Its always worth answering ‘How was your stay?’ truthfully

Last weekend on one of my frequent trips between Sydney and Adelaide, I stayed yet again at the Adelaide Intercontinental (after a night at the Stamford Plaza Adelaide – more about that in another post).

You may remember I completely stuffed up two bookings by duplicating them, and then had to get the ‘no-refund’ bookings reversed (successfully) Thank you Qantas Hotels, and Amex.

Well, at checkout, the staff member asked me ‘How was your stay?’ I’ve written about my indecision on being truthful before.

Our stay had been very good – especially when contrasted with the service at the Stamford Plaza. We got all the little bits of recognition, that you don’t realise you count on until they are not there. I mean the late checkout, the bottle of red wine and fruit (‘arrival amenity’ in hotel speak), the feather pillows already on the bed – because they have your preference on file, etc

Now one of the things I treasure in 5 star establishments is Turn Down service. I love how you can have a busy day – return during the day, and have a nap or whatever, and then housekeeping waltzes through, and refreshes towels, makes beds, draws curtains, and generally fluffs the room.

However, increasingly, it is a service – though entitled to – you have to request.

We were out most of the day, back late afternoon for a quick nap, and then out again in the evening. Before 6pm (as the card in our room asked us to do) we rang housekeeping and asked for our room to be ‘Turned Down’ after 7:30pm. It didn’t happen – so I told them in response to the ‘how was your stay?’

‘Our stay was delightful (I had been out to lunch), but, one little thing, we didn’t get the turn down service we requested yesterday.’

I very swiftly got an . . .

‘I’m very sorry about that . . . let me halve your room service charges as a gesture’

In fact, she said normally she would have discounted our valet parking – but that was an ‘outside service’ at this hotel. Anyway – long story short – we got an AU$30 discount on our first-night in-room burger.

See, telling the truth, just like your momma told you – pays off!

The Amenities I get as a Gold Ambassador – fruit, bottle of wine, daily water