Quiet Time at the Marriott

It’s Tuesday morning, and I sit in the lobby, cushion to back, hair damp and askew, and laptop out. The day is ending for many of the hotel staff; the day begins for the cleaning staff. I am the anomaly, a guest awake early, but they seem not to mind too much and adapt their patterns to fit me, sweeping around my couch and chair alcove for a while and then surrendering to my inhabitance, and gaining boldness as they literally vacuum around my feet.

This morning there are few late night guest arrivals, airport or bar, and as such, little excitement for what even is beginning to approach an acceptable morning hour. On Sunday morning, as I sat here waiting for the breakfast to open, a group loudly announced their arrival when stepping into the pillared and marbled room. Their night was ending, their day beginning. Clad in sunglasses and with a noticeable stoop to their gait, I would see them again three hours later in the lobby as they mingled before a business meeting.

We have found Portugal to be a less than the ideal business destination. Eric’s group has faced numerous problems with hosting a meeting here, mostly around delayed service at the hotel or in customs. I’ve been surprised to see how little internet access there is given the enormous café mentality and reality here. It seems primed for wireless internet access points were it not for the fact that cafes are places of relaxation and socialization – not places of work. We were lucky to get internet access in the room at the Marriott as they only have two floors wired for guests. That access, too, has a price – a steep one at 20 euros/day (about US$25).