After today's repeated flight delays, which saw the departure time go back and forth seemingly by the half hour, the last thing I expected was more hassles once I reached ground. But I guess it's just going to be that kind of trip.I got into Dallas around 11 p.m. local time, and as is typical, I was setting up the laptop on the "high speed" Internet before even truly unpacking. As I was talking with my wife over video iChat on my MacBook Pro, wouldn't you know it, but some random guy puts his keycard into my door, and he comes strolling in, luggage in tow. Oops. Good thing I was G-Rated.
Of course, my being there caught him by surprise. I said, "This is my room. What room number is your key for?" Of course, he had the same room number I did. Turns out the hotel computers reset at 11 each night, and the service staff has to assign rooms by hand for a little while, and we just so happened to get double booked. Luckily, he acquiesced to my squatter's rights, and set off to get his own room. And no... we didn't offer to share and split the costs.
Later, on search of something resembling a midnight snack, I duck out of my room and find a 24-hour coffee shop open across the hotel. I come back, only to find now MY key doesn't work to my room. Turns out when the mysterious gentleman was assigned my room after I was there, it was his key that was activated, and mine was blocked.
So... back to the service desk I went, where they apologized, told me of their computer woes, and I was reissued a new card. This time, upon returning, I put up the door latch and raised the deadbolt. I've got the room now, and they can't have it back until I say so.