I haven't blogged in a couple of days as we were traveling for work. Most of you know that Rebecca and I own a Meeting and Incentive Planning company and help Corporations and Associations plan meetings, events and parties. Part of our job description is knowing what Hotels and venues offer so we can recommend these destinations to our clients for their guests. Sometimes we drive or fly to do what is called a site inspection. This can range from a quick walk-thru of meeting space to dinner or even staying for a few days to see what a city has to offer travelers. You need to see, feel, touch and taste what is being offered first hand as the only product we have is our word. Companies have spent millions of dollars with us based on nothing more than our recommendations so they have to be accurate. If we bought based on brochures and websites, we would be out of business.
Now this may sound like a lot of fun, going to hotels and having people wine and dine you, and it can be, but there is also a lot of work as well. There have been times where I have gone to four different restaurants for tastings in one night. In the past couple of years, I would estimate that I have traveled as much as 140 to 150 days a year. You wake up and sometimes really have no idea where you are until you look at the Hotel phone to see the name of the place.
But now and then, there is a Hotel or destination that really goes all out and “Wows” you. That place is the Four Seasons Resort Santa Barbara. http://www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara/
I am not going to get into the details of everything they did for us but I am going to give you the highlights and just say right up front, this is a place everyone should try and get to visit once in your life. Wow!
We left Sunday morning from Huntington Beach and I still had the glow from a great USC victory over Cal. We packed the car about 10:30am and headed out. The weather had turned and it really felt like fall. About an hour from our destination, we called the concierge to try and find a place for lunch prior to getting to the Resort. If you don't do this when you travel, you are really missing out. Call the hotel a couple days before you get to any Resort or Hotel and ask for the concierge. They are on property to help all guests with every detail of your trip. From weather to activities and restaurants, they are well informed. Ask for their name, and when you get there, introduce yourself. Especially if you are going to be there for a few days. Give them a tip, about $5.00 per day and it will be the best money you spend during your stay.
The place he recommended was in Malibu but we had already driven past that point. So he said that their place for lunch was on the beach and had great food. An excellent choice. We pulled into the resort and had the bell staff hold our luggage. We knew we were in for a treat over the next few days as the staff was all over us. Two bellmen and a valet were friendly, not stuffy. They used our name in almost every sentence and seemed happy to see us. We walked across the street to another part of their hotel, Coral Casino Café, and again, the service level at this place is over the top.
We had a great lunch, a glass of wine and then went over and had our spa treatment. (Yes, we have to know how the treatments are as well as the facilities.) This time we were in for an extra special treat. We always get a couples massage where Rebecca and I are in the same room and each have our own therapists. This time we had what the Four Seasons likes to call, a Harmony Massage. Both Rebecca and I each had two therapists. Six people in one room. A toga and some grapes and we could have had a hell of a time! The therapists had a routine where they were almost dancing on our backs, it really was amazing.
We checked into our room, which was stunning, turned on the fireplace and relaxed until our reception. Now I am not going to go into all the details of the FAM (Familiarization) trip because we’re all kept very busy so you experience everything but I will give you a brief rundown with a couple of stories so you can have an idea of what service is really supposed to be.
At the Welcome Reception and dinner, there were about 35 of us in all. Seventeen potential customers like Rebecca and I and about the same number of representatives of that Resort and other Four Seasons properties as well. The theme was black and white and we were dressed in Resort Casual attire. That means a white Tommy Bahamas shirt and slacks for me which is my daily wear except I normally have on shorts. No problem, I can dress up now and then. We are all in this room that looks like you are in a lighthouse. There are stairs leading to where we are going to have dinner and the room is loud from reacquainting with people that you haven't seen in awhile. The Hospitality Industry has a very small feeling because you run into a lot of the same people where ever you travel.
The reception is going great and we are having some wine; just my second glass for the record. I am having a red and yep, there it is. A very sweet sales person from the Resort bumps my arm and a thin line of wine hits my white silk shirt and leaves a six inch red stain. No worries, a little "Wine Away" (a product that should be in every home. It removes red wine stains instantly from ALL fabric) and I would be fine. The stain sends out a vibe that somehow every Four Seasons employee in every department felt. I’m being swarmed like a queen honey bee. Now I am a spiller, it's what I do. So I took my name tag and moved it to cover 80% of the stain and went back to enjoying the reception. I am getting pulled aside from staffers who are sincerely sorry and upset about the stain. Within 15 minutes, I get a wave from two sales people and they have a bag, gift wrapped with a new, nicer shirt. I slip into my new shirt and I'm off like a beauty queens tiara.
Now I would like to say that was the end of it, but not when you are a guest of a Four Seasons. The next day, complete strangers from different departments now knew my name and about the stain. There were offers of apologies and reassured me that everything was being done to save the shirt. They had made an incident report and it ended up on the Manager on Duty’s log. This place is over the top special.
I will run down a list of the things we enjoyed while we were there but know that it really would take longer to write about how special everything was and the amount of detail that went into planning so that our time there would never be forgotten.
We were given daily gifts in our room ranging from food and wine to bags, books and even complimentary future stays at other Four Seasons. They each had meaning. An example of this is one of our stops was at the Gainey winery where Dan Gainey, the owner, poured our wine and talked about his farm. We were brought there by jeeps and taken out into the vines and had gourmet picnic baskets. In our room when we came back was a bottle of wine from the winery and a small plate of the same meats and cheeses we had during our lunch. The attention to detail was perfect.
From there we went to the actual ranch of the Horse Whisperer. The ranch is called "The Flag is Up" and we got to see a horse that had never been ridden, get trained using their non-violent technique that has become world famous. This was amazing. In less than thirty minutes, this giant mare gives into her instincts and fear and becomes drawn to the trainer. Another rider comes in and gently gets on her back and the horse lets him direct her all over the ring. To see this first hand was something I will never forget. From there, we go up to the owner’s home and it is a sprawling 15,000 square foot ranch house. We pull up to the front and a herd of about 20 deer are standing under a massive oak tree. There are letters from Queen Elizabeth and other dignitaries from around the world. My favorite piece of art, was a log that had been cut by Ronald Reagan. The owner told me the President would chop wood to help relax and one day he went thru a bunch while he was visiting. They kept one of the logs and have a brass plaque detailing the event. Incredible!
We had a bike ride, sailed on a yacht, chefs preparing our meals in front of us, it went on and on. Now they have already spoiled us beyond what you can imagine and then they top it off. As we are leaving, they give us a couple of box lunches for the drive and a gas card. It isn't the amount of money on the card that is important, it is the fact that they knew we drove and wanted to create another memory of our time there. Everything was so over the top that words can't express the gratitude we feel towards everyone that had anything to do with this stay.
Four Seasons as a Hotel company “Gets it.” They understand service. I spent time working for The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company and other Resorts all over. Everyone talks about service but Four Seasons live it. If you have never been to a Four Seasons, give one a try. Don't expect the activities and things that I wrote of as that was part of a group event. But do expect the same kind of treatment. It is part of their DNA, it is who they are.
At our Company, Total Meeting Solutions, our catch phrase is "Creating memories, one event at a time." This is the same thing we do for our customers. We anticipate every step guests take, literally, and we try and create experiences that last a lifetime. This is what the Four Seasons Santa Barbara did for Rebecca and I and our peers that were lucky enough to have been invited. To the team there, I say thank you for your efforts, they are greatly appreciated. To everyone reading this, try a Four Seasons Resort. I know things are tight right now but in reality, this is the perfect time. The rates have never been more affordable.
Thank you for your gift of hospitality.
Fight On!
Troy
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