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Magestic Stories
Part 2: Bitter Sweet
This Part 2 of Majestic Stories is being written on a September evening, when outside it’s already cold and a cup of Tea again becomes a necessary element on the working desk. Summer vacation is over in Switzerland: kids go to school, students to universities, new people, new life!
Nothing changes except
floral decoration at the
lobby of Majestic Hotel
in Barcelona.
floral decoration at the
lobby of Majestic Hotel
in Barcelona.
But there is one place on Earth (there are actually more), where with September nothing changes except floral decoration at the lobby — Majestic Hotel in Barcelona. The place where I had my university internship, place where I met incredible people wearing same uniform as me and taking the guest lift to go to their room. As promised in Part 1 here are some of the guest stories which I wrote down to once share them with the world…
The most emotional guest situation for me was when when 3 girls from London arrived to the hotel. As most complaining guests they arrived in the morning before check-in time and smiling gave me the voucher and their passports.
Well, well… the room is booked for two and one of these girls asks about adding an extra bed in the room. In a 5-Star hotel you shouldn’t say no to a client… so I just suggested them checking the room, to see themselves that it doesn’t fit an extra bed, as it’s too small. We go up in the lift, and when I open the door of the room, main guest says: „my housekeeping has a bigger room. I will not live here“. Having chosen the basic category of the room on Booking.com, you can check the size of the room (m2). With guests you never know if they really didn’t see it, if it wasn’t written or they just want an upgrade. Let’s be honest: everyone wants an upgrade! These ladies fought for their room upgrade long, loud and they got a bigger room for 3 guests with a balcony view on Passeo de Gracia and headed to explore Barcelona.
This could be a typical story that happens every third day in a luxury hotel, the difference for me was that I checked the list of arrivals in the system that morning and saw a familiar name wondering if it’s just a person bearing the same name & surname or the person I know from my school time. When I saw the face, no doubt, we knew each other.
Well, well… the room is booked for two and one of these girls asks about adding an extra bed in the room. In a 5-Star hotel you shouldn’t say no to a client… so I just suggested them checking the room, to see themselves that it doesn’t fit an extra bed, as it’s too small. We go up in the lift, and when I open the door of the room, main guest says: „my housekeeping has a bigger room. I will not live here“. Having chosen the basic category of the room on Booking.com, you can check the size of the room (m2). With guests you never know if they really didn’t see it, if it wasn’t written or they just want an upgrade. Let’s be honest: everyone wants an upgrade! These ladies fought for their room upgrade long, loud and they got a bigger room for 3 guests with a balcony view on Passeo de Gracia and headed to explore Barcelona.
This could be a typical story that happens every third day in a luxury hotel, the difference for me was that I checked the list of arrivals in the system that morning and saw a familiar name wondering if it’s just a person bearing the same name & surname or the person I know from my school time. When I saw the face, no doubt, we knew each other.
Working in a hotel you meet so many different people in good and bad mood, with good and bad manners. People come to a hotel and bring with them not only a suitcase they packed for this trip, but also a baggage of knowledge and experience.
And once a very annoyed (read: annoying) guest came to our hotel. He was demanding his check-in to go faster than I could, complained that I need to have a supervisor next to me if I can’t work fast enough... all this was only distracting me and making the check-in longer, but once the room key is handed to him, he left.
Later I had a chat with my colleagues about this guest, they checked the name and said that this is a regular guest and he is demanding but always for a reason. I agreed, went for lunch and forgot about him. Imagine my surprise when I saw this gentleman approaching me some hours later. He passed by to excuse his attitude earlier and explained that he was in a rush and didn’t want to be offensive. The last thing I would expect him to do is to explain to me, a receptionist of the hotel, why he wasn’t nice. That was the moment I started my „Magestic Guests“ list and their stories.
And once a very annoyed (read: annoying) guest came to our hotel. He was demanding his check-in to go faster than I could, complained that I need to have a supervisor next to me if I can’t work fast enough... all this was only distracting me and making the check-in longer, but once the room key is handed to him, he left.
Later I had a chat with my colleagues about this guest, they checked the name and said that this is a regular guest and he is demanding but always for a reason. I agreed, went for lunch and forgot about him. Imagine my surprise when I saw this gentleman approaching me some hours later. He passed by to excuse his attitude earlier and explained that he was in a rush and didn’t want to be offensive. The last thing I would expect him to do is to explain to me, a receptionist of the hotel, why he wasn’t nice. That was the moment I started my „Magestic Guests“ list and their stories.