Challenges of Navigating Hotel Fixtures and Electrical
Devices While Traveling
Traveling often is a chapter of its own when it comes to the fixtures
and electrical
devices, with their different standards worldwide. For
example, what I couldn't handle
at all in China were the washbasin and
shower buttons in the hotels there. In each place,
the design of these
things was different. It often took minutes to figure out how they
even
worked. And most of the time, from the knobs, switches, levers, or
whatever
innovative functional part marked with blue that you happened
to have in front of
you, scalding hot water (Chinese standard) would
come out. For a woman in the shower, that’s a special experience.
The same story with the operation of the various lights and lamps: If
you were sometimes in a hurry and didn’t have time to turn off the
room’s electrical systems due to a tight schedule, it meant that upon
returning later from an appointment, you would either have to go to
bed with the TV still on and all the lights blazing or stumble to the
toilet in the dark because you couldn't operate the electronics by the
bedside or simply didn’t feel like figuring out that mess late at
night.
Admittedly, it's not much different here in the West. Every hotel feels
the need to profile itself with an individual design, which can sometimes
really spoil your stay. With the wellness trend, some places have
installed showers that make showering nearly impossible: jets above,
jets below, jets to the right, left, sideways, and then you’re supposed
to turn left, turn right, press, at the same time, forward, backward,
pull… At that point, you just skip the shower and make do with the
sink. The worst are the so-called designer hotels. In those, you find
yourself wishing for the good old, always-functional separate knobs
for hot and cold water. And then the power outlets... everywhere
outside of Germany, it’s the same problem. But most guests are
prepared for this these days, traveling with a suitcase full of
adapters. Just don’t change your travel route spontaneously.
© solarvessel.com
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Challenges of Navigating Hotel Fixtures and Electrical
Devices While Traveling
Traveling often is a chapter of its own when it comes to the fixtures and electrical
devices, with their different standards worldwide. For example, what I couldn't handle
at all in China were the washbasin and shower buttons in the hotels there. In each place,
the design of these things was different. It often took minutes to figure out how they
even worked. And most of the time, from the knobs, switches, levers, or whatever
innovative functional part marked with blue that you happened to have in front of
you, scalding hot water (Chinese standard) would come out. For a woman in the shower, that’s a special experience.
The same story with the operation of the various lights and lamps: If you were sometimes in a hurry and didn’t have time to turn off the room’s electrical systems due to a tight schedule, it meant that upon returning later from an appointment, you would either have to go to bed with the TV still on and all the lights blazing or stumble to the toilet in the dark because you couldn't operate the electronics by the bedside or simply didn’t feel like figuring out that mess late at night.
Admittedly, it's not much different here in the West. Every hotel feels the need to profile itself with an individual design, which can sometimes really spoil your stay. With the wellness trend, some places have installed showers that make showering nearly impossible: jets above, jets below, jets to the right, left, sideways, and then you’re supposed to turn left, turn right, press, at the same time, forward, backward, pull… At that point, you just skip the shower and make do with the sink. The worst are the so-called designer hotels. In those, you find yourself wishing for the good old, always-functional separate knobs for hot and cold water. And then the power outlets... everywhere outside of Germany, it’s the same problem. But most guests are prepared for this these days, traveling with a suitcase full of adapters. Just don’t change your travel route spontaneously.
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