This week we headed north to tour Sleep Bear Dunes and Traverse City. Beautiful scenery and plenty of fun, but a delightful surprise came from our choice in lodging. We stayed in a one bedroom condo at Harbor Lights Resort in Frankfort, Michigan. Off one side of our deck was this beach.
Looking to the other side, was the marina harbor. Our condo was nicely laid out with a garden jacuzzi, two-sided fireplace, two flat screen TVs, huge double-deck and an abundance of space for the two of us. All as advertised.
But here was the surprise:
The building we stayed in is going on two decades old. It is the end of a long, high traffic tourist season. The resort is built right on the sand (and sand has a way of getting tracked every where). All these are potential excuses for not having perfect maintenance and house keeping. And yet, this facility has been fantastically maintained. With impeccable housekeeping.
In the past, I have graded on the curve for the hotels and resorts we have visited. Taken into account the excuses. Given out 5 star ratings for properties that were excellent in comparison to others. This place broke the curve. Every faucet polished, every window pristine and streak free. Not a finger print anywhere. Every window screen cleaned. Every windowsill dust free. The attention to detail was obvious. Curious, I tried to find something missed… dust on top of the window frame, on top of a picture… something, anything missed. Nope. Perfect. Best I have ever seen, anywhere.
At checkout, while talking to the manager, I suggested they teach a class in maintenance and housekeeping during the off-season. They must have a great system to be so organized, so effective. So many other properties could learn from their techniques.
“You don’t understand” she laughed, “We don’t have any secret techniques. This is a privately owned company. Every single employee is treated as a part of the family. We are well paid.No one wants to leave. Everyone works very hard because they want to. The average years of service (not counting seasonal) is 15 years.”
Treat your employees well, pay them well. What a concept!