I once woke up in a strange hotel room, but simply couldn't find the door, or the lightswitch. Desperately, I felt my way round the walls, looking for something I KNEW was there, all in vain. Very quickly, my spirit crushed, I vomited copiously and fell asleep. I guess it had something to do with the bottle of gin I had downed that I was trying to open the wall where the door is back in my room at home! Waking up next morning was fun too, playing hunt the puke. All with a very tender head and stomach. Never again. Well, not gin anyway!!
BUT SERIOUSLY:
Many years ago, whilst a slip of a lad, I worked as a trainee chef in a hotel, an old coaching inn. Being a small place, not PLC owned or anything, some nights were quiet, and we staff would congregate in the bar and drink away till the wee small hours, along with the odd guest who was there.
On one particular night, after service had finished, a couple of us chefs, the manager, couple of waiting staff and the night porter were in the bar quaffing ale, when the one and only guest came into reception, collected his key and declining joining us, headed up the stairs. A couple of minutes later he returned, with a strange look on his face, and told the manager someone was in his room, a woman, she'd obviously been given the wrong key.
That got all of our attention, the manager was on his feet and taking the key from the guest as he passed him, declared this was impossible and headed off up the stairs. The rest of us sat there wondering what the hell was going on, because we KNEW there was no-one else staying in the hotel that night.
Several minutes later, the ashen-faced manager and guest returned, large brandies were dispensed (Yep, I had one, just to be polite you understand), and the guest told his tale:
He had opened the door to his room, and was startled to find the lights on and a woman sitting on the end of his bed with her back to him looking in the mirror and brushing her long hair.
"Whoops, I'm sorry" he said, "I've got the wrong room"
The woman turned, smiled and said "That's alright", leaving him backing out of the door. As he shut the door he checked the number, he was right, it was his room, so he headed back downstairs to find out what was going on.
When the manager and guest returned, they found the room empty, the lights off, and the foot of the bed cold and undisturbed.
I'd love to be able to tell you more, but after that, us staff supped up and cleared off, leaving the seriously shaken manager and the night porter there to conduct a quiet search of the rest of the rooms just make sure no-one was somewhere they shouldn't be. I don't recall the guest saying he felt scared or even whether he was given another room, but I know the manager was never there late at night again! (Which meant more spirits emerging. Vodka and brandy, mostly. And profits disappearing, I guess!)
Incidentally, the night porter was always hearing and seeing stuff there, banging and crashing in the kitchens after everything was locked up, and once saw a man in a mirror, standing on a chair in the restaurant (!)
I NEVER liked being there alone, night or day.
Dunno how old the place was, but the pub next door (joined to it) used to have the holding cell for people awaiting trial by visiting magistrates, and a tunnel was found in the cellars there (which went nowhere in particular, I seem to recall).
Sorry for the length (oo-er)
