Back in the early 1990s, I was in and out of Hong Kong every month for the better part of three years. During that time, my hotel of choice was The Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. The people who run that fine hotel became like a second family. In fact, I stayed at the Mandarin so often that whenever a staffer saw me about to take on the city, he or she would check the availability of a hotel limousine. If one was free, I was quietly escorted out of the taxi line and through the back door where the Rolls Royce was waiting to drive me wherever I wanted to go.

Boy, was I spoiled.

 

Not every business traveler can site such an extreme hotel guest experience. In fact, I can't say anything quite so special has happened to me either before or since. That figures as I am a person who moves from hotel to hotel, searching out the new and the different. I am not your typical repeat guest.

Neither is business traveler William Brown. As a self-proclaimed hotelaholic, this Los Angeles-based artistic director for Studio A rarely visits the same hotel twice. Still, he thinks about what could happen if he did.

"I went on a job to Bali and stayed at The Four Seasons. I was in heaven," Brown says.  "Now it is a dream of mine to return so I have vowed to go back, on business or not. I have never had such an incredible life experience. I can't wait to try it again."

Actually, Brown would probably be pampered at any hotel bearing the Four Seasons brand now that he has had a dose of this hotel company's superb hospitality in Indonesia. That's because the deluxe Toronto-based firm uses a combination of technology and service to determine how to accommodate repeat guests. Keeping tabs on its valued customers is clear cut: After a guest submits a pertinent questionnaire, a computerized system logs both the traveler's likes and dislikes and then that information is shared among Four Seasons hotels and resorts worldwide.

For many top brands like Hilton and Marriott, formal frequent guest programs based on number of visits is an industry standard. But some loyalty programs are by invitation only. 

This is true for the Shangri-La properties in Asia, Australia and the Middle East.
 

According to Darren Gearing, general manager of Shangri-La's Kerry Centre Hotel in Beijing, "For our frequent guests who are privileged Golden Circle Members, technology plays an important part in the recognition process. We automatically [determine], without asking,
bed and smoking preferences, the chosen complimentary international newspaper the guest likes, and the complimentary in-room amenity he or she enjoys. This is replicated in every Shangri-La international property that person books. They are rewarded with their preferred fresh fruits, bottles of wine in the room upon arrival, and even the chosen pillow type they selected from our four choices on our pillow menu."

Gearing proclaims, though, that "the real magic" comes from his staff. "We empower our front line associates to view guests’ histories, and the comments therein, and cater accordingly. {Then] we can recognize such important milestones as their birthdays, anniversaries, 5th, 10th, 20th visit to the hotel and up to their 200th where we upgrade them to our Presidential Suite with a $200 Gift Certificate redeemable at all Shangri-La properties," he says.

Other perks for regular guests at this Shangri-La include dinner with the general manager, upgraded accommodations for corporate travelers traveling with their children and spouses, complimentary massages, and special amenity kits.

"This is where long-lasting loyalty is fostered," Gearing says.
 

Mark Heywood, General Manager of Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong, agrees with colleague Darren Gearing, "The hotel [business] is a people business. Nowadays, the hardware, facilities, pricing structure and even loyalty programs are very much competitive amongst hotels, and it is not too difficult to catch up with what competitors can offer. We believe that {staff] and service can be a determining factor for customers when it comes to choosing hotels. It is not uncommon to hear from our repeat guests that they return simply because of our warm, friendly and efficient service." 

 

Kowloon Shangri-La enjoys an impressive 60 percent plus repeat guest ratio and a loyal staff with 17 percent serving the hotel for more than 20 years, 52 percent for at least 10 years, and 73 percent for a minimum of five years.  

According to Heywood, "One can readily tell how strong the long-term friendship has been built between some staff members and our guests over the years. One of our loyal guests always takes our staff out for lunch or dinner or treats them to nice meals at the hotel's restaurants. They regard each other as family members."
 

One such family member is Edward Wa, the Kowloon Shangri-La's lobby ambassador who recently won the hotel group's prestigious Inspirational Award. 

"We created [the] position for Edward simply because he is so well liked, not just by staff but also by our guests," Heywood says. "[They] appreciate Edward for his generous smiles upon their arrivals, departures and even after a long day of work."

