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On Tuesday all the weather forecasters were calling for some significant snowfall, with ice, on the overnight, which would have been a problem for us getting Hexapuma to his suddenly scheduled Wednesday appointment with Dr. Kern at Portland Veterinary Specialists --
http://www.portlandvetspecialists.com/services/services.html -- and so I looked for a room for us (and Hex) for the night. Several of the places advertised as "pet friendly" turned out to require absurd fees for having a pet ($50, no refund) and one that said it allowed pets only allows dogs.
That search brought me to my Delorme maps and to the Comfort Inn Airport: http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-south_portland-maine-ME400?promo=gglocal and when I called they said yes, they accepted pets for $10 a night. I started to make a reservation online, but the web page reported a $25 a night charge for pets... at which point I called back for clarity, and in speaking with Veronica there at the Comfort Inn explained we were coming down for surgery for Hex ... She told me that no, they'd changed their policy and she's see what she could so about getting the web pages fixed ... and then talked to the sales manager and arranged for us to get a "local hospital" rate which saved us on the order of 40% off the regular web rates.
Making things more interesting is that I had a Winslow Library Board of trustees meeting (I'd missed the last one because of my bronchitis) and so we couldn't get out of town until later than expected because that meeting ran over by a half hour... and we started out with full overcast but no precipitation, Hex in his recently renovated travel box with a floofy blanket wrapped around a large towel to make a cushion, and his favorite wrestle-toy/sleep pillow for company. By the time we got to Lewiston we not only had snow but in some cases single lane traffic, with the speeds on the flashing road conditions board dropped to 45 from 65. It was snowing when we got to Portland (soon to stop as it turns out) and the hotel's parking lot was swathed in snow, with an icy underlayment.
The location was great -- Delorme says the hotel is 1.38 miles from the vet's office at the corner of Blueberry Rd. and Congress Street -- and when we arrived the night crew had a note to expect us, and to let us know that we could, if necessary, have a 2 PM departure as well. That meant that in the morning (after we switched off on the complimetary breakfasts so someone was always with Hex) we were able to take Hex in and talk with the surgeon, sign the papers, and go to Borders, and then to a snack at Tim Horton's, space around the Maine Mall (conveniently located across the street from Timmie's), and we picked up a good take-out meal at the mall and went back to the room .. .where the call that Hex was out of surgery came at about 1:30. For more details on Hex's stay at the Comfort Inn, Rolanni's coverage at: http://rolanni.livejournal.com/532036.html?nc=11 ;
Both the Comfort Inn and Portland Veterinary Services get big thumbs up here, yessir. In fact, I think the vet's office could teach my one physician's office something about care, comfort, and efficiency ...
Oh yeah, it was interesting to walk out of the Comfort Inn and watch the jets taking off into the clear blue sky ... apparently the snow storm's center missed Portland after it veered suddenly west, but you know, even if we'd had snow i think the Comfort inn would have been the right spot.
1 niggle edit...
http://www.portlandvetspecialists.com/services/services.html -- and so I looked for a room for us (and Hex) for the night. Several of the places advertised as "pet friendly" turned out to require absurd fees for having a pet ($50, no refund) and one that said it allowed pets only allows dogs.
That search brought me to my Delorme maps and to the Comfort Inn Airport: http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-south_portland-maine-ME400?promo=gglocal and when I called they said yes, they accepted pets for $10 a night. I started to make a reservation online, but the web page reported a $25 a night charge for pets... at which point I called back for clarity, and in speaking with Veronica there at the Comfort Inn explained we were coming down for surgery for Hex ... She told me that no, they'd changed their policy and she's see what she could so about getting the web pages fixed ... and then talked to the sales manager and arranged for us to get a "local hospital" rate which saved us on the order of 40% off the regular web rates.
Making things more interesting is that I had a Winslow Library Board of trustees meeting (I'd missed the last one because of my bronchitis) and so we couldn't get out of town until later than expected because that meeting ran over by a half hour... and we started out with full overcast but no precipitation, Hex in his recently renovated travel box with a floofy blanket wrapped around a large towel to make a cushion, and his favorite wrestle-toy/sleep pillow for company. By the time we got to Lewiston we not only had snow but in some cases single lane traffic, with the speeds on the flashing road conditions board dropped to 45 from 65. It was snowing when we got to Portland (soon to stop as it turns out) and the hotel's parking lot was swathed in snow, with an icy underlayment.
The location was great -- Delorme says the hotel is 1.38 miles from the vet's office at the corner of Blueberry Rd. and Congress Street -- and when we arrived the night crew had a note to expect us, and to let us know that we could, if necessary, have a 2 PM departure as well. That meant that in the morning (after we switched off on the complimetary breakfasts so someone was always with Hex) we were able to take Hex in and talk with the surgeon, sign the papers, and go to Borders, and then to a snack at Tim Horton's, space around the Maine Mall (conveniently located across the street from Timmie's), and we picked up a good take-out meal at the mall and went back to the room .. .where the call that Hex was out of surgery came at about 1:30. For more details on Hex's stay at the Comfort Inn, Rolanni's coverage at: http://rolanni.livejournal.com/532036.html?nc=11 ;
Both the Comfort Inn and Portland Veterinary Services get big thumbs up here, yessir. In fact, I think the vet's office could teach my one physician's office something about care, comfort, and efficiency ...
Oh yeah, it was interesting to walk out of the Comfort Inn and watch the jets taking off into the clear blue sky ... apparently the snow storm's center missed Portland after it veered suddenly west, but you know, even if we'd had snow i think the Comfort inn would have been the right spot.
1 niggle edit...
