the harbor, the bridge, and the Opera House, and where
  we were treated like visiting royalty. 

  Now I should point out that my wife and I are very experienced 
  travelers, nor are we averse to "roughing it" -- I've been a
  member of the Appalachian Mountain Club for 20 years, my wife
  for 10 years, we've done plenty of camping, climbing etc.  We
  met on a camping trip.  But this was not what we wanted or
  expected on this trip, nor at these prices.  (we did meet an
  Australian couple who had set up a mosquito net tent on their
  bed on Moorea).   

  So the question is this:  Do I have the wrong attitude or 
  expectations?   I noticed that some fellow visitors there
  were similarly pissed-off, while others, especially the 
  French who were just as badly bit-up, seemed to accept
  it more philosophically.   What is the right philosophy
  to take when paying $250-$350 a night for a room like that?
  Is there a way to have had our expectations set correctly
  before we left?   

  Thanks in advance for any comments.
 

---peter