Andy's Travel

I’d have trouble counting the number of different hotels I’ve stayed in, but I would guess the total is somewhere around 700, give or take a hundred or so. Most have been entirely forgettable: a bed for the night, a room along a dreary corridor, a passport handed over for copying, a credit card swiped for the extras. Would you like help with your bags? Did you take anything from the minibar? Breakfast between 7 and 10. A repetitive, comforting if monotonous drill.

Yet among that mass of uniform mediocrity a few places stand out; places where I would stay again without a moment’s hesitation if I was back in the neighbourhood. Here are three of my favourite hotels that spring to mind instantly:

We arrived in Oaxaca at 8am after a horrible overnight 11 hour bus journey. Far too early to check in, but we hoped the guest house would at least allow us to drop off our bags. As soon as we explained our early arrival we were invited into the dining room and offered coffee and a full breakfast (on the house). While we ate our room was prepared for us and by 9.30 we had our key and were able to unpack and wash. The room was simple, clean and bright, while the owners were only too willing to offer help when asked but otherwise kept a low profile, allowing us to feel at home in their home.

We booked this guest house on the strength of its Tripadvisor rating (by no means a foolproof strategy) back in early 2007. Run by a young couple who had been travellers and wanted to welcome people as they would want to be welcomed, I still remember the little touches that made this place different. No filling out the registration forms at the desk; instead we were given the key immediately and then were able to complete the formalities with glass of complimentary wine in hand when we were ready to do so. Again, very helpful without any intrusion. The large comfortable room and magnificent views across the Beagle Channel helped a lot in making this a memorable stay.

I hesitate to include this as we were hosted for our stay, but I am convinced that our experience would have been the same regardless of the nature of our visit. The room was comfortable and the setting a short walk from the coast perfect, but what made this place stand out again was the service. From the warm welcome to the help with arranging reservations at local restaurants, the owners and their staff were only too willing to help. It was a place where you could easily relax and where requests were dealt with (and remembered) without any feeling of intrusion.

What do these places have in common? In each one the most memorable aspect of our stay was the service. Not the door opening, bag carrying, valet parking kind of service, but the genuine willingness to make people feel at home and the awareness that it’s all about the guests, not about them. All are relatively small properties (with no more than a dozen or so rooms) and in each case it is the owners of the hotel/guest house that are the face of the business.

Some might argue that it’s only business owners who can display that passion for service, that insight into treating a guest in the way they would wish to be treated if they were visiting; but I’m not convinced. Great service, for me at least, requires the ability to put yourself in your guests’ shoes and offer them the service that you yourself would appreciate. And that’s the tough bit, because each of us has a different view on what we would class as great service. I’m glad I don’t run a hotel.