Last month I had a server install in Madison, WI, so I went online and booked a room for several days at a Holiday Inn Express near downtown Madison. When booking online, you have all these fields to fill in for address, credit card, etc. One such field is “Comments” where you can enter special requests that pertain to your stay or reservation. For fun, I entered “Celebrity – Treat with courtesy” and submitted my reservation. About 3 seconds later, I promptly forgot about it and wandered off to prepare for the trip.

When I arrived at the hotel, the nice gentleman behind the desk greeted me and I gave him my name. He pulled my “Priority Club” reservation and looked at it. He smiled and asked me what brought me to Madison. I told him I was there for work for the next few days and asked him where the closest restaurant was. He gave me several options and recommended some nicer options than I was willing to pay for. He also offered to call me a car (not a taxi, a “car”) if I so desired. I declined and set out on foot for a place nearby. Nice guy, I thought, but then didn’t think any more of it.

When I got back from the restaurant, I entered the lobby and nodded a greeting to him with a smile. As I get half way past the front desk, he says, “Hey… what’s this about you being a celebrity?” I had to stop and think for a second. I bust out laughing and said, “No, man! You’re not supposed to question it. You’re supposed to offer me a free upgrade to a whirlpool suite or something.” We both laughed; me because I didn’t think anyone read those comment lines anyway and I totally forgot about it. Him because he said his manager pulled my reservation before I got there and told him that she thought I was “some kind of celebrity!” Apparently, she was kind of nervous and excited about it.

Sorry to disappoint, Madison Hotel Worker Guy. It’s just me. It does beg the question, though: why would a “celebrity” of any sort 1) state that he is, in fact, a celebrity and 2) be staying in a budget rate Holiday Inn Express when there is a 4 start hotel right next door in the same parking lot?

Anyway, I have to return to Madison tomorrow for some follow-up work tomorrow. I just completed and submitted the online reservation form again. “Celebrity – Treat with courtesy” Let’s see what happens this time.