Edward Wa is truly a veteran in the service industry. He joined the Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel since the beginning in 1991 and has served as personal butler to royal families, dignitaries and celebrities. Among Wa's cherished possessions are a personal thank you letter from the former President of PRC, Jiang Zemin, and photos taken with former Premier of the PRC Council Zhu Rongji. He not only received a personal memoir book from the Honourable King of Malaysia but a personal invitation to visit his palace as well.

In catering to customers, not only is loyalty an important element from guests but also from the hotel company itself. Many staff members of the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa are repeat employees of the industrious international hotel chain. Because these staffers are relegated to different posts, they have the opportunity to nurture guests from all over the world.

Take Clark Albright, director of marketing for JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa.
 

He reports, "While I was working at [Southern California's] The Newport Beach Marriott, we had a bellman who went that extra mile for a guest...literally." Albright tells of a time when an airline would not deliver a guest's luggage until the day after arrival. This wasn't good enough for those in charge at the hotel.

Albright continues, "One of our bellmen jumped in his own car and drove to LAX to pick up the baggage and personally deliver it to a very appreciative guest all on his own accord. That is no small feat in vast Orange County."

Even grooms get groomed when repeating their visits to Marriott hotels. 

Stephen Roughley, director of operations for JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa says, "As general manager of The Calgary Marriott, I remember when one of our frequent stay business travelers planned his son's wedding at our hotel. Unfortunately, the groom's tuxedo never made the flight so we had one of our housekeeping staff take measurements and then we rushed to purchase him a new tuxedo. [It was] our little wedding gift to the family." At the time, this soon-to-be new husband could not have asked for anything more.

Neither could Daniel Forth, frequent traveler from Wilton, Connecticut and a die-hard guest of the celebrated Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.

"I’ll never forget my first visit to the Beverly Hilton," Forth says. "About 20 years ago I arrived in a daze after one of my many corporate NY-L.A. jaunts for a major media corporation. As I hopped out of my rental car a flock of paparazzi craned their necks to see who might be arriving, possibly one of the many stars who regularly attend functions at the BH. I could have sworn one of them said, 'Nah, it’s nobody.' WRONG! From the second Bob [the valet parking attendant] opened the car door and Yamleeth greeted me at the front desk through my entire stay, I was treated like a star."

Forth continues, "Most importantly, I was treated, and am to this day, with respect and genuine friendliness. I’ve stayed in some of the best hotels in the world and one thing I’ve learned is that you 'can’t buy happiness' when it comes to hotel staffing. I don’t get confused with Tom Cruise easily but I don’t need some bratty doorman in a 'too tight' suit to keep reminding me, as often happens at [some] pricey, top-shelf hotels."

Now celebrating its 50th year in operation, the high-profile Beverly Hilton is enjoying a massive, $80-million reinvention. Despite these efforts, general manager Denny Fitzpatrick says that "one of the most defining elements of our new luxury experience has nothing to do with design or style. It has everything to do with relationships. This is especially the case for loyal guests. When you have team members who have worked here for upward of 20 to 30 years, they become as much of the reason to return as an amenity or our new guestrooms. It's the difference between being treated like a customer or being regarded as a loyal friend."

Guest Daniel Forth comments, "My biggest fear was that the building renovation would mean a new staff. Thankfully, the management realizes that its strongest asset is the experienced and truly caring staff in its employ."
 

Nostalgia plays a strong role for staying loyal in many other high-profile hotels. Bernard Lackner, vice president and general manager of New York City's Hotel Plaza Athenee, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, says, "[Our] staff is well known to our guests, making them feel as if they are coming home. Guests walk through the door and say hello to Frank and Jim [our doormen] as if they were old friends. The staff knew many of these guests as children and these children are now bringing their children."

Among a myriad perks available to these loyal Plaza Athenee guests is the chance to sit down and be personally checked in, European-style. "We are the only hotel in New York to do this," Lackner claims; he points out that guests register at a princely, 18th-century ormolu mounted desk. "Then [the guests] are escorted to their room by a hotel manager. All guests are escorted, not just VIPS," Lackner insists. He adds that checking in isn't the end to all that attention. "At check-out, instead of the usual 'How was your stay?' we ask 'How could we have made your stay better?'"
 

