I did a little traveling for work recently, involving some overnight.

Rant 1: gotta make travel reservations through the employer's system. Well, I sorta get this, as it's likely the company has negotiated better rates than I could get on my own. Fine.

Filled out the forms, got the confirmation, hit the road. Got to the hotel... no reservation. Grrr. Thanks for nothing, corporate travel service! Ehh... this problem is easily solved.

Rant 2: Picture it: the Dinkytown Hotel is right on an intersection, on a hill, within a valley. The room is at the end of the hall, adjacent to said four-way-stop intersection.

It seems that every-stinking-body leaving this intersection has "big fat duals," or a flippin' hole in their exhaust, plus a right foot that must weigh about 20 pounds.

Everyone tearing away from the intersection like his or her butt is on fire is one thing, but with Dinkytown's placement in a valley between two steep hills, every bit of the leadfoot noise is reflected right back into the area.

And then there's the V-twin club rolling through....

Not much sleep to be had, for sure.

You're telling me that you're a shooter, and yet you don't have even one set of foam earplugs laying around in your car or luggage?

Good point, sir. I should have gone "glovebox fishing."

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
You're telling me that you're a shooter, and yet you don't have even one set of foam earplugs laying around in your car or luggage?

I never get tired of that picture and the look on his face.

And being at the bottom of a grade, there are also the "Jake brakes" on trucks. All that's missing is a giant neon sign flashing through your window, undeterred by the thin curtains.

Yeah, my company tried to make us use the travel system to do all the reservations.

After getting $%^&ed on hotels twice, I was done with it.

I usually find that there is more annoying noise coming from inside the motel/hotel than from outside.

That's where you get to know people in your company who's been there and ask them the better hotels to ask to be booked into.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
I usually find that there is more annoying noise coming from inside the motel/hotel than from outside.

Very true... that was the case on the last trip.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
That's where you get to know people in your company who's been there and ask them the better hotels to ask to be booked into.

Haha... this was the recommended place!

Most "corporate travel" agencies can be worked with. I live 10 miles from an international airport, but when my (new to me) travel agency tried to book me through an airport nearly two hours' drive away, I flat-out refused. "The airfares are cheaper there," I was told.

"My time is of value, too," I replied. "You're asking me to drive fifty miles and two cities out of my way to save a few dollars on airfare? I'm not doing it."

I stood my ground and from then on, they booked me out of the local airport.

My point is, that you should be able to set preferences with the travel agency: No upper floors, close to/away from elevators, etc. That you had no reservation waiting for you suggests a call to whoever in your company contracts with the travel agency...

First thing I do when entering a hotel room is crank up the blower on the HVAC unit to Max. Covers most sounds decently well and provides good white noise for sleeping.

"I ain't slept in five days." --- Vinny Gambini

I hated having to deal with the corporate travel system. We got away with making our own reservations for a while, but then they caught on and started denying any expense report items that hadn't been booked through them.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:
"I ain't slept in five days." --- Vinny Gambini

Are you on drugs?

Yeah. Flonase. Why do you ask?

White noise machines are inexpensive and mask traffic noise very well. They are portable. The worst place I got stuck was the corner of Bourbon and Canal in New Orleans. Trombone and trumpet playing at three am. The room came with earplugs and shades. Still was not enough protection.

quote:

Originally posted by fpuhan:
My point is, that you should be able to set preferences with the travel agency: No upper floors, close to/away from elevators, etc. That you had no reservation waiting for you suggests a call to whoever in your company contracts with the travel agency...

Yes, I'm really not sure what happened with the reservation situation.
Heck, the required form had fields for inputting the hotel name, location, and phone number.
Why the reservation wasn't actually made, I don't know. I'll try to get time this week to find out who to call about that one.
It wasn't a big deal, really, as the hotel had vacancies when we arrived. But it does sort of make the negative side of me wonder why I bothered to do the travel request in the first place.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
White noise machines

Any particular model you like?

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
White noise machines

Any particular model you like?

I have a cell phone app called Sleep Sounds. I can let it run all night or set a timer. 15 different sound choices that can be customized, if you want.

Ear plugs and an eye mask ride in my travel kit. Noise cancelling headphones as well.

The noise cancelling headphones work better for trying to sleep. There's a tiny little bit of white noise in the noise cancelling that helps to mask the very faint ringing in the ears when everything is silent.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:

quote:

Originally posted by fpuhan:
My point is, that you should be able to set preferences with the travel agency: No upper floors, close to/away from elevators, etc. That you had no reservation waiting for you suggests a call to whoever in your company contracts with the travel agency...

Yes, I'm really not sure what happened with the reservation situation.
Heck, the required form had fields for inputting the hotel name, location, and phone number.
Why the reservation wasn't actually made, I don't know. I'll try to get time this week to find out who to call about that one.
It wasn't a big deal, really, as the hotel had vacancies when we arrived. But it does sort of make the negative side of me wonder why I bothered to do the travel request in the first place.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
White noise machines

Any particular model you like?

Paid $20-25 for this. Ot goes on sale every now and then. It is the best.

Adaptive Sound Technologies LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Sound Machine with 20 Unique Non-Looping Fan and White Noise Sounds and Sleep Timer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M..._apa_i_0BXZCb4B3Y8QQ