Various questions re. procedure

[inuv]

Hi,

Lived in Montreal for 5 years in the 90s. Love the city and return now and again to visit friends. This time, however, I'd like to come and stay in a hotel and enjoy some "other" beautiful aspects of my favourite city. I've been reading the board a lot but had some questions. Hope I don't seem like an arse listing them out by number, but I'd appreciate any advice. I'm not an SP newbie, but I am a Montreal SP and hotel newbie:

1) Keycard elevator hotels
Are there any keycard-elevator hotels with very big lobbies, or where the lobby is not in sight of the reception area? I honestly don't mind meeting an SP in the lobby. I also plan on booking afternoon times, so there will probably be other people in the lobby areas. Of course, I would prefer no elevator keycard, but I hope I can be flexible in finding a hotel.

2) Any SP UN-friendly hotels... e.g. if they discovered an SP visiting me, they'd charge me a double rate or kick me out?

3) Do SPs and/or agencies typically verify information with the front desk? Will I have to give out my real name, etc?

4) What phone to use? I am living in the US at the moment (Florida). I am happy to use my phone in Quebec, but I don't think an SP would like to call me back long distance. Should I get a prepaid phone when I get there just for my visit, or in your experience is using the hotel phone easy enough?

5) Any random advice for someone planning a visit in Jan/Feb? I don't mind the cold. I hope to find a hotel attached to 'La Ville Souterrain' (Hyatt, Bonaventure, etc) which will make life easier. What kind of prices should I expect in the dead of Winter?

6) What is the expectation on tipping?

7) Any small gifts from the US or Belgium that would go over well, if I felt like giving a gift to an SP I really had a great time with?

Thank you for any advice.

 

[Mike Mercury]

You'll have no problems with any of that.

Hotel prices go online and look for yourself.

 

[JH Fan]

Hey Mike ! aren't you a little bit rude here ?
You've been polling people and asking questions here and there...

So Inuv...

1) Read the hotel thread I guess. There are many without keycards.
But your best bet I think would be to read some of the Indy's website.
You'll see the ones they suggest.

2) This..I never heard about. To me it's not their f*ng business.

3) Why not ? Specially if you live in Florida. Unless you're famous or paranoid ?

4) I'd say... Go for the Hotel phone. it's the easiest way.

5) Here I'd say go for Mike's advice... go for the thread on hotels and specially hotel bidding. PM those guys who knows everything about this. EB for exemple comes to my mind but there are many others.

6) This one is personnal I think.

7) Read the indies' website's and it should give you some good ideas.
I personally offers almost all the time some flowers along a card saying what I think about her (after seeing her pics), some music, small gifts the first time, a better one the next, also refreshments that she can take with me and some she can take away. But hey ! that's me. Basically, to me if you go for a GFE and/or a PSE it means you should 'behave'.

While if you want to play scrooge than go for the streetaction thread instead and bring along a Mars bar !

 

[inuv]

Thanks for the advice. I am perhaps over-thinking, but I just want to make sure I have a great time.

I'm very glad about no.2.---none of the hotel's business! So I should be prepared to show my ID or give my real name (hotel registration). I suppose I don't mind. Now if they ask me, it won't be a surprise, so it's nice to know.

Great idea about looking about Indy's websites for hotel recommendations. I'll try that. Rates I am not too worried about but was curious. The bidding seems to be a good idea.

No Mars bars here! I'm looking for a fun and respectful GFE/PSE, like you said.

Tipping it sounds like is not done 100% of the time. In some places (not in Montreal) I know tipping is ALWAYS expect, in some other places tipping is strictly not expected (all inclusive). If I have a special request, I suppose, she might mention an additional price, which I prefectly understandable. So I define a tip as a thank-you for service (not something FOR service, which I would define as price). Anyway, is 10-15% a good tip amount? I don't want to seems cheap, but I don't want to give wrong impressions either!

 

[lgna69xxx]

the best advice i think anyone can give you is to read as much info on Merb as you possibly can before your trip;....... it has saved thousands for some and plenty of headaches..... hope your trip goes well......

Thanks for the advice. I am perhaps over-thinking, but I just want to make sure I have a great time.

I'm very glad about no.2.---none of the hotel's business! So I should be prepared to show my ID or give my real name (hotel registration). I suppose I don't mind. Now if they ask me, it won't be a surprise, so it's nice to know.

Great idea about looking about Indy's websites for hotel recommendations. I'll try that. Rates I am not too worried about but was curious. The bidding seems to be a good idea.

No Mars bars here! I'm looking for a fun and respectful GFE/PSE, like you said.

Tipping it sounds like is not done 100% of the time. In some places (not in Montreal) I know tipping is ALWAYS expect, in some other places tipping is strictly not expected (all inclusive). If I have a special request, I suppose, she might mention an additional price, which I prefectly understandable. So I define a tip as a thank-you for service (not something FOR service, which I would define as price). Anyway, is 10-15% a good tip amount? I don't want to seems cheap, but I don't want to give wrong impressions either!