In most traditional, chain hotels, at the bar you can find a (usually) scary assortment of travel-weary business-people often looking for a buzz and maybe a companion for an evening. At this hotel, its bar has provided much more interesting entertainment.

On Saturday, I sat down to have dinner at the bar (rather than take up a table at the obviously busy restaurant) and the very tall Nigerian bartender began playing iPod after iPod. A couple of the other guests were regulars, apparently, and they each brought in their iPods to share the odd tunes they had found. Here is a partial playlist:

Two AC/DC songs, as done by Hayseed Dixie
Lovecats (The Cure), as done by Paul Anka
Shock the Monkey (P. Gabriel), as done by Don Ho

and on and on. I was in tears laughing at all the odd remakes. The guys talking about the tunes were hilarious as well. And the giant Nigerian was so kind, smart, and funny I tipped him heavily.

Then, today, I went to lunch at the bar and sat next to a French-American (who came here as an adult and still had a full-on French accent) who was involved in setting global energy policy and one of the most famous florists in Washington, DC–a man of at least 75 with the old Southern accent you rarely find here any more. The conversation was amazing between the two men and suddenly they included me in it. I impressed the Franco-American because I answered two questions he said no one ever got right (he was floored I knew the answers) and the florist insisted on buying my lunch…and plying me with tastings of the house rosé.

What an afternoon! We had to break up the party as I had to prepare for my event tonight and the Fr/Am man had to go have a conference call with the Chinese government. The elderly florist was upset that I couldn’t join him for lunch tomorrow as he wanted to bring me a bouquet.

Now that’s a hotel bar.