On The Road in January to New York, Las Vegas, Tucson, Santa Monica, San Diego, New Orleans, Miami, Montreal, Quebec City, and Minto, New Brunswick, January 18-February 6
This entry was posted on 2/6/2008 10:28 AM and is filed under uncategorized.
For me, the month of January 2008 represented the single most intensive month of business travel of my 17 year training career, during which I presented 20 days of training in 17 cities throughout the US and Canada. (My previous record – matched only twice – was 13 days of training in a month.) But for myself and my team at KTN, this also represented a major opportunity, as we were rolling out a major brand-sponsored reservations training for Loews Hotels that was time-sensitive due to a simultaneous reservations system training/cutover. Thankfully I have not only some true superstar employees to keep things going in my absence, but also an incredibly supportive and loving wife Cathy who was always waiting there patiently at home upon my returns and also wonderful children who are now mature enough to understand that their dad has to sometimes make sacrifices. And best of all, in the middle of the month I got to rendezvous with Cathy when we attended a friend's daughter's wedding in New York. Here's a picture of us that evening:
I was especially thankful also to have such a wonderful client such as Loews Hotels, and all of my client contacts did as much as they could to maximize my efficiency and to make it as easy as possible for me to keep up such an intense schedule. First, they arranged the schedule of locations so it would be as easy as possible for me to travel between stops, and some hotels even changed their start times according to how late I was arriving or how early I had to leave. The home office team did a fabulous job on the room set-ups, and every single meeting room I walked into was completely set exactly as I’d requested, including some rather complicated A/V needs.
I have never received more genuine, authentic welcome notes with my amenities, which were always a welcome treat after a long day of training and an evening of travel. Each note was personally written, and not just the standard “welcome to our hotel, hope you enjoy your stay” messages.
Beyond this, I also got to indulge in the supremely comfortable guest rooms and enjoy uniquely local dining options, décor, and overall hotel ambiance. This is one hotel brand that makes its “mission statement” (they call it a Brand Promise) come to life for each and every guest, every transaction, every day. I have to say I’ve become a bit spoiled now by all this, and I’m sure it will be a rude awaking next month when I return to staying in more typical upscale hotels.
There are so many individuals to thank and appreciate, such as all 16 doormen who greeted me upon arrival, all 16 front desk associates who remembered to warmly welcome me before asking for my name or if I had a reservation upon arrival. I’ll always remember Brian, my room service waiter at the Don Cesar Loews Resort who after delivering my tray asked “What Can I get you for your room Mr. Kennedy? Perhaps some extra pillows?” Or Jane, the room service operator who after I pre-ordered my room service breakfast asked if I needed a wake-up call! I’ll also remember Kierry the concierge who somehow got me a seat on the sold-out non-stop train to Quebec City (saving me three extra hours taking a bus on a snowy highway.) But I’ll never ever forget how it felt to arrive in Quebec City late at night in the middle of a blinding snowstorm and white-out conditions. After waiting 45 minutes in a taxi line then walking back inside to avoid frostbite, Lise, one of their Regional Directors of Revenue Management, talked a hotel employee into coming to rescue me, riding along personally to greet me with a badly-needed hug! (Not to mention she shared a drink in the bar afterwards despite how late it was, so that I could unwind and actually be able to sleep.)
So thanks to all of the associates at all levels at Loews Hotels for making my marathon month of training entirely sane and doable. My team and I at KTN look forward to working with you all for many years to come. Below are pictures with me and the various Loews reservations teams I trained this month.
Loews Lake Las Vegas Loews Ventana Canyon, Tucson
Loews Santa Monica Loews Coronado Bay, San Diego
Loews New Orleans Loews Miami - Group One
Loews Miami Beach - Group Two Loews Vogue, Montreal
Loews Le Concorde, Quebec City Loews Central Reservations, Minto, New Brunswick (Day One)
Loews Central Reservations, Minto, New Brunswick (Days Two and Three)
