It never hurts to ask

Posted on June 13th, 2011 by Geno and currently 3 commenting.

I wonder why more places that beg to tell a story don’t? I recently stayed at the Hudson Hotel in New York. A cool stealth hotel (no signage), lots of eye candy, hipster people all around. It’s funny after I’ve been home from the trip to NYC for a few days what I remember most is the mountain goat on the wall behind the concierge desk.

So, I asked what’s up with the goat and what was the building before it was a hotel?

It turns out the Hudson used to be an apartment building, in which most of the residents were elderly.

During the renovation, sadly a lot of the resident’s belongings were left behind. Amongst the leftover belongings was a stuffed goat.

Someone decided that the goat belonged to the building, and the goat head was mounted on the wall. The employee I chatted with told me the goat was viewed as a protector of the building.

What’s the big deal with the goat? Maybe it’s not a big deal to you, but for me trendy boutique hotels can leave me cold. The décor tries so hard to be stylish that the style doesn’t function, and then it can be matched by uninspired service.

The Hudson is a garden oasis in NYC no doubt, but to be honest it would be forgotten in time, and I probably wouldn’t be inspired to stay there again.

However, understanding a bit of the ethos of the Hudson makes it sticky in my mind. Plus, who can quickly forget a goat head glowing in a spotlight.

Never underestimate, the power of the little things. I like the goat cause it’s a little gesture, not a grand gesture. Yes, I had to ask to find a story, but someone was there to tell it.

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