When I travel on business, I stay at a Westin. When I fly, I’m more and more likely to choose Continental if I can. Why? Well, Westin has their ‘Heavenly Bed,’ which is the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in at a hotel. And their showers are great.
Most hotels give you so little room in a shower that it’s a constant battle to keep the shower curtain off of you. The Westin put an outward curve (going away from the shower) in their curtain rod. It makes me feel like I have all the room in the world. I can’t imagine the rod costs them more than a few bucks – and it makes a difference.
Continental has added a neat little feature on their website. When you check in you can select to have your boarding pass faxed to you. This is great when I am staying at a hotel and do not have access to a printer. Again, I can’t imagine that this feature costs Continental much money.
Here’s what I really can’t figure out. In today’s commoditized world, why hasn’t every other company copied it? The shower rod and the fax feature are two little things that demonstrate that Westin and Continental actually understand what their customers deal with. That attention to the ‘little things’ completes the promise they make and I remember it.
Now, are either of these features, alone, enough to get me to buy from Westin or Continental instead of the competition? Of course not. The Westin has to be reasonably priced, the rooms have to be clean and comfortable, and the people have to be courteous. But I’ll tell you, it’s that shower rod that compels me to first look for a Westin when I travel on business.
Have some little things made a difference for you lately? Visit www.imaginellc.com and tell me about your experience or send me your comments by clicking the “Contact us” button you’ll find there. (I apologize for this two-step reply process, but it’s the only way to avoid the spambots)