My Stay at the Westin Hotel - City Center in Washington, D.C.

I stayed in the Westin Hotel – City Center in Washington D.C. last week for the 119th Annual APA (American Psychological Association) Convention. I enjoyed my stay and would like to comment on several small “impressive touches” added by the hotel staff.

Upon check-in, the Front Desk Agent asked me if I wanted to take part in the “make a green choice” program that I once discussed in February 2010. This program allows me to choose to opt out the housekeeping service during my stay. In return, the hotel will reward me either a $5 F&B (food & beverage) voucher or 500 SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) points. The reward is very small, but it lets guests get involved in a “feel-good” program. I like it.

I participated in the “make a green choice” program, and I put the “Do Not Disturb” sign on my door. When I came back from the Convention Center, I found additional refreshments (e.g. Starbucks coffee, tea bags, mouth wash, etc.) and extra sets of fresh towels in my room even though I opted out the housekeeping service. How nice!

I stayed on the SPG Guest Floor. Free bottle water and apples are included. It is another small nice touch.

The workout facility was nice. The hotel provides cleaned ear plugs and collects the used ones for guests. The ear plugs are those “cheap” ones and do not cost much for a hotel, but I feel very nice of the hotel’s thoughtfulness. I have found that a few nice hotels do that for guests.

The only thing I do not like is that the hotel charges everyone $12.99 per day or $39.99 per week for the WiFi service. Here, I have to ask the same question again --- when will full service hotels offer free WiFi service?

To see more pictures of the hotel, please visit my Facebook page.

Comments

Do you know where your prospects hang out during the #DeleteFacebook movement?

Facebook used to the cool place where everybody hangs out. Not long ago, Facebook was ranked the most visited website in the world , and the website where Americans spent the most time. Facebook page then became the most popular social media platform for business-to-consumer communications among various types of organizations. In recent years, however, Facebook faced several backlashes toward the platform’s data privacy practices and its CEO. Facebook is experiencing some challenges of maintaining its popularity among internet users, some of whom even call for a #DeleteFacebook movement . I myself, also notice a shift in my teenaged students’ interest in Facebook, even before the #DeleteFacebook backlash. So, if Facebook is no longer the cool place where everybody hangs out, which social media platforms can we use to communicate with our prospective consumers? The most popular social media platforms among U.S. teens According to a 2018 Pew Research Center report

Are neighbors friends or foes? A study of Airbnb listings' agglomeration effect

“Location, location, location.” Location is often perceived as the most important factor when people assess the value of a home or property. In the lodging industry, location is an essential attribute of a property and can significantly affect a hotel’s financial performance. Airbnb and the broader home-sharing businesses represent a new form of lodging products. Location is also a significant, influential factor that affects travelers’ purchasing decisions of a home-sharing stay. Recent research suggests that Airbnb listings are usually found in such popular locations as tourist attractions and points of interest. When more Airbnb listings are located in the same neighborhood, the competition will become more intense. Intense competition can be harmful to businesses, especially when they enter a price war. If that’s the case, why would Airbnb hosts choose to operate their short-term residential rental businesses in the neighborhood with oth

Promoting student success in the STR Student Market Study Competition

Cal Poly Pomona students placed second at the STR Student Market Study Competition I was in New York City (NYC) over the Veterans Day weekend for the HX: The Hotel Experience 2019 , one of the most important trade shows in the lodging industry . Similar to last year’s trade show , the HX 2019 also entailed four components, including HX: The Marketplace, HX: The Conference, Boutique Design New York, and the STR (Smith Travel Research) Student Market Study Competition. STR is the leading data analytics provider for the lodging industry. Since its debut in 2015, the STR Student Market Study Competition (the STR Competition hereafter) has received significant attention from the hospitality programs around the world. This year, over 20 students from the Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona traveled to NYC for HX 2019. Moreover, six of them also participated in the STR Competition for the first time. In the end, the Cal Poly Pomona team

Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

Search This Blog