While I always try to remember and appreciate how incredibly blessed I am to work in the hospitality industry, I felt a special gratitude on this occasion as Jeff Webb, the General Manager, had generously offered to accommodate us for the entire 10 day!  I had met Jeff only a few months back when I was a speaker at a Hilton/Embassy Suites regional GM/DOS meeting, so when I called him to see if he could help with an industry rate I was amazed when his first words were “you will be my guest,” adding that he is an avid reader of my monthly columns and frequently uses them to train his staff, so he wanted to extend this gesture.  When I offered to conduct a training class for him, he insisted it would have to be on another time because he didn’t want to disrupt my vacation.   

What a privilege it was to be a guest at Jeff’s hotel those 10 days!  My wife Cathy, who is also a 20 year veteran of the hotel industry and consequently also a frequent traveler, agreed wholeheartedly with my assessment that this was one of our very best hotel experiences ever!  Not only does this hotel have a great “physical product” and incredibly efficient and flexible service, but each and every associate we encountered delivered hospitality generously and authentically with zero defect. 

Our Adam and Julia are still talking about how Sandy spoiled them in the restaurant each morning with chocolate milk and extra whipped cream on their waffles.  We’ll never forget Allie from housekeeping who worked service around our unpredictable schedules each day and never complained about the mountain of towels we used.  Here’s a picture of the kids with Sandy and one of Julia’s stuffed animal family, each of which received their own chocolate mint from Allie during turn-down service!