There was one room left in all of Santa Barbara: At the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort for $414. I took it.
Checked in at 10pm Saturday evening. Tried the PC but its security log is full and only an administrator can "fix the problem". Fortunately, I brought both of my computers. On the Macintosh, the wireless internet failed to authenticate me as myself. The front desk told me to call the Hotline. I said I didn't want to do that. (Been there done that!) I said that I thought the reason for paying $9.95 a night for internet access was that it would actually work. He said they are having trouble with it throughout the hotel and would send a "wireless bridge" to my room. Now it's 10:47pm, no wireless bridge. Oops: The wireless bridge came. Same result: Couldn't authenticate me as myself. Still don't know what a wireless bridge is. I gave up, checked out early the next day, and went to Starbucks to send my email there. Guess what: The network in that Starbucks didn't work either.
(This was Saturday night and Sunday morning. I finally got enough time on the computer on the Internet to post this on Monday morning.)
Contrast: I paid $414 plus tax for the Fess Parker, which was more like a Holiday Inn even forgetting the Internet access. I checked into the Loew's Santa Monica last night. High speed wired Internet that works and a first class hotel for $295. That's why I was ripped off by Fess Parker, no disrespect meant to Davy Crockett, my man!
Comments