Robert Fripp's Diary for Friday, 21st September 2012

16.37

Hotel Acceptable, Paris.

Our not-properly-a-room, more the-front-part-of-a-corridor, decor all black with interesting artwork, overlooked the empty bottles from the fashionable and popular bar; which were collected before the new bottles were delivered. Perhaps the noisiest hotel room I have every known of hundreds, even thousands, of rooms. The bed was comfortable, although of little comfort, the Minx’s night even more sleepless than mine. No television – there are better things to do in a bedroom than watch television, reportedly the hotel’s policy. But why not a table or desk? No doubt there are better things to do in a black bedroom than compute or go online.

I went into breakfast c. 07.50 just as an alarming eruption of car horns in the street brought two elderly people, in their pajamas, to the front windows of the hotel opposite to see what was causing the din. No hope that T might go to sleep, then.

The trough I…

I recall The Happy Gigster’s Guide: Whenever you check in late at night, you will get the duffest room the hotel has available, and in the morning discover just how and why…

In 43 years of frequent hotels, this was one of the worst rooms / corridors. The hotel as such has its particular charm as a former brothel. But the room was not part of the hotel proper, nor welcoming, nor possible to sleep in. On checking out of our three-night booking (the hotel is a favourite of Sister-in-Law Nicola) we were shown two other rooms in the hotel building. They were acceptable-ish, but the Minx could not bear to remain. Online searching for alternative accommodation, into a taxi…

… and to acceptable accommodation three hundred yards from the Champs Elysees…

The artwork is not as stylish, nor as particular, as that of Hotel Poking; but the room is lighter, with desk and tv, and is at the back of the building. Who cares that we are above the hotel’s air conditioning plant?

Straight out to the Champs I…