Negative amenities exist too. Consider having the waitstaff sing you \u201chappy birthday\u201d at a restaurant. Ever notice how nobody requests that for themselves? Some hotels have negative amenities that are just like that. No, thanks, I don\u2019t want everyone in the lobby to know that I\u2019m a platinum elite awesome travel dood. No. Shoo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is also something to be said for playing the \u2018points\u2019 game with particular chains. A couple of trips per month adds up to some fairly hefty discounts over time. The down side is that the \u201crewards\u201d in every rewards program are for exactly what the weary business traveller does not want: More travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyway, the place I\u2019m staying today is on the far opposite side of the spectrum. It\u2019s a bed and breakfast in a unique building, owned and run by a couple of nice guys. My suite is the \u201cRoom at the Edge of the World,\u201d so named in part because it has big windows looking out to the bay. I usually request this room because there\u2019s a little fish in a bowl who lives in here. Cheesy as it may be, I sort of look forward to seeing the fish. \u201cHello Columbus,\u201d I say when I arrive. The furniture is eccentric, stylish, and comfortable. They usually have warm cookies available in the afternoon \u2013 and the breakfasts are terrific. The guys remember me in a general sort of way, and seem to honestly care that I feel safe and comfortable. That\u2019s the core of hospitality to me: Doing what is reasonably within your power to help a guest have a good time \u2013 on their own terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As with other social thing, this concept is all too frequently submerged in a muck of form but no substance. \u201cGentleman\u201d springs to mind as a word that has been so abused that it may never regain whatever lustre it once had. Hospitality is, in particular, not about spending a lot of money. Frequently just noticing that your guest is exhausted but too polite to say so, and quietly canceling a plan can be the kindest gesture a host can make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/chris.dwan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/IMG_1245.jpg\" "\\"IMG_1245\\"\/")
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