Another of The Leading Hotels of the World's portfolio, Fasano Hotel e Restaurante in Sao Paulo, Brazil, boasts Hans Heinz at the helm. This resident manager is of similar mind to his New York colleague who says, "Upgrades, a personal welcome, and changing amenities are part of our daily work to welcome back our clients. Surprising returning guests is the great challenge."

According to this sage general manager, "In general, I find that [many] hotels invest much to welcome their clients but forget to see them upon check-out. The last minutes of a hotel stay are as important as the first contact with the property."

In this case, the first contact with the property sometimes happens very early on, thanks to an amazing extra for guests who continue booking into the Fasano.  

As Heinz explains: "We have a wonderful connection with the [Sao Paulo] international airport. You will be welcomed directly at the exit of the plane by a special airport staff member. He will bring you through customs without standing in line. He will help you collect your luggage and he will introduce [you] to the hotel chauffeur who will be waiting outside with the limousine."
 

Heinz says this spiffy service is arranged for "top returning clients." Talk about a warm welcome.

At the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas, enticing guests to come back again is part and parcel to this property's pre-arrival homework. This included a call in advance of the trip to ascertain ETAs and new preferences not already in their system.

I was told during a recent visit to this accommodating Ritz-Carlton that a staffer will even dig further on occasion. He or she will sometimes contact VIP guests’ offices or their travel agents to obtain downloadable photos of friends, family and pets. Then the photos will be printed and framed so that on the first night of the stay, housekeeping can place the frames on the guest’s nightstand at turndown. This is definitely a homey touch never to be forgotten.

Meanwhile, in London, catering to the return client through personalization has turned into an art form for two prominent properties.

Both Claridge's and The Berkeley of London's luxury Maybourne Group personalize fine Smythson stationery with the VIP guest's name. They also personalize robes as special gifts.  The popularity of the personalized gifts has inspired The Berkeley's general manager to put the VIP guest's name or initials on bedding as well.

Says Klaus Kabelitz, general manager of The Berkeley in London's Knightsbridge, "So many of our guests are loyal, repeat guests who stay with us over and over again that we are constantly looking for new ways to delight them. We decided they would appreciate having their own personalized pillowcases. It's such a welcome touch and makes our guests feel they've truly come home to The Berkeley."

Meanwhile, Anthony Lee, general manager The Connaught, caters to a similar loyal following who love the hotel for the personal butler service and atmosphere of a private country home in the middle of London's Mayfair.

 

He notes that The Connaught provides children with bathrobes decorated with teddy bears, along with matching slippers and a toy bag. The child's name or initials can be added.

"If the children are happy, so are the parents," Lee notes. "With only 92 rooms and suites, every service—no matter what the guest's age might be—has a personal touch.  With nearly three staff for every room, everything is possible at The Connaught."
  

Return of the younger set is also the target for special treats at England's acclaimed Bovey Castle located within 368 square miles of the Dartmoor National Park in Devon. The Bovey Rangers Kids Club is available to all children who visit as they are profiled right along with their parents. This fosters a real sense of belonging at a retreat where the little ones can learn new skills like archery, horse riding and rock climbing, moving up to the next grade with each visit. 

On arrival at this castle destination, 7- to 12-year-olds each receive his or her own Bovey Rangers pack complete with cap, T-shirt, identifying pewter pin, stamp book, flashlight,  note pad and a pen, and nature leaflet for animal identification. Younger members receive a coloring book, pencils, a fun toy, a T-shirt, and a bottle of bubbles to blow. All of these extra efforts are for contented children as well as delighted parents, following the philosophy of owner Peter de Savary. His wish is that all who visit Bovey feel like they are house guests of a great sporting estate. A strong emphasis is made on the hosting role so that every expectation can be met and, where possible, exceeded.

Finally, at some properties, even returning owner's pets enjoy special treatment. The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas regards these four-legged creatures as an important part of the family unit so much so that for one proud canine owner who is also a frequent quest, The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas designed personalized dog tags as a surprise. Woof!

