Travel: Hotel racket

BRIAN FEATHERSTONE, who writes from Geneva, is a man who has taken more than he can bear. 'Please appeal to the international hotel industry to act as soon as possible to counter the increasing noise pollution caused by late-night, midnight, all- night television, especially in those fine establishments that provide 24-hour news channels for people who have just got off the plane . . .'

Not all hotel guests are insomniacs, he writes. 'Nor are they all hyped up by jet-lag. Most appreciate a normal night's sleep whenever possible. Could not the direct sound from television sets in hotel rooms be cut off, say at 11pm local time, and provided thereafter through earphones?'

Noisy neighbours in hotels (and they can engage in noisier activities than watching CNN) is also something that gets me annoyed. When really exasperated I ring my neighbour up and play the sound of the TV back at him down the phone in the hope that he gets the point.

If that has no effect, the only option is revenge. There is a special pleasure in giving somebody a wholly unwanted alarm call at five in the morning (and again at 5.30am, 6am, 6.30am etc). Revenge is sweet.