Free press for a terrific hotel

I’m writing this from the Prescott SpringHill Suites by Marriott, and I have to say I’m sold on this operation. This is such a wonderful example of a hotel operation done right in the mind of the customer.

I admit to being a hotel snob. It’s hard not to be when you’ve had a long hospitality career and have worked for operations like Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons. I’ve gained the perks of staying in luxury accommodations I couldn’t afford to pay for on my own, while getting their relentless training on providing guests with exceptional, ‘world-class’ service. So it takes a lot to impress me. This hotel does, because it is such a terrific example of a lesser known operation trying much harder than they ‘have to.’ It is refreshing to find their customer-focused approach as opposed to the mediocrity you come to expect from a business already with a competitive edge because of their extremely advantageous location.

The ad copy for the Prescott SpringHill Suites is modest: “we consistently rank as the premier choice of Prescott hotels in its class, offering the latest in modern sensibilities.”
In hotel jargon, their class is “affordable.” In mine, it’s terrific.

Here’s just a sample of what we’re getting for $105 per night:

• An immaculately clean, comfortable suite for four adults in a perfectly situated hotel that is only 5 years old. I share that as a businesswoman able to estimate what their current mortgage probably is.
• The ample amenities they list on their fact sheet are already stocked in each room: you don’t have to reserve them in advance, or call the front desk to deliver them. I’m not going to list everything here, however if you check out their fact sheet you’ll be as surprised as I was.
• If there are four adults in your room, they stock it with six sets of towels. You get drinking glasses for everyone, and coffee mugs for everyone. How many times have you stayed somewhere with your kids to find out that even after a few days your housekeeper can’t seem to remember to do the even clean-for-dirty switches for you?
• At the Venetian in Las Vegas we paid $9.95 per night for high-speed internet service. Here it’s free, both in their business center and in each room. It’s wired, and the cables you need are stocked in the desk drawer with a laminated sheet/mousepad that gives you the step-by-step instructions you need to configure your pc to use their embedded ethernet port.
• There’s a refreshment center in each room with a sink, refrigerator, microwave oven and coffeemaker, and the little touches like real dish towels, china and glassware, and a large Ziploc bag with assorted sizes of paper plates you can use in the microwave. Yep, there’s free coffee and condiments too.
• Yet they still have complimentary breakfast in the lobby each morning for all guests that will blow your mind. I’ve never had a free ‘continental’ breakfast before that included eggs and sausage, a waffle-maker set up you can use so they are hot and fresh, muffins bagels doughnuts Danish and toast, yogurt, fresh sliced fruits and whole fruits, cereals with whole or 2% milk, hot oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins or fresh berries, and of course coffee(s) and a deluxe tea assortment, and a variety of juices.
• Buffets never ever offer you doggie bags, and you’ll never ask and risk the disdainful refusal, right? Here there’s a side table with take-out containers and bags waiting for you.
• More about that continental breakfast service: It’s served for a full four hours. Magazines and newspapers (in addition to the USA Today delivered to your room each morning). Ample seating and charming servers who can tell you all about what’s best in Prescott for the rest of your day, or about the different neighborhoods and Chamber of Commerce services when you start thinking about joining the community.

How do you think they are able to do this?

Those ‘extra amenities’ you get at luxury hotels and you don’t ‘rightfully expect’ at a ‘place like this’ aren’t really missing in that you find you don’t miss them. You don’t miss them because what you really need is taken care of.

For instance, there’s no restaurant here and no room service. However breakfast is the time it’s normally a hassle to find a restaurant, and during their complimentary morning service you can plan your day with the servers who know just as much about Prescott as any concierge desk at a pricier hotel. You can carry your breakfast over to the business center and finish your coffee while you check your email, or print out whatever work you’d done in your room the night before (printing is free). You can pack up some fresh fruit and milk for your late night snack and not miss room service at all.

There are no bellmen here, and no parking valets. However everyone drives in to Prescott, and they know every guest will have a rental car, so they do have free parking, and a space for every room. They have bell carts available at the front door you can use for all your stuff, and curb ramps in all the right places.

Oh, and no matter who you run into, approach or call, the service is outstanding.

If you ever find your way to Prescott in your travels, click in here to make a reservation: I highly recommend them.

Update: Just saw this in the USA Today delivered to our room this morning: Most important meal of the day gets upgrade.