We checked into an airport hotel near Inverness (clean, convenient, and central to much of the Highlands and the Great Glen). The Marriott was busy but not crowded, and everyone was very friendly. When we got to our floor, there was a young man, dressed in black Tee and jeans, just sitting in a chair at the T-junction of the halls, acknowledging everyone who went by with a cheery Essex, “Hullo, luv.” Ummm. . . . okay.
He was there when Scout & I went for a late evening walk. He was there when we went out at 7 a.m., and when we came back, he was on his chair, eating a sausage butty breakfast from a styrofoam container. Well, that was weird. Polite, but weird. I mean what airport hotel needs an on-site security team on each floor?
When we came back from a day of picnicking on the shores of Loch Ness and driving the back roads of Ross & Cromarty, he was gone. Hunh.
Earlier this morning, Scout & I had sat in the lounge and I had watched three Cockney 20-somethings, with clipboard, spreadsheet, cell phone, and trolleys assemble and deliver a series of clearly pre-ordered room-service breakfasts, compiled to order from the buffet. I’ve travelled a lot for work and I have never seen room service prepared and delivered in this way. And what was with sweat pants and flip flops? Why no uniforms. Well, maybe in Canada we’re more uptight than the Scots about business formality?
All in all, the Inverness Marriott is a different sort of experience.
And then it all became clear – I asked at the front desk. Why was there a security guard in an airport motel?
Turns out there hasn’t been a spate of To Catch A Thief style burglaries, nor is the Princess Royal and her court staying in the east wing of the Inverness Airport Marriott. It seems there is a competition-based show filming around here and the contestants are all sleeping on our floor. It’s Skippy the hall guard’s job to make sure there is no interaction between contestants, and those three brekkie-makers are ensuring the contestants have no reason to leave their rooms before the bus leaves. Really? How exotic.
Never did find out what the show was that they’re filming (I asked three different staff and supposedly nobody knew – yeah, right) – I will just say there was a lot of crockery and leftovers littering the hallways each day – I hope it’s not one of those survival shows, because it looks like they all rely heavily on room service – hardly a bunch of Bear Grylls.