How they spell out the word “JOY” at the Mission Valley Hilton

Dear Matthew Alice: How does the Mission Valley Hilton manage to spell out the word “JOY” every holiday season in 'what appear to be its lighted windows? Do they.perhaps have rock-bottom room rates for guests who agree to keep the light on all night Can you enLIGHTen us? (Ho, ho, ho.) Penny Hawkins, Point Loma

Ho, ho, boo to lame puns. Penny. Nevertheless, the Hiulton gave us an answer. It takes roughly 80 windows to spell out “JOY,” from a totaI of 350 rooms. In the hotel biz in general, Christmas is a low-occupancy time — no conventions, and most of us enduring obligatory visits with our dysfunctional relatives, in the true spirit of the season. Finding 80 empty rooms is usually no problem; guests are assigned non-JOY locations. But if there's some sorehead who demands accommodations in the middle of die “Y,” the Hilton will oblige him. Because JOY is spelled out with table lamps in the windows, not with ceiling fixtures, light can be blocked from the room with heavy draperies. The hotel simply asks if Mr. Sorehead would join in the spirit and leave the lamp on. So if this year you see a gaping space in mid-JOY, you know the room’s rented to Scrooge.