As my husband and I we were checking out of an Inn on the central coast of California, we asked the front-office agent for directions. Showing her a driving map of an area we wanted to explore for photo opportunities, I was totally unprepared for her response. She looked up at us briefly and said...Read More

Gratitude for the Moment My husband Bill, an extraordinary professional photographer (www.aptonphoto.com), asked me to help him title some of his photos for an upcoming exhibition. While it could have turned out to be just one more item on my to-do list, it became a magically memorable moment. Working collaboratively to name his photos was in...Read More

I was visiting a friend at her concierge desk a couple of days ago when she showed me a quote she has hanging behind her desk: She told me it has helped her to understand and have patience with people throughout her career. I instantly related to the quote by my favorite writer, Anonymous, as...Read More

One of the most important lessons I learned in the hotel business is the following adage: Nothing sounds sweeter to a customer than the sound of his or her own name. For many, that is easier said than done. Participants in my concierge training programs are always telling me how bad they are at remembering...Read More

My favorite TV show is CBS Sunday Morning because it showcases informative and ‘feel good’ stories. A few months ago, they did a piece on an unlikely place for a world-class museum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. Created by Alice Walton (heir to the Walmart fortune) and designed by Moshe Safdie,...Read More

A few years ago, I attended a talk given by the very famous sister and brother team, Patricia and Robert Fripp. Patricia Fripp is a well-known professional speaker and Robert Fripp is a famous world-class guitar player and the former leader of the British rock band, King Crimson. One of the stories Robert shared touched...Read More

That old adage, “Do what you love and the money will follow,” really is good advice. The problem, of course, is knowing what it is that you love. In the late 70’s, when I was a young manager, I mistakenly hired my closest friend to be a part of the concierge team. While she is...Read More

Every year I pick a word to focus on for that year. Over the many years I have been doing this, I have chosen words, like joy, trust, love, prosperity, fruition and magic. Recently I was contemplating the word I wanted to choose for 2012 and was having a hard time picking just one. On...Read More

Today I’d like to share a couple of really interesting responses to my blog post about “Being Right.” As a result of reading the post, my cousin Adrienne in North Carolina graciously let her ophthalmologist know that he took her into his office 45 minutes later than her scheduled appointment. His response, “Well, you can...Read More

I was staying at a hotel located in North Miami Beach that generously offered complimentary shuttle service to South Beach so their guests could enjoy having dinner in that colorful part of town. I was told to be on time for the shuttle as they leave on the dot. I was prepared for adherence to...Read More