I recently watched the NetFlix miniseries Ripley, based on the novel The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. In the final episode, Tom Ripley stays at the Palazzo Contarini Polignac in Venice. The Palazzo, as it appeared in Ripley, has the look of a grand mansion. It reminded me that I used to stay in a mansion some years ago. Twice.
Flashback to Houston, TX on May 28, 2016. This was before AirBnB. I walked into the front door of The Morty Rich Hostel. My reservation was already confirmed, and I was given the access code to the room where I would be sleeping. I was expecting to start work on June 7 in San Antonio and needed a place to layover that was less expensive than a motel. Morty Rich showed up as the least expensive place then, but required room sharing with hostelers each having their own bed. My then plight necessitated reduction of expenses, so hostel stay was the sound course of action. The only downside was two-week maximum stay limit. Sadly, Morty Rich is now permanently closed.
From the outside, Morty Rich looked like a historic mansion. Built in 1925, HAR.com listed it as a 3-story, 6167 sq ft single residence with five designated bedrooms – all located on the second floor – seven full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, and a swimming pool. The surrounding area was a mixed of single residences of various sizes and multi-story residential properties, some were gated. Morty Rich was somewhat unremarkable if it wasn’t for the signpost on the front lawn identifying its business.
On the inside, a main corridor separated the house into two sections each with its own entrance. The front desk was located to the right behind the flight of stairs. The left entrance was to a large living room furnished with lounge chairs, a fireplace and a computer station. In the middle photo below, the white double doors on the far end opened to a recreational room consisting of a mini library and a pool table. Between the double doors and the fireplace was a single door with "1" marked on it. That door opened to a dorm room with double bunk beds and lockers. All the dorm rooms were numbered.
The living room adjoined a sunroom (above right), which had a door that opened to a swimming pool. During my two stays at Morty Rich – 12 days total in May and November – I did not see anyone use the pool. I tried to hang out there but the mosquitoes proved to be too much for me. Same with the gazebo behind the pool. Good place to chill but for the mosquitoes. Next to the gazebo was a shack but I doubt anyone stayed in there.
So it was back to the main corridor, past it and to the right entrance to the dining room. When I wasn't sleeping in the bedroom or had some place to go, the dining room – specifically the corner table near the two windows – was where I hung out. The AC outlet was conveniently located by the wall for my laptop. Along with free wifi, I was all set. The coffee pot was always filled throughout the day, and the mugs freshly washed. On a few occasions where my preferred spot was taken, I hung out in the living room until the spot was available or my laptop ran out of juice.
The dining room had another door leading to a small area with a pantry on one side and the front desk on the other. Past that was the kitchen. There were loaves of bread every morning with jars of peanut butter and jelly, along with tableware and silverware. Utensils were provided for anyone that wanted to cook. Hostelers were responsible for cleaning up after ourselves.
My room was all-male. Located on the second floor, the room had three double bunk beds. The beds were numbered. Mine was on the top bunk closest to the room door. There were an equal number of small lockers for the beds. My backpack fitted into the locker, but my small luggage couldn't. I tried to position the luggage so that it wouldn't obstruct foot traffic, opened it only when I had to (change of clothes, toiletries, etc.), and kept it locked at all times.
A separate flight of stairs led from the second floor to the third floor where there were two rooms with bunk beds. I recalled seeing a full bathroom and a small living area with chairs and a TV, but did not recall seeing any provisions for food and beverage in the living area. Though it seemed secluded enough, it was quite a walk to go down to the first floor, get what was needed and return to the third floor. Not for me. I preferred to chill on the first floor.
The hostelers were mostly from out of state and – judging by the accents – many were from out of the country. Some had large backpacks. Everyone minded their own business and were respectful of each other's space. When I had a phone call and needed privacy and quiet, I went to the pool, outside the mansion or to a bathroom. Speaking of bathroom, I used a common one on the same floor as my room. Despite the high occupancy in Morty Rich, I was never told to hurry up while in the bathroom. Other rooms had their own full bathrooms, but I didn't know which ones did. The first floor probably had a full bathroom close to the pool, and definitely had a half bathroom at the back. On one occasion, I was using that half-bathroom when the front-desk clerk came knocking. She said she had to go, and I was in a conference call. So I got out, went outside and continued the call.
The almost non-stop chatter and foot traffic was a needed distraction given what I was going through. I didn't want to be alone, yet I was left alone. Almost. One lady was in Houston for some training and asked me for help in looking for a place to rent. I had a peculiar feeling about it as she recently arrived from Africa, appeared to be in the second trimester of pregnancy, and was by herself. I showed her Craigslist and some websites that posted rental listings, and wished her luck. Had I been in a better place, I would have been a better help. I had someplace to go the following week, not to mention being filled with turmoil.
Morty Rich's location in the Montrose neighborhood – next to Downtown – made it quite a hassle to get to (and out of). Traffic was heavy. A commute by personal vehicle heading west to either Hwy 6 or Sugar Land took at least 40 minutes – without tolls – during business hours. On the plus side, there was no shortage of city amenities. Restaurants within walking distance were aplenty. There was an H-E-B store within a 5-minute commute. I got what I needed and went to a nearby laundromat to do my laundry. The laundromat was within a 5-minute walk from Morty Rich but I drove there anyway.
My second stay at Morty Rich was over the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2016. Up till then, I stayed in motels (with complimentary hot breakfast) for one-night stays because of the necessity of sleeping in and waking up late the next morning – I had to drive back and start my graveyard shift later that night. Since I was required to be in Houston from Nov 17 to Nov 21 – four nights – and didn't have to sleep in, the hostel won out. Initially assigned to a co-ed room, it was changed to an all-male one on the day before check-in. I was still in turmoil at almost the same level as in the previous stay.
When I arrived, I got the same room number and the same bed as my previous stay. I brought a sports bag that fitted into the locker. First night was challenging because some roommates wanted to make their conversations but wouldn't take it out of the room. Fortunately, it ended before midnight and the lights went out.
The night before check-out, I treated myself to some sushi. I can say with at most 80% certainly that I went to Osaka Japanese Restaurant. It was a 5-minute walk from Morty Rich and I recalled crossing Westheimer Rd to get there and back. I probably ordered the Assorted Sushi because it was the cheapest of the combos. Whenever I have sushi, I mix wasabi with black sauce on a small dish, filling it at 3/4 full. The sushi is immersed in the mix and then consumed. If my nose does not feel the burn, add more wasabi; if the burn is overpowering, add more black sauce. The Assorted Sushi was enjoyable, another much welcomed distraction alongside the hostel atmosphere.
Overall, it was a generally pleasant stay both times at Morty Rich. They were my only experience staying in a mansion. I didn't mind sacrificing some privacy for the lower price. Starting 2017, I used AirBnB for my remaining trips back to Houston. It wasn't until early 2021 that I patronized hostels again.
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