Talk about being let down

[thatsonofa]

So..... my company is being bought out by a much bigger company. Last month the new company sends all the managers to stay at the Ballentyne Resort in Charlotte, NC for some team building and mainly to just let us have a good time with some entertainment and good food. So the last night, as the party is dying down we are walking back to our rooms and as we pass by the bar we notice that they have a decent size humidor. So I say, "Hey, its only 2 in the mornnig, lets have a smoke." So we go over and pick out some cigars. This is where i begin to be let down. I am assuming that since we are staying in a $500 a night resort that this bar is going to be on point with a cutter/punch and a good butane lighter or some good wood matches. Well, they have none of the above. Luckily there was a BOTL finishing off a glass of bourbon that was kind enough to offer his cutter and lighter for us to use. So we get lit up and go outside to relax and enjoy our smokes. I get about 1/4 the way through mine and it starts unraveling(sp?). So I look over and everyone sitting at the table with me is noticing the same thing about their stick. So here we are, 5 of us holding 100 dollars worth of cigars that are falling apart. We talk to the bartender and his manager quickly gives us new ones because of the trouble. We light up the new ones and they all do the same thing!!!! The cigars and everything else in the humidor were as dry as a bone!! We gave up and went to our rooms.....

Maybe my expectations were too high, but i would expect a high class resort like this to be on top of things like this.....

 

[MTovarez]

Ouch!

Sorry to hear about your story. At least you had others sharing the pain with you.

I think it telling that the BOTL who offered his cutter & lighter was not smoking a cigar from the resort.

 

[AKmik]

That really sucks, I know that 2am smoke craving all too well. It is usually the best smoke after a good night of fine food and drinking.

A few months ago I was at the Hilton in Sansalvador in a very similar situation. After a few hours of drinks being delivered by one of the most beautiful woman I have ever seen I decided to burn a Monte #4 I picked up in the hotel, this one was so over humidified that it was like somking steaming leaves. Complete waste of money, which as you could imagine was way over priced to begin with.

Since my trip I made a small travel humidor from a tuperware container and some Spanish cedar (holds about 20 robusto) and bought a Xicar 3 stick case. I never deploy without my own stash. I usually bring about 10 smokes with me, and always bring my little humi home stuffed with smokes, so it works out very well.

There is nothing worse than being gouged on a shitty cigar. :angry:

 

[bimmer635csi]

After a few hours of drinks being delivered by one of the most beautiful woman I have ever seen ...

Where's the pictures?

 

[BlindedByScience]

If there's one thing that seems almost universal is that cigars purchased in bars, even fine upscale bars, tend to be poorly cared for. Not sure what the exact reason is; my guess is that most of the Joe Schmuck's out there wouldn't know a good cigar if it kicked them in the tailpipe. Too bad, to be sure. I'm with you guys - I never head out without at least a couple of good smokes in the Otter Box. I have a nice slim five count and a fifteen count that do the job nicely. While out and about, it's interesting in that I have had folks come up and offer to buy a smoke from me on more than one occasion. Always fun to turn someone on to a good stick....

While on the subject of travel humidors, I purchased small leather drawstring pouches for both my humidors that are the absolute best place to put a cutter and a lighter. Always have them, makes them hard to forget. A great "upgrade" for you mobile humidors..... :thumbs:

Cheers - B.B.S.

 

[gtadroptop]

That does suck, but keep it in perspective. After reading the title and first few lines of your post, I thought the inevitable 'I'm now a victim of downsizing' line was coming.

 

[thatsonofa]

I guess I can chalk this one up to inexperience also. This trip was a couple weeks before I joined CP, and I can honestly say that in just a month here I have learned so much about cigars. Had I already been a member I would have probably been better prepared for my trip.

 

[Niko]

That does suck, but keep it in perspective. After reading the title and first few lines of your post, I thought the inevitable 'I'm now a victim of downsizing' line was coming.

x2 I thought we had another victim of our wonderful economy.