My complaint:
I am travelling from Zanzibar back to Cape Town via Addis Ababa requiring an overnight stop at a hotel organised by Ethiopian Airlines. On the way to Zanzibar we stayed at the Capital Hotel which was an adequate standard and reflected what one would expect of an international airline. However, last night we were billeted to the Mosaic Hotel. My room had the following issues:
1. Although the bed had been made there was no linen.
2. The television did not work.
3. The rubbish from the previous occupier had not been removed including an old bar of soap with some delightfully decorative pubic hair clinging to it. I think the pubic hair was clinging to the soap to escape the mould in the shower – which would have been well placed in a Stephen King movie about alien life forms.
4. The shower tray was there but would have been best served as a colander because when I got out of the shower (which in fairness did have hot water) my bathroom floor was a small but attractive pond – without the koi of course. I think koi would have been a good idea as, if they’d been brave enough they might have had a go at mould, although we can’t rule out mutation…… and early death.
5. There was no drinking water in the room so I went downstairs and was told I had to buy the water but the credit card machine wasn’t working and I didn’t have any Ethiopian currency – so no dice.
6. Going back upstairs to my fish pond bathroom I was reminded of that quote from an old novel “water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink.” In a crazed moment of thirst through the night I debated whether, if I did drink the bathroom water, whether I would become the subject of some weird science experiment as I grew a third leg or something like that- but in the end I showed steely resolve and ran screaming for the door the moment it became light.
7. The room had no air conditioning – but fortunately I managed to prise the window open so I did manage to enjoy a few hours eliminating most of Addis Ababa’s mosquito problem.
Suggested solution:
1. My recommendation is to burn down the Mosaic Hotel.
2. I think cultures should be taken of the mould - they could become the subject of a new documentary on alien life forms.
3. Find some way to encourage me not to walk to Zanzibar next time.
