Of course, there’s always the exception, the snooty concierge who looks down his nose at the guests (admit it, we’ve all had that experience). Miss Manners has. Although, she says, she hears about “concierges who can produce elephants in the middle of the night for sultans,” she has often had difficulty getting simple things—an out-of-town newspaper or a dress pressed in an hour—even at the swankiest hotels: “Once I broke a shoe and was pointed down the street to the repair shop.”
Alone Together
You love an escape to the country, to an inn by the lake or a b&b in the mountains. Peace, quiet, relaxation. If only it weren’t for the other guests.
Can you have your cake and eat it too—in private?
Here are some things to think about before booking your rural retreat:
- Don’t pick an inn with communal dining; restaurants, even small ones, offer the anonymity of a private table.
- Check to make sure that your b&b isn’t in someone’s home, with the morning meal in the host’s dining room.
- Find inns with cottages and carriage houses so you’re not always oriented toward a central living room. Many inns in the Relais & Châteaux chain have all kinds of secluded accommodations.
- Put the question directly to the innkeepers; tell them you want a certain degree of privacy and see what they say. At Kingsbrae Arms, an eight-room manor house on the southeast coast of New Brunswick, chef-owner Harry Chancey takes pride in calling the whole house down for dinner each evening. “But we’ll serve you in your suite or put you at a table in the library if that’s what you want.”
- Remember, you’re bound to have some contact with guests at a small inn, so be nice.
Miss Manners suggests avoiding b&bs if sneaking off with someone.
Barbecue Blunders
Don’t pile your plate high with chorizo, morcilla, and other meats at a Chilean asado (barbecue) or an Argentine parrilla. Of course you can eat your fill, but return to the grill for seconds, thirds, and beyond. An estanciero once flicked our cold servings to the ground, warning: “Meat not piping hot is fit only for a dog.”
Taxi!
In Sydney and Budapest, feel free to jump into the front seat with the cabdriver. But in Buenos Aires, always use the rear door opposite the driver. In London, pay the driver through the window from the curb. Never tip drivers in Japan. With meterless cabs—as with pedicabs in Asia—the fee is often negotiated, so there’s usually no need to tip.
Covering Up
If you’re a woman on a trip to the Middle East, pack more than tank tops and shorts. You may wish to fall in with local custom (and, in Iran, local laws) by donning a scarf to cover your hair, and disguising your womanly curves as well. In a conservative city like Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, advises one well-traveled journalist, consider purchasing an abayya (a long, black, chadorlike garment), often for sale at hotels.
If the shoe fits
At a Japanese ryokan, expect to change your shoes to suit the occasion. Street shoes are exchanged in the entryway for padded hallway slippers, which you then leave at the entrance to your room, or any room that contains a tatami. Here, only socks are acceptable. Plastic shoes are designated exclusively for the WC, and when you stroll in the garden, you should don a pair of wooden getas, or sandals.
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