My First Experience With An Iberostar Property

I arrived at my home for the week, the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach shortly after 2:00 P.M. (cst). I soon learn that the resort is really a three resort complex made up of three Iberostar hotels: The Rose Hall Beach, the Rose Hall Suites, and the Rose Hall Grand. I suspect that Americans are as familiar with Iberostar properties as they are many other resort companies. At least I know I was not. In fact, I can’t say that I ever even heard of them until winning a drawing they had at the Miami Home Based Travel Agent Show a year ago. I knew then I was going to learn firsthand about them.

I need to say a great big “Thank you” to Iberostar Hotels for our complimentary stay at this property. It was a welcome and needed break as well as a terrific learning experience. As regards amenities it was everything it was advertised to be.

After a good breakfast buffet a customer service representatives for one of the hotels met me in the lobby of the Iberostar Rose Hall Suites Resort and served as my guide as I toured all three properties.

After introductions and small talk I shared with my "tour Guide" that my major interest were, “What differentiates these three properties from each other?” and “Why should a potential guest choose Iberostar over the many competing properties at Montego Bay?”

The first question was answered by the tour of the property and the explanations of the Customer Service rep showing me around the property. I learned that the major difference between the three properties is level of amenities. There are other differences but this is the major one. The Iberostar Rose Hall Grand is a truly all-inclusive property. Once you have booked into this resort there are very few things for which there is a charge and these are things that are fee based at all the properties including competitors. A free fully stocked mini bar, free in room WiFi, 24-hour room service etc. Booking this hotel gives you access to both of the other two property’s amenities at no charge. Additionally this is a “no children” adults only property. So, if privacy and quiet are important then this may be your Jamaican Iberostar resort of choice.

The Iberostar Rose Hall Suites is just that, all-suites. The amenities are similar to those of the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach property. In fact the only real difference is that it is all-suites. It shares a security feature with the Grand in that it has a process that records and lets you know before you enter your room whether anyone has been in the room in the previous 15 minutes. Also this property includes spirit shots in the mini-bars.

That brings me to my home for the week the Iberostar at Rose Hall Beach. Don’t let the name fool you, all three of these properties are on the beach and have infinity pools. While the Grand has a Greco-Roman motif and the Suites is post modern, the Beach is very Spanish and probably best reflects the culture of the parent company, Iberostar. The amenities are adequate for this to be a five-star hotel. However, I personally would rate it closer to a four than a five when compared to what the other two properties offer.

The atmosphere of this hotel is more relaxed and the staff openly interacts with the guests. You get a real feel for Jamaican friendliness at this property. However, while mini bar is complimentary it only includes beer, soft drinks and water. No hard liquor except by purchase. The lobby bar is also complimentary. However, the liquors stocked are not what we would call “high” end brands as they are in the Grand.

Unfortunately I never got an answer to the second question. I was hoping someone would say, “Why it is obvious, it is the level of our customer service.” But they didn’t. In fact, when I said, “Look every resort in Montego Bay has wonderfully appointed rooms, beautifully landscaped grounds, plenty to eat and drink, beaches, pools, water activities and the like. What does this Iberostar Property offer that sets them apart and above the competition?” When front line staff cannot answer this question I have to assume it is either because upper management has formulated an answer or middle management has not implemented it. My experience tells me that no one in upper management has developed an answer to this question and that, no doubt, is because it is not a major part of their business model. And that to me is almost inconceivable for folks in the hospitality industry.

My experience with the Resort's front line staff was that they are capable and willing to offer service at the highest levels - they just need to know how and they need the support of hotel management. Cruise lines discovered this years ago as have most of the top hotels hence they provide training for their front line staff in both how to do their jobs and how to provide excellent customer service. Again, I do not know this to be the case but it sure appears to be.

An example of what I am speaking about: Because of a power outage a couple was trapped in an elevator in a little traveled portion of the property. This was an especially frightening experience because the emergency lights in the elevator did not work. As a consequence the on duty customer service employee notified the couple they would be receiving a bottle of champagne in their room. A few days later when asked about the champagne by the rep they replied, "What champagne, it never arrived."

