Staying at a great hotel makes me feel like I have arrived at a weigh station on the edge of Heaven. It is like a spell suspends my daily inconveniences and elevates to a higher world of deference and care. As I sit here in the contractor job trailer at our Delta Hotels by Marriott construction site in Allen with the sounds of trucks and steel being framed in the background, it’s a fitting moment to be writing this blog. The elements that make up a great hotel are front in center in my mind, as our team is building a facility that will hopefully not only delight our guests but also feel like home. But even more important than the buildings is the management staff that we are in the process of hiring. A hotel and its staff either synchronize together to create a great guest experience, or they provide a rude awakening soon after arrival that, in spite of high expectations, you may as well have stayed home.
For me, the edge of Heaven experience begins with an engaging, helpful front desk staff. Scanning the lobby, the spaces need to hang together, creating a theme that encourages exploration. Upon arrival at my room, it should feel fresh and well-maintained, with furnishings that are thought out and engaging. A glass of champagne at check-in or a snack left in the room can add to the feeling of a universe created just for guests. The Kimpton Van Zandt in Austin, the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, and the Bellagio in Las Vegas all provide an extraordinary experience, as does the ever popular Hotel Zaza here in Dallas. Although our Delta Hotels by Marriott will not have the Caribbean Ocean or the Las Vegas strip, we will have an incredible pool courtyard that will feel like a resort in the middle of North Dallas, complete with a giant movie screen and badminton. Our chef-driven restaurant and bar will be part of a curated experience connected with the executive conference and convention center. Our goal will be to cast a spell that doesn’t end—tugging at your subconscious to come back for another stay—to recreate that feeling.
On the flip side, like a date with high hopes gone wrong, we all have had those moments when the spell is broken, when we go from feeling that we are in a special place to wishing we had stayed elsewhere. Disinterested staff, worn furniture, burned out light bulbs, or perhaps the total buzz kill of a weird smell—once the spell is broken, every flaw screams at you. The mission of our operator, Benchmark Hospitality, will be to guard against the ordinary and foster the extraordinary in how we handle guests. And the Delta Marriott brand mantra, “Simple Made Perfect,” is one that we will live or die by. Starting when we open in December 2018, I hope you all give us a chance to suspend the everyday world, for just a few days.
What makes a great hotel stay for you? If you have ideas to share, please do.
Mike Kennedy is Senior Vice President of Capital Markets at Avison Young and Principal at Altera Development, the developer of the Delta Hotels by Marriott and Watters Creek Convention Center in Allen.
