SWNSThis is the moment a couple turned on the music in their hotel room – and were stunned to discover it was being played by a live band in the next room.
Music-mad Jon and Carly Barnes checked into the hotel to celebrate their anniversary, and were told at reception they had been chosen to ‘road-test’ a new sound system.
But when Jon switched it on – and was blown away by the ‘great sound’ – they realised it was actually pumping out from the room next door.
The couple, both 33, crept out and peeked around the door of the adjoining room in the ibis Hotel to find three-piece band Politik playing a song written especially for them.
Frank Bechemilh, general manager at ibis Cambridge, said:
We heard it was Jon and midwife Carly’s 10th anniversary and we wanted to do something special for them.
What better way to help a music-loving couple celebrate than with a private gig?
Like all our guests, we wanted to give them an experience from the heart – a unique, one-off experience that will stay with them.
ibis set up the musical experience as part of their ‘From The Heart’ campaign, after finding guests felt more at home when they had the music they love around them during their stay.
In a survey of 2,000 Brits by OnePoll.com, 57 per cent said hearing their favourite music made them feel more at home, and one in four have a specific travelling playlist.
43 per cent listen to music in their hotel room when they stay to create an ambience and over a third wish hotels put on more live music.
Guitar technician Jon, who used to be in a band, said:
So often it’s quite a cold experience going into a hotel, you just go in, go out and forget about it.
But I think if they know more personal details or go the extra mile it really makes a difference – and you remember it.
Carly, who lives with Jon in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, added:
It makes the experience unique. When we got engaged Jon serenaded me, and now ten years later we’re being serenaded again so it’s just wonderful.
Frank Bechemilh added:
Music is universal. It connects, excites and moves people and makes them feel at home.
We have a passion for music, as do most of our guests. Jon and Carly love music – it’s something they’ve shared since their first date.
From small heart-felt touches to exceptional moments like this one for Jon and Carly, our staff go off-script to make a difference to our guests’ stay.
As important as music is to make you feel at home, another recent study found that the perfect combination for a road trip is at least three people and some rock music.
The study of 2,000 adults also concluded the ideal distance for a road trip is 190 miles – with a toilet stop every 100 miles – and is ideally driven in a VW camper van, a Range Rover, or a Ford Mustang. Sounds good to me.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.