Exceeding Expectations
Welcome to the sixty-sixth edition of “In-Touch”. As always, I would love to continue the conversation so please let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Story of the Week: “Exceeding Expectations”
During a brief visit to Athens last week, I found myself in Syntagma Square outside the Hotel Grande Bretagne. A taxi had just arrived at the main entrance but it appeared that, for some reason, the female passenger couldn’t pay the driver. As I tried to work out what was happening, the hotel doorman suddenly rushed down the steps, spoke to the taxi driver and immediately paid the woman’s bill. She, of course, seemed thrilled by his action and she hadn’t even checked in yet.
I later discovered that the woman had travelled to Greece with a credit card and some of her home country’s currency but no euros. Unluckily for her, the taxi driver who had picked her up only accepted cash (meaning euros). Luckily for her, however, she was staying at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, which not only rescued her from an awkward situation but offered her the option of charging the fare to her room or paying it in cash once she had obtained some euros.
Every ‘luxury’ hotel — such a description usually means that it is an expensive one — is expected to provide top-notch amenities, tastefully decorated rooms, sumptuous meals and so on. What makes this particular one stand out, however, is the spirit of empathy and hospitality that pervades every interaction between staff and guests. Each employee — from the attentive concierge to the diligent housekeeper and, as I saw for myself, the quick-thinking doorman — embodies this ethos of caring. It is these human connections that forge lasting memories, turning a hotel stay into an unforgettable experience.
When they find themselves at home again, guests of the Hotel Grande Bretagne will certainly remember its unique style and décor but their most lasting memories will undoubtedly be of the staff’s kindness, the genuine smiles that greeted them daily and the personal attention that made them feel as if they really belonged there.
Words of Wisdom
Angelou on leaving a positive memory behind
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Maya Angelou
A Question to Ponder, dear friend.
“Have you a lasting memory of how a hotel’s member of staff made your stay very special?”
Thank you very much,
Michael R. Virardi
www.michaelvirardi.com
