This question is slightly tongue-in-cheek and slightly serious as well.

I was reviewing London hotels looking for a place to stay. I found a hotel website that had a list of room amenities.

The first one listed was a fire escape.
Is that a feature that is so unusual in London hotel rooms that it commands attention as an amenity?

I think of a fire escape as a legal requirement that would be classed as an absolute necessity.

perhaps it's a hotel that has so little going for itself that they think having a fire escape is really great...or maybe, the hotel is in such bad shape that a fire escape is an amenitie....because it will help you run for your life!

I don't know where you normally stay, brookwood, but I can't remember the last hotel I stayed in that had a fire escape out my window! In fact, have I ever stayed at a hotel with one?

What hotel was this?

I have seen smoke detectors listed as an amenity, and I think it's quite true that many European hotels do not have them in the rooms.

Do they mention providing free doors and windows also?

Elaine - Do you think he should check for floors and walls as well

That at least would make a whole room

Sorry Brookwood - I don't know why I assumed you're male - my apologies if I'm wrong

The meaning of 'fire escape' is probably that the hotel allows the fire to escape but not the guests!

Agree with Patrick - donl;t think I've ever stayed in a hotel with a fire escape. Typically you would find these only in very small, older hotels - anything above 4/5 stories won;t have them - nor any modern buidling which would have fire stairs.

Given today's events, the availability of a fire escape doesn't seem like such a silly thing to note after all.

Agreee that its important to know how to get out of a hotel in case of fire - I always check on this as soon as I get to my room.

But modern or high-rise hotels have sprinkler systems and enclosed fire stairs for leaving the building - not old-fashioned fire escapes. The latter would be useless anyway - imagine climbing 30 flights of stairs down the outside of a burning building - and there weould never be enough of them to provide access from every room anyway.

Of course that's what a modern hotel would have, but the worst case is to have an old hotel with only a single exit and no fire escapes, as appears to be the case with the doomed Paris hotel. An old hotel with a fire escape is obviously better than an old hotel with none, although a modern up-to-code hotel is undoubtedly safest of all.