Now I could stop there and talk about a lot of things regarding failure of the staff to carry out the request and they would all be applicable. However, being an old wily dog I new from the look on the customer service rep's face that there was something else going on. They never spoke a word but I intuitively knew hat it was not a failure of the front line staff. No this was a mid-management created issue.

Like I said, I'm a wily old dog who has been around a lot of years and most of those years involved reading people. Here's what my experience told me: A manager of some kind (probably customer service) decided that a bottle of champagne was too much for the inconvenience that the guest had experienced and simply cancelled the champagne. They did not investigate the incident; they did not tell the rep; nor did they notify the guest. All evidence of incompetence in the customer service arena. Reminds me of the old proverb that says, "For want of a nail a shoe was lost; For want of a shoe a horse was lost; For want of a horse a rider was lost; For want of a rider a battle was lost; For want of a battle a kingdom was lost. All for the want of a horseshoe nail" One can only wonder how many potential paying guests will be lost for want of an inexpensive bottle of champagne.

Now, because I always like to end on a positive note, I must reiterate that the hotel was well appointed, the food was above average, the location was wonderful, the grounds were immaculate and the front line staff were friendly, helpful and upbeat. These all make this hotel a great family vacation spot. I would certainly visit the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach again and will without a doubt recommend it to clients for whom it is a good and affordable fit.

Watch for more in the next few days.

Choosing The Right Cruise For You

Most of you know that in addition to other things I am a certified cruise consultant. As such I'd like to offer the following

I had an uncle who would never go in a cave. It was not that he was afraid of descending into the bowels of the Earth but an attitude he had. He had seen the magnificent Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and that was enough for him. So when we were at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico he decided to just wait for us topside saying, “When you had seen one cave you’d seen them all, after all they’re all alike. Well he was wrong, they are not all alike! I have been in many caves and there were no two the same. To be sure they are all holes in the ground with stalactites’ and stalagmites but that was about all they had in common.

Many people feel about booking a cruise as my uncle felt about visiting caves, that is, “there all alike so just go with the least expensive.” That attitude toward cruises is just as wrong as was my uncle’s attitude toward caves. All cruises are not created equal anymore than all caves are. Again, to be sure there are common elements. All cruises take place on water in a boat or ship of some kind but that’s where the similarity ends.

Truth is, buying a cruise is in many ways like buying a loaf of bread. There are so many varieties, sizes and prices from which to choose. I suspect the real reason for people always going with the same cruise time and time again is the same reason they stay with white sandwich sliced bread in a 1-1/2 pound loaf. They look at the shelf, see all the choices and finally just leave the store with the same old same old with which they are familiar.

Deciding to take a cruise is only the beginning and easiest part of the process. After that the multiplicity of variables makes the process a bit daunting for most people. That’s why I recommend engaging a cruise consultant. They generally don’t cost make the cost of a cruise more and they are a storehouse of valuable information and help. In fact, they probably will save you money, time and frustration.

But I digress. What I want to talk with you about today are some of the variables involved in selecting the right cruise for you and your family. The very first question you need to answer is, “Where do I want to go?” Today cruise ships ply the waters of the world. I remember when someone said they were going on a cruise we automatically assumed it would be to the Caribbean. Not anymore! Cruises now go to Alaska, Europe, South America, The South Pacific, Mediterranean and more. Don’t feel like you are “locked-in” to just the Caribbean simply because that is what you are familiar with. Your cruise consultant knows which cruise line offers the best cruises to each part of the world and is able to help you with this.

The second question you need to answer is, “How long do you want to be away from home?” The answer to this question will go a long way in helping you decide on a cruise line. Keep in mind that while virtually all cruise lines offer seven day cruises each one is a specialist in a certain length cruise. For example, the mass-market cruise lines (Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian) specialize in short cruises of seven days or less while the upscale cruise lines (Princess & Holland America) usually are ten days or longer.

The third question you need to address is, “What is my cruise budget?” Don’t try to book a champagne cruise on a beer budget. A mass-market cruise line will have prices generally starting in the range of $399 per person for a seven night cruise. This does not include port fees, taxes or gratuities. As a general rule of thumb for determining your mass-market cruise budget I recommend that you double the basic per person cost of the cruise (Fare, taxes, gratuities) and double it to get a good estimate of your “real” per person cruise cost. BTW – keep in mind that the $399 per person prices is the lead-in price and not likely to be actual price of the cruise you select.

