December wasted no time in getting me back on the road as on Monday, December 3 I was back on a plane, this time a nice easy non-stop flight to Baltimore followed by a short drive to Dover, Delaware, where I was to conduct training for both hospitality/guest service training for the front desk staff and also sales training for the reservations team from the four-diamond Dover Downs Casino Hotel.  Having just completed a new addition and renovation, I had a beautiful guest room overlooking their NASCAR (and harness racing) track.  I’d always heard what a popular spectator sport that auto racing was, but when I looked outside my window and saw their stadium that seats something like 200,000 people, it really hit home.  The hotel was decorated for the holidays, and I really started feeling like I was getting in the Christmas spirit this trip.  How nice it was to meet and work with their Director of Sales, Ned Blair, who is surely a rising star in the field of hotel sales/marketing in our industry.  Ned not only possesses the usual qualities of a successful sales superstar, such as enthusiasm, optimism, and creativity, but his whole persona embodies the spirit of hospitality.  It was great to meet and work with their front desk and reservations teams respectively that day as they look beyond “good” and reach for “great” as a next step in their journey to excellence.  Here’s a picture of me with the reservations team that day:

 

After a few office days it was time for another trip, but this one was a special leisure trip.  Having been invited by Loews to experience being a guest at one of their hotels, Cathy and I decided that we would take Julia and her closest neighborhood friends away to the Loews Miami Beach hotel for a sleepover party for her 10^th birthday.  But then Cathy’s job duties had to take precedent, as she had a major e-learning project to complete for Marriott before the end of the year, so at the last minute she just couldn’t make it as she’d have to work all weekend.  So as I pulled our minivan into the Porte-cochere at the Loews in Miami that Friday it was just me and five kids, including of course my Julia and Adam, along with Morgan, Reece, and Sammi, ages ranging from 8 to 11.  Wouldn’t you know it that it turned out to be Art Basel weekend, which is one of the biggest art shows in the world apparently and which fills all the hotels a very trendy,  hip, and very adult crowd.  Yet as we entered the lobby that day, the Loews staff extended the most welcoming arrival I’ve ever experienced as a guest.

Not only was my entourage greeted with enthusiasm by the bellstaff, but there were also greeters on hand in the lobby distributing Oreo Cookies dipped in white and dark chocolate along with freshly made smoothies!  We spent at least 15 minutes just enjoying the scene before proceeding to check-in.  What a patient front desk associate we had, and he even delivered special “Loews Loves Kids” welcome amenities to each of my charges.  The best part was that when we got to our ocean front room my Julia found not only a birthday cake and balloons, but two cards.  One was a pop-up card specifically for a 10 year old, and the other was a High School Musical card signed personally by at least 20 front office staff, each of which wrote directly to my Julia. Throughout me weekend stay I found this staff incredibly genuine, engaging, and truly interested in making our stay an unforgettable one.  From the houseman who somehow fit a rollaway into our double bedded room, to my new Turkish friend Salvo at the pool, who even scolded the kids for me when they started jumping off the fountain into the pool, to Patricia the bartender, with whom I enjoyed engaging in some “grown up” conversation for a change that weekend while I snuck away to the bar for a “grown-up smoothie,” everyone was extremely personable.  Here’s a picture of Julia (holding the card), my son Adam (top right), and their friends that day.

                                    

