The ONE great thing about traveling...
...is that you know at the end of your day - you will arrive at your destination, have a comfortable bed, and a well defined air conditioned room at your disposal, and be able to relax in total comfort from the outside world!
There is a certain motel chain that runs a series of commercials on radio and television.
A voice over says:
The motel will 'leave the light on for you' or something similar. That is the way I feel when I think of Hampton Inn.
This motor hotel has an inn about a mile from BestBet, a poker and horse room in Jacksonville, FL. The rooms are comfortable and upscale, and the corporation provides a discount rate for card carrying members of BestBet, dropping their rates from $129 to $82 per night.
When I travel to Jacksonville...
...I know they're leaving the light on for me and I always stay at the Hampton.
Yesterday, for example, I made the three and a half hour drive from Charleston. The weather was cloudy and the rain fell intermittingly. The same clerk who had admitted me the first time was on duty, and she greeted me with a smile, asking, 'What can I do for you?"
I presented my requests:
To find me an organic market that sold organic wine. I wanted to celebrate Christmas early with a glass of organic chardonnay.
"No problem," she said. She made a quick Google search, found such a market about four blocks away, and cheerfully granted my request.
I don't know if Hampton Inn has such a special arrangement with casinos, but I think it would be a splendid idea if it did.
If there is one area where casinos drop the ball...
...it hass to do with thinking about their customers' sleeping needs. There is no problem in Las Vegas which has more rooms per square mile than any other city of its size in the world. But in many other locations, these accommodations are not provided, and it can cause stress for the unwary traveler.
A poker player can always use a little support, and to have the smiling faces of the employeess at the Hampton Inn greet you with good wishes for the evening's activities is a winning effort on the part of the Inn.
I felt SO good about the Hampton Inn, that I almost offered the clerk a sip of my organic chardonnay! I didn't do it because she was on duty, but I came close.
She even knew about the special Christmas promotion BestBet was engaged in, raising the high hand payoff from the 12th day of Christmas $100 each day until the Yuletide. They are paying off high hands at the rate of $1,200 per hour and up from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Today is Dec. 20, and if I hit the high hand, it is worth $2,000 to me.
I am heading for BestBet in a few minutes. Before I go, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thanks, Hampton Inn.
Let the games begin.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
