The Golden Rule of Hospitality

Great hospitality is all about caring…

Airport hotels, business hotels, one night stays: hospitality is not always about creating an emotional relationship with the customer. Sometimes delivering the right, expected service, with a good value for money, is enough. But, as soon as we are talking about holidays hospitality… There should be more.

I am not sure whether this is a normal english terminology in the hospitality business, but here, in India, the clients are called: guests. I find this extremely relevant. Clients should always be treated like guests in a perfect traditional home, they should be taken care of the best way possible.

There is a tradition in India saying that anyone coming in your home should be treated like a God (as he may very well actually be a God in disguise!)

To my taste, I should say “to our taste”, as my wife is in fact more concerned than me in this matter, nothing is worse than staying in a hotel where the staff – sometimes up to the top management – obviously doesn’t care… Whatever the facilities available, even if the service expected is strictly correctly provided, when nobody is willing to make the extra step to make you feel personally welcome, then the whole stay gets this disappointing bland taste of ready-made industrial food.

As we have built, and are now running our resort, Les 3 Elephants, according to our taste, we want to combine high level international standards of service and comfort, with a personalized homely caring experience. And I have to say, proudly, but I think also honestly, that my wife revealed amazing qualities as a host. Above all, she really, genuinely, cares.
This is not about business, this is something difficult to fake, guest satisfaction is for her a sincere concern, and a precious reward. Not only is this obviously directly good for customers, they feel welcome, acknowledged, taken care of. But also it is setting the right example for the whole staff.

Marjorie’s caring is so deep, nice and obvious, that all our staff members are motivated to follow her lead in that direction, and make guest satisfaction their main goal, a duty as important as welcoming respected relatives in their own house.

I am aware that this post sounds like some blatant self promotion! But, please trust me and don’t read it wrong, this is mostly a loving tribute to my wonderful wife…

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