Silvera’s Picks
FOR YEARS, former Bahamian minister of tourism and aviation and secretary general and chief executive officer of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, has been touting the importance of “the experience”.
That is how he described what visitors to the Caribbean region were looking for. I always knew Vanderpool-Wallace was correct, because whenever I travel, the experience is what matters, and that is the deciding factor that determines return to a country, a resort, a restaurant or even the homes of my friends.
Two weeks ago, I had one of the most amazing experiences at the Couples Sans Souci Resort in Ocho Rios when a member of the dining room staff, who I am sure was not aware that I am a journalist, went the extra mile without even blinking.
Service obviously comes naturally for him.
I was wearing an Arsenal shirt, because that is the team I cheer for in the English Premier League, and as soon as the young man saw us (I had a friend with me) approaching the dining room, he said, “You guys want to watch the match?” Arsenal were playing Bournemouth at the time, and obviously he felt if we had to eat breakfast in the regular area, we would have missed the last 30 minutes of the game.
Let it be known, our server is a Manchester United fan, so he could have ignored us.
He prepared a room (looks like a games room), with a small table, dressed it with tablecloth, brought us cutlery, coffee, and I am sure if we wanted, he would have gone on the buffet line and taken up our breakfast. In an intimate setting, we had our own television, personalised service and a football fan taking care of business, even while serving other guests close to the vicinity.
In fact, it felt like a romantic breakfast.
This is what guests who visit our country are looking for!
And if you think that was the only place that had me feeling like royalty two weekends ago, check out the dining room staff at Jewel Runaway Bay, who took the time to make us fresh pots of coffee when they felt what was there before we arrived at breakfast was not good enough.
To say that General Manager Scott Robins is doing a fantastic job at Jewel would be an understatement. Word on the street and on social media is that Robins has it ‘down pat’.
Who to watch in the industry
Former director of sales, Riu Hotels & Resorts, Angella Bennett, who resigned that post just over a year ago to join the Melia Hotels and Resort in a similar position for their Melia Braco Village property in Rio Bueno, Trelawny, is creating waves and is being touted as a game changer in the market.
Bennett, who has more than 20 years of experience in her area of expertise, has literally moved Melia Braco’s growth from single to double digits, with a balanced market share in each source market, putting the hotel in a very stable position.
Under her command, she was able to bring new markets from Europe and strengthened the existing markets with her expertise in tour operations.
Have you received great service? Let us know.