Pillow Menu? A Reality And Perspective Check
I have a friend who is an Assistant Manager at a high-end hotel in the Aspen area. Recently, she received this e-mail from a potential guest inquiring as to the availability of a suite and wanted to check in the next day. She had 33 questions. 🤔 My friend shared these to me, I couldn’t help but think it was a joke – an early April Fools. I really try to stay out of judgment, but this was hard. I asked for a copy and have taken the liberty of responding (with the help of AI research), not to her personally, but as a reminder to all of us. We can easily lose perspective on the world as we may find ourselves fortunate enough to see our wealth increase.
Do you have a pillow menu? What is the thread count of the bed sheets? Do you offer 100% down bedding and pillows? Is there turn down service every night? 🛌 What mattress brand do you use? Did you know that 1.1 billion adults worldwide report uncertainty about putting their heads on a pillow at night with increasing housing insecurity according to the 2024 Prindex report. In 2023, 653,104 people did not have a bed to sleep in the U.S – a 12% increase from 2022.
Is there in-room dining available 24/7, seven days a week? Do you realize that an estimated 1.9 million people are on the brink of famine and that 343 million people across 74 countries are acutely food insecure. In the US, there are 3.2 million households with children who are food insecure
Do you have bubble bath, bath salts and bath oil available for guests and can my bath be prepared for me upon request? 🛁Can you tell me what brand of toiletries are provided in the rooms? We have high end bath products available, but do not have someone to draw your bath. Did you know there are environmental downsides to using bathing products including toxic ingredients, microplastics and volatile organic compounds. Many treatment plants are ill-equipped to remove these contaminants and residues can contaminate drinking water. 🌍
Do ALL of your staff speak fluent English? Our workers arrive from around the world for the ski season to work alongside those of us who are fortunate enough to call this place home. Most of them are temporary J-1 visa holders. Because housing is so expensive, it is hard to get people to stay and build a community. They will go home at the end of the ski season and we are grateful for their services. Most of them, while knowing English, will have heavy accents as a reflection of their rich cultural backgrounds.
Can clocks be provided in the room? 🕰 I’ve encountered hotels without physical clocks lately. How many inches are the flat screen TVs? 📺 Do they have streaming services and are there smart TV’s? Yes, we do have clocks in the room. They not only tell time but have other functionalities. With 7.21 billion smartphones used globally, I would hope you would have yours available. Your phone can also be used for streaming and syncing with the TV’s.
The list went on: Is there a packing and unpacking service available? Can beauty services like blowouts be arranged in the room rather than going to the salon? Is there a designated Concierge department and are they available 24/7? Is there a text number available for the concierge, in addition to calling? Do you provide aromatherapy diffusers for the bedrooms? What is the fastest turnaround service for dry cleaning and laundry? Is there an adult-only section of the hotel? Can the room be controlled by voice assistant like Alexa or by an i-Pad? Do you offer Butler services in any of the rooms?
Yes, I got a bit judgy and I intentionally shifted my focus to one of gratitude. I have a pillow on which to rest my head and a down comforter to keep me warm on winter nights. I have food in my fridge and pantry and a stove on which to prepare it. I can walk into my bathroom and turn on a hot shower or draw a warm bath. I am so grateful for the people who come to this valley with their rich cultures, heavy accents and deep work ethic who contribute in such meaningful ways allowing us all to enjoy our freedoms. I have access to technology that I only understand a fraction of its functionality. My hope is that by keeping an eye on that fine line of entitlement or expectations beyond reason, I can catch myself and check my perspective in relation to the 98% of the rest of the world.
