Ten strange requests from hotel guests (From Travel Industry Today) 20 AUG 2009:  Those of us in this industry know that some of the questions we receive on a daily basis can be right off the wall.  Regardless of the sector we represent, we hear some (let’s be kind and call them curious) comments and questions.  We thought it might be fun to publish them occasionally, so let’s begin with hotels – and yes, they are all true – who could make this stuff up? Can you "turn down" the ocean? The crashing waves at Gran Hotel Elba Estepona & Thalasso Spa irritated a guest so much, he asked the hotel staff if there was anything they could do about it. There wasn't. Can I get a New York Cheesecake? From New York? At Vila Vita Parc Resort & Spa (Portugal), a guest craved cheesecake- and made the staff order one from New York.  New York cheesecake made in Portugal was unacceptable. Can I leave the door open? A guest at Tarik Aksoy Midtown Hotel, in Istanbul was apparently feeling claustrophobic and asked for his door to be left open while he slept.  He also wanted security guards stationed outside his room. Can we get a separate room for our dog?  A couple at Swiss Diamond Hotel Olivella wanted two executive deluxe suites-one for them, and one for their "beautiful dog."  Don’t get any ideas, Charlie. How much for the bed? At Shanghai Mansion, a pair of guests liked their bed so much, they wanted the whole thing-including the silk pillows-boxed up and sent to Europe. Can you draw me a milk bath? A male guest at Premier Palace in Kiev, Ukraine, not only wanted to bathe in milk, he insisted the milk to poured should come from glass bottles. The hotel managed to comply, but only after a hotel staff member spent several hours in milk purchasing. Question: What do you figure - cold or hot? Can you cut the feet off my bed? At Hotel Puente Romano in Marbella, a VIP guest felt his bed was much too high, and wanted the legs cut down. The staff declined - but offered a vaulting pole.  (That last bit about the pole is a joke – I just liked the visual). Can I bury my dog in your garden? The answer is “no”.  There is an old pet cemetery on the grounds of Swiss hotel Beau-Rivage Palace, but it's no longer in use. Can we get an Ocean View? Amazingly a travel agent passed along this request to the former Sand’s hotel in Las Vegas. There was a momentary pause and then a cool response, “Sorry, our hotel is just not that high.” and finally, my personal favourite.... Can you cut holes in my sheets? An American singer staying at Dom Pedro Palace, Lisbon requested that three holes had to be made in the bedsheets in order for her to sleep in them.  Why do you suppose she wanted this done – and where did she want the  holes cut?  Was she a secret KKK member? Did she want to play ghost?  I don’t want to contemplate anything else...except...wouldn’t you love to know who it is?