DEAR ABBY: Now that vacation season has begun, will you please answer a question many people must have wondered about?
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Every room in a hotel or motel has the management's "rights" posted. But what about the rights of the people renting that room?
Recently, my husband and I stopped in a small motel in Dade City, Fla. After we checked in, we learned that 10 of the 20 rooms were occupied by members of a family having a reunion! They pulled their cars into a circle in the parking lot, turned up their radios, got out their coolers and had a party. The noise and the laughter could have awakened the dead. And it went on until 2 a.m. Several of the other guests complained, but the owner sort of shrugged and indicated, "Too bad."
One man with a New York tag said he will never come to Florida again, which seemed a bit extreme -- but we were all furious. Abby, are there "rights" for travelers in a motel unaffiliated with a chain? -- UNHAPPY TRAVELER
DEAR UNHAPPY: Whether a motel is affiliated with a chain or not, it owes its occupants an atmosphere suitable for sleeping. Occasionally, even the best motels will have a noisy occupant, but the management usually makes an honest effort to quiet the disturbance. Sorry you picked a lemon.
Next time, before you register, ask whether there are any "conventions" booked during your stay. (I once stayed at a hotel on prom night -- and the revelry rivaled New Year's Eve's.)