Struth! Hotel manager gives dopey guest the wind-up

IN his continuing search for the more weird, wacky and wondrous in the world of travel, David Ellis says that when a couple left their car parked at Sydney Airport’s Ibis Hotel while they made an extended overseas trip, they discovered a hotelier who showed what it meant to go beyond the call of duty.

In their haste, the couple inadvertently left a window of their car wound down before flying off to the UK and Europe. Ibis General Manager, Larry Raffel noticed the open window during his nightly check of the hotel car-park before going home, and with rain threatening, and for temporary security, got hold of a car-cover from a mate and blanketed the couple’s car.

As well, aware that the couple’s daughter was baby-sitting their house, office and family dog in the NSW Southern Highlands, he contacted her next day and arranged for a spare set of keys to be Express Posted to him so he could wind-up the electrically-controlled window, and lock the car.

Our STRUTH columnist Ellis says it certainly was service above and beyond the call of duty, the more-so with the Ibis being a so-called “airport budget hotel.” And Ellis admits that he should know – he was the dope who left the car’s window down in the first place…