How Do You Define a Fabulous Hotel Service?

There is a very thin line between a nice hotel and a remarkable one and it turns out that this line is simply the terrific hotel service. Chocolates on the pillow, alarm clocks that play light music or special birthday champagne – each hotel has its own way of catering to guests. Which features of the service, however, prove more valuable to customers? What turns a client from happy to loyal?

First impression. The moment a person steps into the lobby, he starts to take notice of details which will later form his perception of the stay. The bell-boy and personnel at the check-in counter should be friendly, polite and welcoming. It should take no more than 10 minutes for the guest to register and receive his room key.

Room interior. The room must be perfectly clean with no signs of previous guests – it is incredibly off-putting to find lipstick on the glass or hair in the bathroom sink. The cleaning staff should be thorough and discrete – the hotel guests should never be bothered by them and at the same time, the results of their work should be clearly visible.

Hotel dining. Each hotel should provide a cozy restaurant with good food. The meals should be various, freshly cooked and healthy. Room service must be available 24/7.

And now we make the switch from GOOD to FABULOUS!

Here are some examples of fantastic hotel service that astonished the guests in the top 20 hotels ranked in Travel+Leisure’s World’s Best readers survey:

The Inn at Little Washington (VA) surprised a lady celebrating her 60-year anniversary with a nice, delicious dinner followed by a visit to the kitchen. The woman was able to meet the chef and was impressed by his professionalism. It was a memorable jubilee for her.
A couple spent their honeymoon in The 41 (London) Hotel. The personnel decorated their room with rose petals and candles and gave them a complimentary bottle of champagne to spice things up.
A family was upgraded to pool view room in The Oberoi Udaivilas (Udaipur, India). They were staying with an infant so they received various baby products and cookies with the name of the baby on them. The family was so fascinated that they stayed additional two nights.
Four Seasons Hotel (Amman, Jordan) always makes his regulars feel at home. A man who traveled on business was glad to find out that the staff recognized him and greeted him each time he stayed in the hotel. That attitude made him feel special.

Hotel service is all about the detail. Making that extra effort to brighten each and every client’s day is charming and will eventually pay off. There are a thousand ways to make a customer feel special and no matter which one you choose, the important thing is to show that you care. Entice your guests and be sure that they will come back for another stay!