Bunker Hill

My last trip of the year is over. While I usually love traveling (not the flying part, mind you), it loses all it's pleasure when you're dragging along a Financial Accounting book.

The good part about this trip was no flying. I had to venture out on a four hour drive to West Virginia for a meeting at the Greenbrier Resort. Overall, it's beautiful, but I think I was spoiled at the Homestead back in August.

First and foremost, my room kicked major ass. The suffering in Chicago was paid back in full several times with the room I got here. This thing was bigger than my first apartment

But what made this place nasty was two things: the staff and the colors. Overall, the staff was not so friendly and helpful. It seems rather contradictory at such a resort, but it was like pulling teeth to get assistance. (Becky at the front desk, you were the exception.)

The bell staff turned away as we pulled our car up to the front entrance. My co-workers and I had to unload our own luggage and bring it to our rooms after carrying it down a flight of stairs to the registration desk. One of the bell staff even asked me if I was going to leave my car in the front drive of the resort.

"Don't you valet the car?" I asked.
"Only for $29 per night."

After a long pause, I said, "Well, do you have any other suggestions of what I should do with it?"
He shrugged, "You could park it in the parking lot."

And yes, I had to inquire where that was as well.

I got lost finding my room, finding the general session rooms, and trying to locate our booth case which had mysteriously disappeared when I returned from parking my car.

It was weird; the Greenbrier had staff in all the wrong places. We had six people serving us at dinner (including a poor woman whose sole job was distributing the bread). Yet, move out into the corridors and you're fending for yourself.

The ironic part was that the moment I dragged my suitcase behind me to leave, everyone wanted to help me. Hello folks, tips can come in the beginning too!

The other thing was the color choices in this resort. It was like Walt Disney vomited in every room. Hot pinks, lime greens, baby blues and daffodil yellows...the whole thing felt like my grandmother's basement. Honestly, more than half of the furniture in this place was covered in plastic.

My favorite part of the resort was a documentary that played on the hotel channels. It talked about the fallout bunker built at the Greenbrier in the 1950's to house members of Congress in case of a nuclear attack. The planning that took place and the resources created were unbelievable. The resort had tours of the bunkers which I was unable to attend, but the entrance to our exhibit hall was part of the bunker.

This is the entrance complete with the safe door on the side.

Not to fear, the wall paper has been changed. It's now vomit yellow.