A Proper Spring!

Take a look around, what do you see?

If you're lucky enough to be in Burlington, VT, you'll see the vibrant greens of grass and trees, the bright blues of the clear, sunny sky and depths of Lake Champlain, the rich reds and warm oranges of sunrises and sunsets. ...A proper Spring!

There are many ways to enjoy the beautiful weather and variety of outdoor settings throughout the region, but we all so often get trapped indoors and miss out. So this Spring, when you come to town, definitely take time to appreciate the fine shopping downtown on Church Street or at the outlets in Essex, but don't forget about strolling the beautiful Waterfront Park or rowing the lake on a kayak from the Community Sailing Center, walking the grounds of Shelburne Farms or the Shelburne Museum, taking a day cruise on the Spirit Of Ethan Allen or enjoying the lush greens at one of the many public golf courses and country clubs in the area.

Spring is everywhere around you in the beautiful Lake Champlain region. Be sure to enjoy it!

Stephen Churchill

Social Media Director | Larkin Hospitality

There Is No Offseason

As the Director of Sales for four busy hotels, I spend the majority of my day on the phone. For the better part of the year, a large percentage of my phone conversations are with sports teams looking for hotel accommodations. Our area is home to several annual sports tournaments many of which can be found under the events listing sections of our hotels’ websites. 

With seven hotels in the Burlington area alone, I typically have plenty of rooms for teams that meet both their needs and budget.  On rare occasions, teams playing in exceptionally large tournaments will call late in the game and we are unable to house them.  In these events, I take tremendous pride in being willing and able to share clear and solid area information to assist in helping them find lodging elsewhere in town.  I have even directed groups to neighboring towns and to spectacular, hidden gems where demand may be less overwhelming, but amenities and natural beauty are plentiful.

I routinely share industry tips with these teams to not only help them find suitable housing presently, but to help them plan ahead for the next year or tournament, because  I feel one of our cornerstones has to be educating the guest on not only our area, but also on our industry. Many of these teams travel all year long, spend a fortune on travel, and bear the burden of collecting hotel information, disseminating it among team members and then following through to be sure all families on their rosters have booked. In providing these teams and parents with more than just the bare, essential details pertinent to their current booking needs, they’re better served in all their travel endeavors in the future and are able to make more informed decisions, saving them money and, more importantly, saving them time.

I’ve made it one of my highest priorities to make that entire process as easy as possible for them and, while most of the time I am able to accommodate them, when I am unable to, I take pride in knowing they leave the experience better armed for future success.  I understand firsthand how expensive sports travel can be and, at the same time, I also understand how valuable their tournaments are to our area, both fiscally and culturally, so making the process less stressful is always a top priority of mine.  In the end, I suppose I could spend less time on the phone were I not to put the guest experience first, but that is never an option here in the Larkin Hospitality Family. When you call upon us, you expect the best, and we take pride in knowing that is exactly what you’ll get. 

Dina Townsend

Larkin Hospitality Group

Good Customer Service vs. Exceptional Service

This morning I arrived to work thinking about what I would blog about today.  I had many ideas based on years of experience in the hotel business.  I sat down to my computer to begin my task when I noticed a letter I had retrieved from my mail box this very morning.  It was from a guest who was checking out.   As I read the letter I felt my eyes begin to moisten.  It was at this moment I realize what I needed to blog about was presented to me in this letter.  For the second time in a week I had received a letter hand written by a satisfied guest.  It was more than a letter.  Having been hand written I felt as if the person was there with me, it felt real. 

What did the two letters have in common?  Both of the letters had stated that their rooms had been comfortable, clean and well supplied.  That is to be expected.  So what prompted the guest to take time to hand write a letter?  It was exceptional customer service.  The guest both stated that the staff was helpful, attentive, smiling and would go above and beyond their expectations to assist them.  One guest stated that his wife was very sick and that the wheel on her wheel chair broke off.  He had asked the front desk for a phone book to look for a repair company.  The front desk agent went one step further and looked it up on the internet and printed off several options for this guest, even offered to call for them.  The guest was very stressed out and the desk agent could see this.  So what is good service vs. exceptional service?  It is about anticipating the guest needs even before the guest knows what they may need and most importantly following up with the guest to ensure that the needs were met or exceeded. 

The guest stated that they felt like they were at home with family.  The staff was warm and sincere.   The employees listened to the guest and heard their needs.  They responded with friendly and helpful assistance.  So what makes good customer service great?.......the STAFF.  Never under estimate the power of being kind, patient and helpful.   I’m very proud of our staff and want to acknowledge them for the difference they make.

Allisyn Marthers

Area Director | Larkin Hospitality