After dropping the kids back at their mom’s house that Sunday afternoon I headed straight for the laceName w:st="on">MiamilaceName> laceType w:st="on">AirportlaceType>, for the first of two consecutive trips to Bermuda.   During my first trip I conducted a training needs assessment for the reservations and front desk departments, and then a week later I returned to present a customized training for the staff there.  Although I’ve traveled extensively in the Caribbean, I had never been to Bermuda before so that alone was exciting.  But when I arrived at the airport I knew right away that this a Caribbean/North Atlantic destination like no other.  What an incredibly beautiful, clean, friendly, and safe feeling destination!  I’ve never met more polite people in public, excepting maybe Singapore a few years back, and everyone was well spoken and hospitable.  Upon arrival at the Cambridge Beaches resort I was instantly impressed by my warm and genuine welcome upon arrival.  It was a beautiful night, so after getting to my cottage I had to step outside, despite a bit of a chill in the fresh tropical air.  The stars were incredible, and it made me realize just how long it had been since I’d been able to gaze at the stars far away from a city at night to be able to see the Milky Way, the Local Group, and of course all the planets and constellations I’d learned about in grade school.  What was really neat was that while I was gazing up out of nowhere a huge owl comes screeching down out of the sky, talons extended, headed straight for me! 

During the assessment and training I got to meet Heather de Franchesco, their Director of Sales, with whom I really connected right away.  This was partly because of her background in the front office and revenue management, and her passion for sales, but it was also because she is such a true “hospitality industry personality” in the purest sense.  And what a beautiful resort!  Nearly every room or suite has incredible views of the beach, ocean, the reefs surrounding Bermuda, and in the distance the North Atlantic.  Most have just been remodeled, as this resort re-positions itself as an even more upscale, exclusive, ultra-luxury property.    Here’s a picture of the view outside my cottage and also one of me with the front office and reservations team that day: 

                         

While there I met so many incredible hospitality superstars including a couple who I would personally rate as the top in our entire industry, such as Mr. Dey, the Captain in their main restaurant, who I have to say is the most personable, genuine, and likeable hotel employee that I recall having in recent memory.  Not only did Dey and I have some great conversations while I was dining alone in the restaurant, but I saw him interacting with other guests in the same manner.  In fact on my second night while I was dining alone, he somehow managed to get me interacting with an older couple at the next table, who subsequently invited me to join them for dessert and great conversation about politics, religion, and healthcare reform, which it turned out we shared a lot of opinions on.  The defining moment was when Dey actually called me in my cottage to check and see if I would be coming down for dinner, reminding me that the kitchen would be closing in 20 minutes, a fact I’d accidentally overlooked due to a one hour time difference!  During my second visit I had the great pleasure to be served a drink from Harry the bartender, with whom I shared some very interesting conversation.  I had stopped by merely to get a sandwich and drink to take back to my room, but when Harry invited me to stay and enjoy it there we ended up engaging in a long conversation that started with the history of rock and roll and continued on into our philosophies on education.  It turns out that Harry is only a part-timer, and his main job is to be Assistant Principle and English teacher at one of the local area private schools, which happens to be where many famous acting couples drop off their children personally on most days.  He’s retiring after this year and moving to Thailand, and Harry I wish you many years of continued success and happiness. Here's my picture with Harry (to my right) and other associates at the event mentioned below:

                                 

For me, the best part was that my main contact Heather invited me to attend the resort’s annual employee holiday party.  At first I declined, thinking that this was a private affair and that she was just being polite, but after I’d connected with so many of their associates during my stay and during my workshops, I found myself agreeing to take her up on the offer.  Little did I know that and her friend would pick me up personally so I could ride to the party with them.  What a beautiful spot it was for their party, which was being held at Pompano Beach Resort overlooking the North Atlantic.  Their staff had done a fabulous job of decorating the room, and I’ve never seen a more engaging GM who served as the Master of Ceremonies for the awards segment of the evening, and who also lead the employees in the first few rounds of line dancing!  I was even more glad I’d happened to attend, as my new friend Dey was awarded Employee of the Year for 2007!  Here’s my picture with Dey, along with one of Heather de Franchesco and I (below right).  The third photo (below left) is of me with two of the front desk associates Tyneisha and Florenta.  

                            

                     

After returning from Cambridge Beaches it was wonderful to be off the road for the rest of the year!  I was back just in time to make it to both Julia’s and Adam’s holiday class parties again this year, and we even had one last weekend to finish the rest of the Christmas shopping and errands before the big day.