Also, be prepared to pay for virtually everything other than what is included in the basic cruise fare. We refer to this as being “nickel and dimed to death.” The cheapest cruise is not always the best value for your buck.

The more deluxe cruise line fares will be higher but there will also be more amenities and a higher level of service. High end cruises include virtually everything in their fare price. Rates on all cruise lines vary with the season. Your cruise consultant can be of enormous help with helping you develop and stay within your cruise budget.

What is your cruise personality? Everyone has a cruise personality and that personality needs to be matched with a cruise line that is compatible. If you are fun-loving, active and filled with energy then a mass-market cruise line is probably what you want. On the other hand if you are more style conscious then something like Celebrity might be more to your liking. Point being that every cruise line offers a specific type of cruise experience and that it’s important to match your personality with a compatible cruise experience.

Another question is, “Who all is going on the cruise?” - Is it a solo event? Will it be a romantic occasion for a couple? Is it a multi-generational family affair? The answer to this question will impact your choice of a cruise line. Again, your cruise consultant can help you select a cruise that fits your need here.

Another question that I think is important is, “Do you like crowds?” If you don’t mind crowds then Royal Caribbean with her mega-resort ships could fit the bill. If not her sister cruise line might be a better choice. Keep in mind bigger ships mean more crowded shore tours and ports while smaller ships offer quieter ports and fewer lines.

“Is onboard entertainment important to you and if so, what type?” The mass-market cruise lines offer “Vegas” style shows while smaller ship offer more intimate nightclub style shows. Disney offer, well . . . Disney style shows.

Other questions are, “How important is a variety of dining venues?” What about the quality of food? How about “dress codes and formal events?” “Do you suffer from motion sickness?” All these and many other questions will impact the cruise you SHOULD select.

Selecting the right cruise really does matter. It is sort of like buying shoes. Select the wrong shoes make your feet hurt and you feel miserable the whole time you’re wearing them Select the right ones and you hardly know they’re on your feet. Same is true for a cruise. Select the wrong cruise and you’ll be miserable while you’re on it. Select the right cruise and you’ll have a great vacation.

That’s why the first thing you should do after deciding on a cruise vacation is “How soon can I sit down with my cruise consultant and plan my trip?

Where Are Your Real Friends?

I was watching television today when I saw a commercial for some kind of automobile. I can't remember the brand but I do remember the content of the commercial. Seems a young woman had convinced her parents after much effort to join the Facebook Generation and they had finally achieved a handful of Facebook Friends. Not nearly as many as she had but in her mind a good start. So there she sat staring into a computer screen making postings on her "friends" Facebook pages and developing an electronic circle of friends. Then the commercial cuts away to the parents. Where are they? Not in front of a computer screen but actually interacting with a group of eight or ten real living and breathing people in the countryside somewhere laughing and apparently enjoining themselves. I thought, "That's about they way it is these days." Too many people making electronic connections and too few making connections with real living and breathing people.

Now don't misunderstand me. I am about as involved in the electronic social media as anyone as evidenced by the fact that I am writing this Blog or even know what a blog is. In fact, it has allowed me to reconnect with friends from long ago. It has brought people I went to public school with back into my life after 40 years or more and it has allowed me to keep up with friends around the globe. In fact, it is almost the perfect tool for that and I intend to use it to the maximum. What I don't intend to allow it to become is a substitute for "real" friends

I grant you that some of the people of my Facebook, Linkedin, , STIK, PLAXO , SKYPE and other social media sites are in fact my personal friends with whom I actually have a real life relationship and with whom interact regularly face to face. However, having said that, I must confess that most of the people on those sites are more of acquaintances and business connections than person friends

The truth is maintaining a personal relationship of any depth with another human being is not an easy thing to do. Electronic relationships are easy and require little or no effort. I can manage easily my large electronic family using my CRM software and Facebook. Face-to-face real life personal relationships can be a bit more challenging. However, they are worth the effort required to maintain them

If my car breaks down and I need someone to come and get me I call a real friend and they physically drive over and give me a free ride home during which we have interesting conversation and our relationship is strengthened (even when they remind me that I should have got the car repaired before in quit running). They also invite me to join them in a real place for a tailgate party where we interact in a non-electronic way. What I am trying to say and doing such a poor job of doing is that electronic media is a tool and not a relationship.

