Imported Pages/The Hotel St. Jude



The Hotel St. Jude is a venerable establishment of some eight stories, set in an older section of the city. It has borne the name since the 1950s, and is officially the property of a blind trust, though the manager is known to be one Hans Dekker. And in the supernatural community, it is known that M. Dekker offers the services of the hotel exclusively to members of that community.

In style, the hotel has painstakingly restored to that of the late 1920s. Behind an ever-present sidewalk sign ("The Hotel St. Jude regrets the lack of vacancies at this time. -- The Management"), a revolving door with a sharp-eyed doorman brings one into the spacious lobby, two stories high and surrounded by a mezzanine at the second floor. Tasteful if dated artwork lines the walls amid the polished woodwork, and the plush Indian-patterned carpet brings one to the front desk. There are no electronic keycards in the St. Jude; proper old keys hang before dozens of boxes behind the desk, which is staffed at all times by a well-groomed concierge (and with a capped bellboy not far away).

A door marked "Employees Only" is locked to the side of the desk; however, guest may depart the lobby via either the elegant cage elevator or a curved stair that leads to the mezzanine. Side double-doors to either side of the lobby lead to a pair of ballrooms (both in vintage art-deco motif).

Guest rooms are in suite format, given the long-term nature of many stays. As elsewhere, they retain the stylings of the 1920s, though modern amenities such as televisions and small refrigerators are provided.

The hotel staff is renown amongst the exclusive clientele for their ability to provide almost anything one may request or require, no matter how mundane or bizarre. Of course, a service fee is to be expected, particularly for the more difficult items.

The manager makes a point of personally greeting each guest at some point during their stay, but unless otherwise requested or invited is otherwise an unassuming figure in the background of the hotel's operations.

NOTE: All guests to the hotel are required to acknowledge the rules: ''Welcome to the Hotel St. Jude. The following are the House Rules: ''1. The Management reserves the right to deny lodgings to anyone, for any reason of the Management's choosing. 2. The Guests are inviolate; bring no offence to a fellow Guest. ''3. The Guests are confidential; speak not of fellow Guests outside this establishment. ''4. The Guests are private; pry not into their particulars without explicit invitation. ''5. Respect the establishment; prompt recompense shall be requested and required for any damage to the Hotel. ''Thank you for observing these Rules, and please enjoy your stay. - The Management''