Airlines and hotels can nail the basics and still feel forgettable. It's the small, unexpected touches — a fixed collar, a free snack vault, a splash of milk — that actually stick.
Why cant you eat pork?
I think he said he doesn't eat pork because they're smart. Or maybe they're cute because they're smart.
After he has found coffee, I'm sure he'll chime back in 😉
I absolutely agree. Mid scale hotels have struck well above their class when they offer small hospitality touches I wouldn’t expect.
The front desk at a Courtyard modified my reservation after the cancellation deadline due to a missed flight connection. They didn’t charge me for that night, but still held my room for arrival anytime the next morning. The clerk working the front desk greeted me by name during my stay, it wasn’t anything extraordinary but that sticks with me.
Same with Hampton back in the 2010 era. The front desk would bake those Otis Spunkenmeyer cookies in the evenings. They hinted at putting a fresh batch in the oven as I left for dinner, so there’d be warm cookies when I got back. I’m sure they told everyone that, but it felt nice and warm, that someone was thinking about me.
A southern US property greeted me with ice cold waters on a warmer spring day. There was no, “here’s your two bottles of water per your Hilton status”, but just a warm, southern US greeting with waters since it was hot outside. And he absolutely gave me more than the allowable 2 when someone else in my party arrived.
That same property apologized to my travel companion when she asked for medical tape since she ran over her toe with the luggage cart. They couldn’t find any in the first aid kit, but they insisted on comping the room under the Hampton guarantee. Not because of anything they messed up on, but because they felt like they should have had medical tape in the first aid kit. In her words, “it was my own klutzy fault!”.
Hospitality is absolutely on the margins. You’ll remember the good and the bad, and every other cookie cutter property just blends into the middle. Unfortunately with properties not valuing their staff, it just becomes a soulless stay.
I've never stayed at any luxury hotel. However, my most memorable stay was at a simple airport Hampton inn.
Upon checking in, I went to my room and discovered it hadn't been cleaned. Went back to the front desk, they assigned me another room and I thought that was the end of it.
About 30 mins later, housekeeping knocked on my door with a bowl of fresh fruits (mandarin, banana, apple, a couple more) and apologized for the mix-up. Many years later, it's the only hotel that I remember in a positive way.
LALF reports that Kirby just read Unreasonable Hospitality over the summer so... yeah, I'm sure that will translate into top notch airline customer service immediately.
