My friend Rodd Herron, whom I met years ago when I was a sales manager at Westin Hotels & Resorts, sent me the link to this story. And New Years Eve, when I arrived at the brand new Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel to stay just for the night, it reminded me of this article.
Our room wasn’t quite ready when we arrived, so the clerk offered us a cocktail ‘on the house’ while we were waiting. And if you read the above article, that is exactly what Kenneth Hurd, a principal in Kenneth E. Hurd & Associates in Lincoln, Mass. said “If you check in and have to wait…and somebody comes and brings you a glass of white wine, your whole attitude changes real fast.” Very true.
My friend Dale Dyck, a hotel GM and Hospitality Consultant, wrote a great article here about authentic service in his blog, Hospitality Redefined, and we experienced some of that when we checked in. This is what he said about me in an article he wrote about mentors, and I finally get to link to his blog in this post!
What I loved about this hotel is how current the finishes were. Matched slabs of Carrara Marble looked like art installed right across from the lobby bar and check in area. “Allowing the check-in area to be visible from the dining terrace and bar reinforces the timeless “see-and-be-seen” appeal of the lobby, People are always interested to see who is checking in.” Hurd said.
Sheraton found that inspiration in parks. “Everywhere in the world there is a park that serves the community as a natural gathering place,” Harper said. “It is outdoors where people go to socialize, play games, read a book and not feel lonely. We wanted to bring that inspiration into our lobbies.” The way the plants separated the hallway from the lounge area kind of felt like it could have been an indoor park.
Above the bed was a backlit image of images from British Columbia forests.
This is how the pool looks at night.Okay, so back to the decor. This hotel opened last year (February 2010) for the Olympics. Whoever was in charge of the design knew what time it is inside of current trends. Very different from another hotel in the city which also opened just in time for the Olympics, The Pinnacle, in North Vancouver (not far from where I live).
The decor here is still entrenched in espresso brown, and the meeting space is also decorated in varying shades of chocolate brown and blue (hello 2003). This much brown in a brand new hotel will make it look 10 years old in about 2 years when gray really hits mainstream. Hotels are usually right on the edge of current trends. Unless they are in Tuscany. Sigh. Maybe this year.
What is your favourite hotel and why do you love it?
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