Bill Marriott Talks About Tipping

This is from an old story, back in the '30s, in the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less.

A 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" the little boy asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins he had. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now, more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing very impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry. As she wiped down the table, there placed neatly beside the empty dish were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae because he had to have enough money to leave her a tip.

Read the entire story and visit Bill Marriott's blog.

Gaylord National Hotel Goes All Out to Charm Prospective Customers

By Anita Huslin
Washington Post Staff Writer



It's a balmy, picture-perfect autumn morning when the limousines begin arriving, and the reception at the historic mansion overlooking the Potomac River has been laid out by hospitality company Gaylord National to impress.

The guests -- potential corporate clients, mostly planners who book meetings and conferences in the mid-Atlantic region -- lap up the mimosas and bloody marys, nibble on hors d'oeuvres, and bask on the sun-kissed portico of the Oxon Hill Manor, a property once owned by a nephew of George Washington.

Though the guests are appreciative of the effort, it remains to be seen whether the endeavor will translate into business for the newest property in Gaylord Entertainment's hotel chain.

They have lots of questions about the place. How would guests get to Washington, to sightsee or dine in the nation's capital? What other restaurants and retail will be at the Gaylord complex and neighboring National Harbor? What kind of hotel overflow capacity does it have? Could they hang a trapeze from the ceiling of the convention hall if they wanted to?



This is only the beginning of a sales push for the Nashville-based company that wants to establish its complex in the Washington area as a premier meeting and convention space.

Over the next several months, the Gaylord National executive sales team will be pressing to fill its reservation book. It has already sold more than 1 million room nights (over the next decade and beyond), filling the 2,000-room hotel to 60 percent capacity next year when it opens, 55 percent in 2009 and 35 percent in 2010. Now, Gaylord officials said, their focus is booking short-term corporate and leisure clients -- in hospitality industry parlance, transients.

This will be a smaller share of Gaylord National's business, of which large association meetings and conventions account for 70 percent. But that 30 percent, Gaylord executives believe, represents future clients of other properties in the hotel chain.

Which is why the elaborate, invitation-only reception last week was so focused on details. Gaylord flew in executives and chefs from Nashville, Orlando and Dallas for the day. They sent limousines to pick up each guest individually, and then they wined, dined and walked their guests to the top of the hotel, showing them the vistas and the amenities.

Read the entire story in the WashingtonPost.

Hotel Indigo is Open in Nashville

Situated just one mile from downtown Nashville, the 139-room conversion property is the first Hotel Indigo to open in Tennessee.

The 11-story Hotel Indigo West End is conveniently located just blocks from popular Music Row, Vanderbilt University, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Tennessee State Capital. Other nearby attractions include the Grand Ole Opry, Belle Meade Plantation and Nashville Super Speedway. “Nashville is a creative and welcoming city, with a history rich in the performing arts, from world-famous country music to jazz, blues and rock,” said Jim Anhut, senior vice president, brand management, Hotel Indigo. “We’re excited to be bringing this hotel to a city just as unique as the Hotel Indigo brand."

The hotel features seven suites, the largest of which is a nearly 3,000 sq.-ft. Skyline Suite overlooking Music Row, the West End neighborhood and the skyline of downtown Nashville. The Skyline Suite boasts two balconies, fully equipped chef’s kitchen, separate living room and dining room, two bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. All suites offer separate sitting and sleeping areas, some include balconies, as well as upgraded amenities, use of the concierge lounge, and a minimum of 750 sq.-ft of space.

Visit Hotel Interactive to read the entire article.

A Night in the Hermitage Hotel by Deep Fried Kudzu

Room:
The room was a nice size; it featured an armoire for the television and minibar, a desk with internet access, a sitting area, and a very nice bathroom with double sinks, a glass-enclosed shower, nice-size bathtub, and the commode area was enclosed. The bath products - soaps, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and gel - were from Molton Brown (we liked the Molton Brown shampoo so much that we bought a bottle of it from the shop downstairs). The room's overall decor was very nice, and very comfortable. Robes were provided. Our room rate included the cost of breakfast the next morning. It was a **great** value. The Hermitage is Tennessee's only AAA 5* hotel recipient.

Service:
The service was Fantastic. The bellman, Frederick, took us on a little tour, and made it a point to let us know what he suggested to have for supper, what the hours were of the little shop (but also said that since we were guests of the hotel that no matter what time it was, we could have anything we wanted - uh, you don't hear that very much), and that we would be 100% taken care of the whole time we were at the property. Turn-down service included cookies, ice, slippers, and bottles of water. The check-in was nice, the concierge let us know that he would arrange anything in the world we wanted, and when we left the valet was prompt and let us know just how much they appreciated us coming for a visit, and to come again soon. Y'all, we drove up in Av's van - not my Volvo, and neither of us dressed all that great walking in - in fact, Av was wearing shorts and sandals - and they treated us like rock stars. Hermitage, you have my heart.

Extra:
The hotel is downtown, so it makes for a great location, especially for people on government business. Everything about the hotel is top-notch.Our experience is this: From now on, as long as there are rooms available at the Hermitage, we're not staying anywhere else in Nashville. We used to stay at the Opryland Hotel quite a bit, and especially enjoyed the balcony rooms, but there is absolutely NO comparison between the two hotels.

In fact, I'm listing The Hermitage as my new #1 hotel pick, moving the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans to #2.



Visit Deep Fried Kudzu to read more about her visit to the hotel and Nashville.

Hotel Babylon; the book

I just started reading this and so far I'm loving it. If you have ever worked in a hotel and especially a large, upscale hotel this book will ring true for you in so many ways. Give it a read and tell me what you think.

I plan to see some of the tv show soon as well. Anyone have burned copies of the show? I'd love to see them if you do.

Celebrate 10 Years of the Trace

LET'S CELEBRATETHE TRACE RESTAURANT 10TH ANNIVERSARY

Wednesday October 17th & Thursday, October 18th

We want to thank you with a very special menu.The majority of the items in the restaurant will be $10. Yes, I said $10.

All entrees $10.

Two martinis for $10.

Glasses of high end wine for $10.

Two apps for $10.

Come and help us celebrate 10 years of the Trace.

Reservations suggested.

MONDAY NIGHT- SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT
All service employees of restaurants, bars, etc. receive the Trace Employee Discount on their whole tab on Monday Night.

Sunday Nights

Buy one Get one Free Entree

Daily Drink Specials

4 - 7 pm
Domestic Beer $2

House Wines $5

Well Drinks $5

Absolut and Stoli Drinks $5

House Martinis $5

Dates of Interest

October 11, 2007

Australian Wine Tasting

6:30-8 pm

$20

Hours

Sunday - Thursday 4pm - 12am

Friday & Saturday 4pm - 2am