It’s the end of year, and that means it’s time for Domain Name Wire’s annual Domain Dunce awards.
Let’s kick things off with a smelly situation.
By all accounts the Hotel des Almadies, which housed attendees of ICANN’s meeting at its recent meeting in Dakar, Senegal earlier this year, was far from luxury.
Attendees complained of rats, security concerns, air conditioning issues, and non-working showers.
That prompted Barbara Ann Clay, ICANN’s Vice President for Communications, to write a nastygram to Senegal’s Minister of Communication asking for compensation for guests. Attached to the letter was a 20 page report from ICANN’s at-large committee (ALAC).
But before the hotel or Minister of Communication could respond, ICANN retracted its complaint, writing that the letter was sent without appropriate buy-in from ICANN’s leadership.
Oops.
Below: a staircase at the Hotel des Almadies, which ALAC labeled “A dark, steep Staircase” and complained of a “tripping risk”.
jp says
Dude, what the heck is wrong with ICANN, they hv ther meetings at these crazy places for the organization that they are, all in 3rd world countries that aren’t even known as being a resort or tourist destination. If it’s gonna be 3rd world, at least go to a third world country that has a tourism side to it so at least the hotels are more likely to be up to standard. Suggestions: Bangkok, Phuket, Bali, Tahiti, costa Rica (2nd world think there).
If you have a meeting in an developed nation with undeveloped tourism then what do you expect. I’m sure all these places have really nice stuff too and great people but c’mon, you run the Internet folks.
Kevin says
Whomever manages the travel should have been fired… a quick look at trip adviser would have turned up many gems like this:
My company organized a meeting at this hotel with around 40 staff staying there. Within one day we were calling it “hotel des maladies” (hotel of sickness). It was horrible, horrible, horrible.
The rooms are dark and smell. The first room they gave me had mold in the floor of the closet, and the air con didn’t work.
The light is horrible and there is not a lot of space, so don’t think you’ll be able to effectively work in your room if you are there on business. There were 2 safes in my room, neither worked. There is no business center.
Breakfast is underwhelming — a lot of bread, not much of a selection of fruit or hot food.
Most of all, the mosquitoes were insufferable! They certainly don’t spray the premises, and mosquitoes are everywhere.
I’m with JP – try for sometime a little less 3rd world like Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong or Malaysia.