What makes for a stellar hotel stay? Do you think it is an inviting room, comfy bed, a spacious shower, functional alarm clock or perhaps a delicious breakfast, which can take your entire travel experience to a whole new level? Is it a combination of these things or all of the above? Well, some hotels are getting your message loud and clear and are gearing up with surprises for travelers as they take on these needs, one by one.
Take the breakfast, for instance. Hotels push the envelope by focusing on new amenities such as satellite radio or Internet check-in. However, the 2005 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index, a study by J.D. Power and Associates, finds that improvements on tried-and-true comforts such as a hearty, complimentary breakfast receive considerable boosts in customer satisfaction scores.
The company that introduced the concept of “complimentary continental” more than 20 years ago recently updated it to make the breakfast experience unlike that of other hotels. Its breakfast team tested 60 varieties of eggs, 15 sausage patties and 12 different orange juices and orchestrated more than 175,000 changes in breakfast alone to see...