stay warm

"May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door." - Irish Blessing

This winter season is, naturally, a cold one in western New York. The cold air here often makes me think about and desperately try to remember what warm feels like. Why is that?

Think about cold. Not just cold temperatures, cold emotions too. What comes to mind? A frown, bills, bank lobbies, being sick, hospital waiting rooms, ice cubes, snow, a letter addressed to "whom it may concern", policies and procedures, a waitress who forgets who ordered which meal, or the woman at the DMV yelling, "next!" at a line of impatient people. Cold is uninviting.

Now think about warm. When I think about warm, I think about: hot coffee or chocolate, the smell of wood burning in the fireplace, my toes in the sand on the beach, a fleece blanket, chicken noodle soup, fresh-cut grass, a smile, a genuine greeting, a candle burning on the night stand, a hand-signed note, a hug from a child, a postcard from a friend, or a massage after a long day. Warm is desirable.

Each of us have the desire to feel warm. It's up to us to help our guests feel warm, in every way. Remember their name, welcome them back, leave them a hand written message upon arrival, greet everyone with a smile and a firm hand shake. Listen to each guest's request and be genuine when you respond. A guest who has felt warmth at your property will return to feel it again; this is in their nature.