The Hotel Upgrade I Can’t Stop Thinking About

Years ago, a producing project had me traveling every week to the beautiful St. Petersburg / Clearwater Beach area and I became known to the concierge at the hotel where I always stayed.

At the time, this hotel was going through a major renovation – tens of thousands of dollars spent on making the hotel more impressive, more welcoming, a more desirable place to return to.

Clear as day, I still remember grabbing some food from the lobby one morning before heading out. The concierge was talking to someone at the moment. But as I departed, she deftly and politely disengaged herself from that conversation to call out, “Bye, Matthew. Have a great day!”

That’s it, that’s the story – but don’t miss the takeaway here…

A corporation spent a ton of money on making that hotel shine, yet I’m not here telling you about their new TVs or lobby furniture or sparkling pool.

I’m here, eight years hence, telling you about those six simple words and how that off-hand comment made me feel seen, known, and appreciated.

Now clearly I’m not saying these interactions can replace needed infrastructural changes.

What I am saying is that whether it’s a co-worker, employee, vendor, Client, or complete stranger…

– Matthew Porter


Matthew Porter writes about Decoding Success, Creative Leadership, Marketing, and Productivity.

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P.S. I’ve mentioned this charity before, but check out Amenity Aid:  “We welcome donations of new hotel amenities such as soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion. Because of their size, hotel amenities are ideal for emergency shelters, other short stay housing programs, and community centers that operate soup kitchens and other social service programs.”

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