Unlimited Hospitality

The first thing I noticed was the burn hole in the wallpaper next to the telephone in the bathroom and when I walked into the bedroom the drawer with the Bible was open. I didn’t touch it! I swear! I went over and closed it and a few minutes later it was open again…What could this possibly mean? Was this a divine calling to get out of there?

Well, that’s how it all started. 30 years of cigarette smoke embedded in the wallpaper of a dirty hotel room.

Hey, I get it. I’m a little bit spoiled. As a speaker, I stay in a lot of nice hotels and by nice, I don’t always mean 4 and 5-Star, I mean clean.

But it was late when I got there and

Oh shit!

There’s a dead bug in the corner and I don’t mean a fly, water bug or moth, 

I mean the kind you just don’t want to see anywhere, let alone the place you are supposed to sleep.

And that I didn’t

I tried and failed

but, I’m a pro

I glammed up 

and

spoke at the event.

The event and the people were absolutely wonderful!

I went back to the hotel starving.

With much trepidation and no choice, I went to the hotel restaurant.

Bad Bad Bad decision

A bug in my food

I don’t mean a fly, water bug or moth.

Needless to say, I didn’t pay for lunch.

I sat in the lobby and desperately looked for another place to stay.

I found a brand I trust,

checked out and kindly shared my concerns with the front desk employee.

I felt bad for him that his training only equipped him with an "I'm sorry."

I thought about how it must feel to be him with an irate guest, vulnerable, exposed and helpless. 

I was that person in my early hotel career.

I assured him that I knew it wasn't his fault and gently asked if he could please share my concerns.

I took an Uber to the extended stay property.

I was greeted by Miss Yashica, General Manager, Miss Dominique, Guest Services Supervisor and Miss Brenda, Breakfast Attendant with so much warmth and hospitality.

I went up to my very clean room and soon realized I had forgotten my pajamas at the other hotel.

I called and confirmed they had found my pjs at the other hotel and asked if they could put them in an Uber for me to avoid an additional charge of my having to go back there. The answer was “No, we don’t do that. We can send them C.O.D.”

There was nowhere to go to buy some new pjs and I didn’t want to sleep in my clothes. I was going to call an Uber to pick them up and shared my dilemma with Miss Yashica, who quickly responded,

“One of my employees will be coming from that direction. I’ll have her pick them up.”

WOW! 

My pjs were delivered,

I provided a generous gratuity,

and 

once again, it was confirmed

that hospitality isn’t service,

hospitality is the way you make people feel.