Having spent a good portion of my life on airplanes, is there anything about flying that can make me nervous?  Not counting a plane malfunction, the primary thing I get nervous about is flying “the unknown”. Recently I had to book a trip to Chicago and I requested the client book me a ticket on United – my preferred carrier.  It is here where I know the agents at my home airport by name, here where I can get the best seats and board first.  My global services status is AWESOME!  My Red Carpet Club membership provides an oasis at the airport.  But unfortunately my client’s preferred carrier...

My husband and I decided to take some much-needed time off for some R&R.  My travel schedule had been so busy, then the crazy holidays, the timing for the 2nd week in January was perfect for us.  I had hoped that by booking a couple weeks after the holidays and mid-week that the hotel would not be busy.  I used my Marriott points (90,000 of them) to book a 3 night stay because I had heard some amazing things about this hotel.  It is within a 3 hour drive from my home and had all the amenities I was looking for:  ocean view, quaint Portsmouth nearby, indoor pool, spa facilities, rooms with...

By Robin Saylor / AbileneBiz contributor   Do you have a Director of Wow in your organization? How about a Wizard of Whatever? While attending a convention recently in Oklahoma City, I had the good fortune of staying at a hotel that boasted those two employees along with a number of other creatively titled staff members. My travel companions and I arrived at the Renaissance Convention Center Hotel & Spa to find a lobby packed to the seams with conventioneers waiting to check in. As we approached the front desk, I glanced at the clerk’s official nametag. I looked again, this time more closely....

I just stayed in a Courtyard for 2 nights this week.  It is the first time in almost a year that I have stayed in this brand, and based on my prior experiences I wasn’t all that excited about doing it, but I figured I would give it another shot. My past several stays at Courtyards have been less than stellar to say the least.  There is one in particular that I used to frequent on the west coast that seemed to have a problem every time I stayed there.  One time, I checked in and went to my room only to find the door to my room was open.  I suspiciously went inside checking in the closet, under the...

I have to admit, I was one of those people saying that the concept of delivering good service is long gone.  But recently I have had to eat my words.  I don’t know why things seem to be changing for the better:  if it’s the recession and the glut of hotel rooms available these days, or the hotel chains trying to be more competitive, or all the complaints about bad service.  I don’t know, and I don’t really care – I am just happy to experience great service and hope it continues. Sometimes it takes something going wrong to determine just how good the service is at a hotel.  Sometimes you...