January 28
Yesterday I had an interesting experience, one that I’ve not had before. I woke up because my hotel room had become very warm. I rolled over and looked at the clock, which was black. No neon numbers glowing in the dark, just black. After a few minutes, it dawned on me that the power was out. The hotel has VOIP (voice over internet phones) that require, you guessed it, electricity. So no phone, I wandered out into the hallway where the emergency lighting had turned on and the hallway was dimly light. I thought about going down to the lobby, but then I realized, elevators probably need electricity too! Nineteen floors were just too many to walk down since there were no emergency signals or sirens.
I went back into my room, where the window shades are operated exclusively with switches (similar to light switches), the air-conditioning, TVs, clocks, lights, Bose radio, coffee maker, tea-pot, fridge, and phone all require electricity. Sitting in the silence was a little awkward and it made me think – I can’t remember the last time I sat quietly without any electronics or noise.
A little while later all the lights flashed back on (I imagined what someone who was still asleep would think if all the lights suddenly turned on) and the air came back on too. I decided to go to breakfast and noticed the hallway was still dimly lit. The elevators were working and I did notice that there was an old-fashioned phone in the hallway near the elevators (good to know in case of emergencies). In the restaurant only about ½ of the lights were back on, but breakfast was still being served and it was in fact, quite busy.
I have no idea why the lights went out, but it gave me a moment to reflect on what it means to be disconnected from the world – electronically. It was nice. And now…here I am, reconnected and blogging.
And thats why I always travel with a flashlight in my carry on bag.
I’ve noticed most better hotels have a flashlight in the closet. It’s something I’ve started to take note of when I check in, partly because I’m already photographing the room anyway.
I also keep a pocket flashlight in my briefcase. A search on Amazon yields a bunch of options for any budget.
To Scottrick, the Flashlight is part of a comprehensive list of items needed to achieve 3 star or higher rating in the US. Most international hotels also follow these accreditation requirements, although voluntarily.
Stacey, I had it happen in the middle of the night years ago in Bangkok, and it was out for hours. But I was still jet lagging and not asleep… uncomfortable, but not a deal breaker.
An amusing, and important post. Many (better) hotels have backup systems, but they too can fail. I’ve never experienced a power loss in a hotel, but still travel with two Mini-Mag flashlights, one in the carry-on and another in a checked bag (if any). Why? Ha-ha! Where I live, power outages are very common, sometimes lasting a day or two. As a result, my home often appears to be a Flashlight Farm. And yes, your own small flashlight will guide you down those 19 flights of stairs if necessary.
I have a pocket flashlight, too. I also have a flashlight app for my iPhone.
I always say that things come in three. Two hotel power outages so far on this trip…better get a flashlight! What is your routing coming home?