The best hotel for me

"I want to find the best hotel for me…"

So says the implausibly smiley (replete with cute dimples and twinkly eyes) woman who stars in the latest television advert for Trivago - a website which allows you to compare various prices for hotel rooms, and book a room straight from the site.

But what does that even mean?

Part of the trend of big companies trying to 'humanise' their image in adverts and in their branding in general, Trivago are trying to speak directly to me, personally - and to you, and to everyone.  They're trying to tell you that you're special, you're unique, and that they're looking out for you.  You're not; and they're not.

The "best hotel for me" is simply a nice hotel.  I am not such a special and wonderful individual, so set apart from the rest of the herd, that my requirements from a hotel room differ wildly from what the rest of the population would choose.

I want a hotel room which is clean, and has a bed and a shower and a television and towels provided and one of those tiny kettles (but no way to fill it, except in the bath).  And so do you.  And so does everyone.

Please, Trivago - stop trying to make me feel like I'm one-of-a-kind.  It isn't working.

The limitations of using WiFi in a hotel

I'm at the Village Hotel in Elstree, London...  (Don't know where that is?  Well, y'do now!)

Anyway, I'm using the WiFi here to get on the internet...  It's provided free, so I guess I shouldn't really complain...  But I'm going to complain anyway!  And that complaint will take the form of a list...  (Several lists, in fact!)

Here is list of internet-based stuff I've so far been able to achieve, from my hotel room -
- Facebook (although pictures don't always load first time around)
- Dailybooth
- Blogger
- Google (although slow)
- 365 Project
- Last.fm
- The BBC (standard site - I haven't tried to use iPlayer on this connection!)
- The Daily Telegraph

Here is a list of internet-based stuff I've so far not been able to achieve, from my hotel room -
- 1&1 internet
- Send or receive emails (I can access my emails through my iPhone, but not from my laptop!)
- Spotify

Here is a list of internet-based things which seem to work, and yet don't quite make it, and thus are extremely confusing -
- TwitPic (I can access the site, and view my pictures, but it won't let me log in!)
- Amazon (I can access the site, log in, browse, and add items to my shopping basket, but as soon as I try and "go to checkout", I can't!)

I am perplexed and frustrated, infuriated and puzzled...