William Sidney Porter, or O. Henry, was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was a prolific author who wrote two of my favorite stories; The Gift of the Magi and The Ransom of Red Chief. I would recommend both of these if you have not already read them. Greensboro celebrates him all over town with statues, etc.
I had the opportunity to stay at the O. Henry Hotel for one evening recently. The theme of the hotel is, of course, O. Henry. The lobby has text from The Gift of the Magi around it's walls. In addition, in the room is a complimentary copy of some of his writings.
I actually called the Proximity Hotel reservation desk to schedule a room, but they put me in the O. Henry instead so be careful when scheduling that you get the correct hotel. Not that this was a hardship for the several hundred dollars per night. The room was clean and comfortable and the view was great. I must say that the bathroom was the best part. Separate shower and bathtub, sink and toilet in one black and white tiled room. Granite countertops. There was an anteroom with a sink and coffee pot. I must have been impressed because I didn't take any room pictures, only the bathroom!
On the wall were two drawings of both the original hotel and the current building.
And finally, the view was beautiful of the sunset.
All-in-all it was a great night's sleep and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and the breakfast at McDonald's with my daughter, Lauren. Thanks for the great idea, Lauren, and the gift of the "Night at the Hotel"!
I've started reading him on and off -- got a complete works for my Kindle. His first book, "Cabbages and Kings" about a small Central American town is interesting because each chapter can stand alone like a short story, but there are themes and characters that weave through the whole book.
ReplyDeleteI will have to try that one next. Sounds interesting!
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