As the former president of the US, Barack Obama has stayed in some of the swankiest hotels and most elaborate guest suites, so his admission that he prefers a simpler, more pared back room may come as a surprise.
Speaking at a conference hosted by the US Green Building Council in Atlanta, Obama admitted that the lighting systems in large suites can be complicated. “Before I go to bed, I go from room to room to turn off all the lights, and there are a bunch of different lamps, and sometimes they hide where the light switches are because they want to make them look really cool,” he said. “And it might take me 15 minutes to shut down, where if I was just in the Hampton Inn, there’s like one light switch, one bathroom door, and the bed and the TV remote; I’m good.”
His observation is bound to resonate with travellers, as most of us have been bamboozled by the complicated lighting system in a hotel room at some point. Obama also revealed that the large number of rooms that come with large hotel suites can also confound him. “These presidential suites - there are so many rooms and I get lost,” he admitted, while conceding that the upside is that they “typically have the best views because they are very high up — they are wonderfully appointed.”
Obama is a fan of Hampton Inns when travelling, and has visited the hotel in Littleton, New Hampshire, on many occasions. And now we know what wins him over - simplicity and a straightforward lighting system.