I saw on a science channel the other day that in the next 25 years we will have robots that think like people and will interact with people as equals. Well, news flash . . . I don't want to interact as an equal with a machine. I want to interact with people and I want the machine to remain a tool used by humans and not become a substitute for them.

So my electronic and actual friends, here's my point: Use social media as a tool that can bring some value to your real friendships and not as a substitute for real friendships. Interact with your friends electronically but also interact with your friends physically and emotionally as well. Used correctly social media can be a useful tool in holding families that are geographically scattered together.

However, it is time to get up from you computer, put down your smart phone, lay aside you i-pad and get out there . . . get into the action. Go fishing with your kids; take in a movie with your wife; have a group of friends over for dinner at your home; take a family vacation (give me a call on this one . . . I can help); try and old fashioned picnic or barbecue at a park somewhere: just find some things to do with real people in a real place. Oh yea, you can effectively USE social media to arrange some of this.

Case in point . . . last year my High School graduating class had it's 45th reunion. Much of the planing we did was done via social media. This was especially true for locating folks and keeping folks up-to-date as plans were developed. However, it also involved face-to-face meeting where we could interact directly as people. Between these the person-to-person meetings have become a part of my treasure trove of memories while I have pretty much forgotten all the electronic efforts.

The reunion, was a success but is now also assigned to my trove of memories and I now keep "in touch" with many of my high school classmates via electronic media. But I must confess that as much as I like keeping in touch, I believe it is more important to be able to reach out and actually touch. We need to hear each other's voices and see each other's faces and to share our lives. Maybe that's why I am already looking forward to our 50th reunion when I can see these people face-to-face and old acquaintances renew.

Besides, when I come to the end on my life's journey I don't want my funeral service attended via electronic media (i.e., SKYPE) nor do I want my wife and children comforted via their Facebook accounts. To be sure those are OK for my many casual acquaintances and business connections but I want a real person putting real arms around my family and saying, "I am here and I care." I have a notion these will be the people with whom I have had a real life face-to-face personal relationship.

What do you think?

Why Do We Have To Be So Disrespectful?

I just heard Congressman Joel Walsh (R) from Illinois announce that he is not going to attend the President's address to a joint session of Congress because it is nothing but politics as usual.The more I listened the fellow who reminds me of "The Fonz" from the old Happy Days sitcom the more I felt my blood pressure rise. I wish I could say this was the result of his rapid fire speech and high pitch vocal tone grating on me, but it was not.

It was his blatant disrespect for the Office of the President of the United States. My father, a WWII combat veteran told me again and again that when he saluted a superior officer that it had nothing to do with that individual personally. He insisted he was saluting the man's rank as revealed by the uniform he wore. The salute was returned as a recognition of that respect. In short he was respecting the officer's rank and honoring the uniform he wore. I believe that was the general feeling among people of his generation. I also believe it ought to be the case today.

He also believed that you do not publicly speak disrespectfully of the man wearing that uniform. Clearly you do not have to like him and you do not have to agree with him but out of respect for the rank he holds and the uniform he wears.you will show appropriate consideration to him. I also believe this principle applies as well.

Now that brings me to my point. Congressman Walsh obviously has no respect for Barack Obama and that is fine. However, he is unable or unwilling to differentiate between the Office of the President and the man who holds that office. By boycotting the joint session of Congress at which the President is to speaking he is not only disrespecting the Office of the President (his intention) but also the Congress (where he serves) and the people who elected them both. He is setting a low bar for how we should feel about all our elected officials.

I grant you that the President doesn't always act Presidential and Congressman do not always act with the dignity that their office commands. That mean that we are not to act toward those offices in ways that disrespect the office. We need to show respect for our institutions even when those who run them do not. Don't like the way the President or your Senator or Congressman acts then the Constitution gives you the power to replace him/her with someone you believe will conduct themselves appropriately. It also allows you to replace them with someone more in keeping with your thinking. It there a catch? Yep! . . . .You have to convince a whole lot of other people you are right.

So come-on Congressman Walsh, let's begin conducting ourselves like mature adults and not as street brawlers. Let's learn to differentiate between the Office and the office holder.