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Hotel blues

(Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.)
I have been reluctant to critique my living arrangements here. It is after all a region under the stresses of war. I am not sure how our own culture would preform under similar struggles. But I have been getting questions asking what to expect for accommodations. Perhaps I could describe the rooms I stay in here, in the context that what we have here is a culture and society working its way toward a better life.

There is a Ministry of Tourism in the Republic of Iraq - Kurdistan Region. They desperately want foreign investment in their region. There are airports in Erbil and Sulaymania bringing in foreign business people. Therefore, they at some point are going to have to understand that people visiting here will expect more than just a roof over their heads. At some point the tour books will start to belabor the bleak accommodations here.

As I have mentioned, you can find what they would call a five-star hotel here, but I can not afford to stay in one. That upper crust is also in general, not really the kind of culture I look at.

At present in Northern Iraq, in the 20 Buck per night hotels, expect to find rather consistently some or all of these things:

There will most likely be a multiple TV-remote puzzle - be glad there is TV at all. Once you finally figure out the remotes on the second night, to your surprise there will be 500 channels. The next stop you must relearn a new remote control matrix.

If lights do not work, follow the cords under the carpet. The wall plugs often have switches. My suggestion, bring a flash light with extra batteries. The electricity goes off all the time anyway.

If the generators are on, and even if there are any room heaters, they will be off. Just assume there will be no heat. Hot water? The cold is all in your mind.

The carpets if they exist will be dirty, stained, and probably rotten. There is no such thing as a no-smoking-room. The windows will be dirty and often cracked. Curtains? Whatever. Towels? Haven't seen any in three weeks. You can buy them in the markets if you like.

You will often be given a room with a floor toilet. Be glad you have at least that. You may also have to share a toilet. The sheets will be faded, ripped, and wrinkled. There should be one pillow with cover - same condition as sheets.

Do not expect the doors to always fully lock. The locks are there but they are often sprung or off track. I have never had any thing stolen in Iraq.

Now I touch on something that many women back home ask me. "Where are the women in the Iraqi and Kurdish culture?" At the risk of sounding sexist - but remember you brought it up - I must say that no where are they more missed than in the hotel culture. The hotels are totally run by men. Now I risk sounding ageist. Often the men running these hotels are 20 years old or so. Think of some 20 year old guys you know. Would you want them running and tidying up a hotel unsupervised? These are actually nice digs if you are a college freshman.

The hotels in Viet Nam in contrast are totally run by women. The economies are similar - both nations are very poor. Yet Viet Nam's hotels are neat and tidy. The sheets are cleaned to death, the floors are often spotless. The curtains are neat and pressed. The towels are bountiful. The cost is still about 20 Bucks per night. It is a stunning contrast.

Bob Keith
Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

View more pictures from Bob's travels.