Travel Secrets Revealed by Global Traveler - Eliot Wadopian
Musicians travel a
lot, even before they have legions of fans. Hallway parties typically
take precedence over a good night's
sleep, especially if it is their
first trip out in the world. Cheap
hotel rates make their adventure a paradise, regardless of the
accommodations.
A
more professional, seasoned artist recognizes the value of a few
hours of peaceful shut-eye, especially when taking a break from a
long road trip. They
just want to connect points A and B as quickly as possible and
share
their best performance
when they arrive at scheduled events. They
also appreciate and
can recognize
excellent guest service.
Grammy
multi-award winning jazz musician Eliot
Wadopian knows a thing or two about traveling the world and staying
at numerous hotels. As a
professional, working musician, Eliot sometimes has the benefit of
outside sources booking his hotel reservations and covering travel
expenses.
Recently,
he
was
hired by the Chinese
government to travel across their county and perform for nine weeks.
They provided his lodging, which typically consisted of first
class hotels. He
was pleased with their cleanliness and said overall it was a great
experience. Breakfast was
always included. He enjoyed the international experience but also
noted he wasn't sure how many noodles a westerner
could
consume – even for
breakfast!
According
to Eliot, just like in any other country, the
accommodations are all over the place in China. He
encourages travelers
to be careful just
as they would anywhere else.
“If you have any concerns at all, you have to think about them
because it's going to be what the citizens
of that particular country typically puts up with,” says Eliot.
If
you like a western type hotel with a western bed, etc. you pretty
much have to stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel in
Asia, suggests
Eliot. Anything below 4 stars
gets sketchy really quickly.
Safety,
afford-ability, and location are important factors to Eliot Wadopian
when he has to choose his own lodging. Even though he has won
numerous awards and has traveled extensively on a global level,
including across Europe for his performances, he still has to
routinely make hotel reservations.
When Eliot tours
with his local group, Free Planet Radio, he has experienced
difficulty in finding the right balance between quality hotels and
reasonable hotel rates. He has to pass the additional $200-$300 on to
presenters of events, and they sometimes do not understand that.
Eliot says, “In my experience, if I try to save money, I get in
kind of nasty situations. I play with the Charlotte, NC Symphony from
time to time. I have stayed at several $55-$57 hotels near the
airport - and you could tell they were rented by the hour. Hotel
costs cut into my pay so much I had to do that. It's either drive
four hours round trip for each
Charlotte event or stay in a crappy hotel to save money, do my
week and get out of there.”
Phone apps help Eliot make better hotel selections, especially if he
is not familiar with an area when he travels. He likes using the
website Yelp.com and reading reviews from previous hotel guests.
Eliot says, “I find reviews that people leave to be really cool.
It's also sort of interesting to see if it's just a sour grape review
or if it's a legitimate – 'This place is nasty!' I have actually
made accommodations based on reviews.”
We asked Eliot what he would like to see different at hotels, and he
replied, “I really like when hotel staff is attentive and helpful.
Often times, you can get folks that are either paid so little or they
are so disenchanted with their job they are not very helpful. It sure
makes a difference when you go in a hotel and meet someone who is
welcoming and accommodating, who helps you find restaurants or
attractions in their area if you have the time. That's cool! Hotel
staff means a lot to me, particularly when I am dragging in at 11:30
pm or 1 in the morning. I know it's exhausting for them as well, but
boy oh boy, some surly guy at 1:30 in the morning...”
Eliot Wadopian is a diabetic, but he still has to eat just like
everyone else. He would like to see better quality selections overall
when hotels provide a breakfast. After his experience with fantastic
European spreads of breakfast, he says that is one area western
hotels are definitely lacking.
In closing, we asked Eliot if hotel workers
on average are doing a good job and seem to know what they are
doing. He replied, “On average, I would say out of 10 times, 8
times - maybe 8.5 - of that would be they definitely know what
they are doing and are very helpful. But - man I wish this was an
airline discussion. I would really share some feedback! But it's the
same thing with an airline or any other business. The person behind
the counter means a lot to your customers. That's a direct contact to
your customers. When that person is sort of disingenuous, I'm going
to think twice about that accommodation when I'm going through there
again.”
To learn more about
Eliot Wadopian and his music, visit his website:
www.eliotwadopian.com