Great Guests, Great Stories
Specific examples of personal guest stories bring home the intensity of the extent to which some properties will do to not only garner repeat business but also to keep these guests happy during all of their stays. Consider the following: 

Kimpton's Hotel Vintage Plaza in Portland hosted a group that recently stayed with them for a month. They used 30 rooms for 30 days. In order to make the visit, one of the people in this group—a new mother—needed to leave her 6-month-old baby behind for the first time. As she was still breast feeding, she called the hotel in advance for assistance in shipping home her breast milk. While there is a local company that could have achieved this task, that company was either unable or unwilling to accommodate her request. But the hotel persevered. Since Mom wanted to make sure her milk did not melt in transit, she wanted dry ice to be used in transit so the hotel arranged a personal little freezer for her room. Shipping was arranged for twice a week.

"The AGM (Marianne Moisant) and director of conference services (Liz Dahlager) traded off each Monday and Thursday for a month," a Kimpton spokesperson says. "They brought in a cooler and dry ice, went to the guestroom, packed up the breast milk, and personally shipped it. Both mother and baby were VERY appreciative."   
 

At the Prescott, another Kimpton hotel in San Francisco, one frequent guest was staying over to attend a black tie affair. One caveat: He forgot his cufflinks which he noticed when he was furiously getting ready for the event. He called down to the front desk in a panic because the stores had closed and he was already late for the event. The front desk told him they would solve the problem in 10 minutes. Assured, he continued getting dressed. Meanwhile, an ingenious staffer picked up a bell jacket and pulled off four of the black-and-gold buttons, sewing two together, back-to-back, so they looked like cufflinks. By the time this handy work was finished the frazzled guest came down just in time to put on the fake cufflinks and go to his formal event.

One regular guest from a colder climate stores a full wardrobe of clothing perfect for Southern California's warm weather with the concierge of the Park Hyatt Los Angeles. This includes toiletries, shoes and a separate chest of drawers. The concierge knows how to set this up as per the guest's specific requirements thanks to digital photos stored in the guest's file.

Meanwhile, the suite of a long-term guest of the Park Hyatt Los Angeles transformed his suite into his own apartment by changing the sofas, hanging his own artwork, and adding lighting. He even imported his own personal jukebox.

The day before a regular guest from Los Angeles arrives at the Park Hyatt Chicago, staffers buy her favorite specialty blend of coffee to have waiting in her room. They also arrange to have her business materials sent back to her Los Angeles office via FedEx so she does not have to travel with them.

A JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa frequent stay guest loved the resort and staff so much that he decided to take up permanent residence. To top it off, the resort let him personalize his suite by bringing in a decorator.

Another extended-stay business traveler who spends at least 100 nights a year at JW Marriott Las Vegas was getting tired of the room service menu so the resort created a customized menu as per her likes and dislikes. She also has her own personalized robe which is put in safekeeping when she is away from the resort but is waiting in her suite when she checks in. In addition, the hotel's onsite Aquae Sulis Spa reserves a locker for her 365 days a year so she can leave any personal items she would like to store there until her next visit.

More Special Perks
Some guest incentives are so clever, they deserve a special mention. Consider the following:

At the magnificent cliffside Hotel Splendido in Portofino, Italy, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, repeat guests who book the Presidential suite enjoy a choice of soap bars made by the monks' pharmacy of Florence's Santa Maria Novella. Scents include gardenia, jasmine or violet, each presented in a portal of authentic hand-painted ceramics from Albisola on the Ligurian Coast.

At the Hotel Ritz Madrid, regular return guests are treated to a bathrobe and slippers embroidered in golden thread with his or her personal initials. These are kept in the laundry department waiting for each return visit.

 
The Lapa Palace, Lisbon, a lovely hotel in the Embassy District of Portugal's capital, has its own specially created perfume called "Agua du Portugal" created by Helleboro. This perfume was based on a recipe from Maria Pia de Saboia, who was married to the Portuguese King Luis I.  She was the daughter of the Vittorio Emanuele II, the King of Italy, and she brought this fragrance when she came to Portugal to marry.