This is the view from my office this week: I’m working out of a hotel room in Kingston, Jamaica. In the past few years, I’ve spent many weeks here, and I’ll be sharing some observations about customer experience on the road.
There are four business hotels in New Kingston that a business traveller would stay in, and I’ve stayed in them all at one time or another. Here's what I've learned in the process.
Lesson #1 – Being closer to the competition is not a bad thing
Terra Nova evokes an old plantation house. The rooms are cozy, and the food is outstanding. The chief problem with Terra Nova is that there is nothing within an easy walk, so after a couple of days you feel really trapped without a car.
As a result, I always try to stay along the strip of hotels along Knutsford Blvd., where there are three hotels right beside each other: Pegasus, Courtleigh, Hilton. It’s easy to go for a walk to one of the others, and all of them are near a large public park with security guards. And if I really want a fast food fix, that’s available too a short walk away.
Lesson #2 – Breakfast is critical
All of my favorites offer a good buffet breakfast without a
lot of fuss and bother. The whole business travel industry has gone this way,
because none of us have time to waste in the morning. I’ll tell you later this
week about coffee…
Lesson #3 – Travel is a lonely affair
The Courteigh is friendly and cozy, but there’s not much public space to hang out in. So I tend to eat there, but rarely stay there.
The Pegasus, a former Mandarin, is very fancy. It has pretty good public space, and you can hang out in a variety of locations. I love their 1/8th mile walking path where you can see hummingbirds and gekkos in the morning.
Social space is where the Hilton wins. And they take a big edge on friendliness too. Hilton has a huge enclosed space with a pool in the middle. There are always people at the outdoor bar having a coffee or talking business. There are always people working on laptops at tables by the pool. In short, there is company.
The seasoned regulars always choose the older cabana rooms. They’re not as fancy, but you can sit on your balcony and work. You can hear other people around you. You never have to wait for the elevator. You just don’t feel as lonely.
The staff makes a huge effort to learn your name. Even though it has been over a year since I was last here, several people recognized me and welcomed me back.
It took me a while to warm to the place. But it's my first choice now, and it has nothing to do with status. It's all about feeling comfortable.
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