Comments on: Chase Park Plaza Hotel, St. Louis http://tinotopia.com/wordpress/archive/2004/09/29/chase_park_plaza_hotel_st_louis/ Tino Tino Bo-Bino Sat, 14 Aug 2010 04:53:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Bob http://tinotopia.com/wordpress/archive/2004/09/29/chase_park_plaza_hotel_st_louis/comment-page-1/#comment-675 Bob Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://tinotopia.com/wp/?p=511#comment-675 <p>Perhaps these over priced items are primarily sold to business travelers whose companies pay their hotel bills? If my company were paying for everything, I think I'd rather have the company buy me a $5 bag of peanuts than spend $0.50 of my own money across the street.</p> Perhaps these over priced items are primarily sold to business travelers whose companies pay their hotel bills? If my company were paying for everything, I think I’d rather have the company buy me a $5 bag of peanuts than spend $0.50 of my own money across the street.

]]> By: Nicole http://tinotopia.com/wordpress/archive/2004/09/29/chase_park_plaza_hotel_st_louis/comment-page-1/#comment-676 Nicole Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://tinotopia.com/wp/?p=511#comment-676 <p>I work for something that could only be described as a big faceless corporation, and I'd feel guilty putting that on my expense form instead of walking to Straub's to buy myself some still-kind-of-expensive peanuts. I have never travelled for this company, and I don't ever expect to.</p> <p>Also, for someone on a per-diem, the peanuts would suck up the entire credit for breakfast. </p> <p>When I worked for and traveled for a company, they used the per-diem method, and it was $5 for breakfast, $10 for lunch and, I think, $20 for dinner.</p> I work for something that could only be described as a big faceless corporation, and I’d feel guilty putting that on my expense form instead of walking to Straub’s to buy myself some still-kind-of-expensive peanuts. I have never travelled for this company, and I don’t ever expect to.

Also, for someone on a per-diem, the peanuts would suck up the entire credit for breakfast.

When I worked for and traveled for a company, they used the per-diem method, and it was $5 for breakfast, $10 for lunch and, I think, $20 for dinner.

]]> By: Tino http://tinotopia.com/wordpress/archive/2004/09/29/chase_park_plaza_hotel_st_louis/comment-page-1/#comment-677 Tino Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://tinotopia.com/wp/?p=511#comment-677 <p>I've received some feedback in e-mail to the effect that the hotel caters to 'rich' people, and that 'rich' people are willing to pay $4 for peanuts.</p> <p>I'll paraphrase the Bill Gates character on The Simpsons: You don't get rich by writing checks.</p> <p>Most wealthy people are wealthy precisely because they value having money in their pockets more than they value (say) peanuts. (Or more than they value anything from any hotel minibar, any time, any place.) Wealthy people by and large don't drive $100,000 cars, because you can get a perfectly serviceable car for a third of that. I have a lot better use for the extra $70,000 than on something that's going to depreciate rapidly and in any case wear out in a few years.</p> <p>Who buys $100,000 cars and hotel peanuts? My guess is insecure upper-middle-class people who want to pretend that they're rich. This probably has a lot to do with my problems with four-star hotels in the first place: I want to stay in a comfortable place, which pretty much rules out anything but four-star hotels. But with that comfort I don't need useless 'luxury' in the form of bellhops, $40 breakfasts, $1.50 phone calls, etc., etc. I'd much rather keep the money.</p> I’ve received some feedback in e-mail to the effect that the hotel caters to ‘rich’ people, and that ‘rich’ people are willing to pay $4 for peanuts.

I’ll paraphrase the Bill Gates character on The Simpsons: You don’t get rich by writing checks.

Most wealthy people are wealthy precisely because they value having money in their pockets more than they value (say) peanuts. (Or more than they value anything from any hotel minibar, any time, any place.) Wealthy people by and large don’t drive $100,000 cars, because you can get a perfectly serviceable car for a third of that. I have a lot better use for the extra $70,000 than on something that’s going to depreciate rapidly and in any case wear out in a few years.

Who buys $100,000 cars and hotel peanuts? My guess is insecure upper-middle-class people who want to pretend that they’re rich. This probably has a lot to do with my problems with four-star hotels in the first place: I want to stay in a comfortable place, which pretty much rules out anything but four-star hotels. But with that comfort I don’t need useless ‘luxury’ in the form of bellhops, $40 breakfasts, $1.50 phone calls, etc., etc. I’d much rather keep the money.

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