A Door Slammed Open!

What is it with hotel room doors?

Far from acting as a barrier to sound behind which one can retreat from the noise of the outside world into a haven of foam pillows, miniature jars of shower gel and of shampoo (which always look suspiciously similar), an iron which looks as if it has been used to lay Tarmac, and the mini bar, hotel doors are the flimsiest of barriers which seem to work only to amplify all exterior sound. Consequently, the slightest whisper in the corridor sounds like the imminent arrival of a Taleban suicide bomber in a Kabul hotel (he still keeps going on about it).

And, I am not sure of their effectiveness in the event, Heaven forbid, of a fire. Most hotel room doors are missing their bottom inch. This is clearly to allow te exterior sound to permeate more easily, and to facilitate the delivery of newspapers and express checkout envelopes. But, I fear that the gap beneath would be of little help in the event of a Blazing Inferno incident. I guess that you might be somewhat forewarned should there be a sudden rush of mice, rats and other small animals residing in the hotel, under your door, seeking refuge from approaching flames…….

And, whoever designed the room door seems to have carried their design forward into the shower cubicle. British hotels are very keen on the glass door that goes all the way to the floor, sitting on a little raised lip. This little raised lip is designed to allow the base of the shower to sit a little beneath floor level and for the door, when closed, to be snug enough to prevent water from seeping beneath it. Well, guess what, it doesn’t work! Water streams beneath it so that the bathroom floor floods.

So, the doors do not keep noise out. They do not keep fire out. And they do not keep water in.