Earlier in the year, I booked a two bedroom unit at The Bolton Hotel in Wellington. I was en route, with friends, to Martinborough and decided to overnight in the Capital. On arrival at the hotel, we were upgraded to one of the penthouse suites in the hotel - a 170 sq m apartment with outstanding facilities and views. Needless to say, we thoroughly appreciated both the views and the upgrade.
Last week, I rang The Bolton to make another booking for an upcoming weekend. I didn't NEED the penthouse suite, but having experienced the luxury of the suite on the previous occasion, I asked the person on the phone how much it would be to upgrade to the penthouse suite. You guessed it - I booked it.
The marketing implications of our first stay are clear: introduce a guest to the best there is (on a complimentary basis), then the guest will pay for future return visits - clever marketing! And I congratulate The Bolton for this. However, it was the concluding sentence of my conversation with the hotel staff member that left such a positive impression with me. She said "Is there anything else we can do to make your stay at The Bolton more comfortable?". I made some small request before hanging up in awe, pondering on how one sentence made such a difference. In that one sentence, the staff member at The Bolton told me that I was a valued guest, that the hotel cared about me and that they appreciated my business. It's a pretty simple concept and it works pretty darn well. I'll stay at The Bolton again, and again, and again ....
Written by Sue Saunders
