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David Perlmutter's avatar

So you're saying it's better to stay at an independent local hotel than a chain outlet?

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Paul Moxness's avatar

Theoretically all hotels are independent in that they are owned and managed by someone other than the company they pay for the right to have a sign on the building.

It’s not brand, it’s the people that make a hotel worth experiencing.

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Kristi Keller 🇨🇦's avatar

Paul, I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!!! You basically wrote what I felt for my entire career in hospitality! I worked for Hilton for 5 years and the way you described the canned loyalty programs is so spot on.

Aside from my fine dining career you linked to, I also was a travel writer and reviewer for 10 years (independently) and I have experience INCREDIBLE hospitality. Let me invite you to read this older post I wrote and you'll understand:

https://open.substack.com/pub/wildhoodwanted/p/the-money-sucks-but-the-payoff-is-outstanding?r=2qffbg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

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Paul Moxness's avatar

Thank you for your kind comment, Kristi, and for sharing the amazing story of the luxurious, from-the-heart hospitality experience you had! Great hotels and resorts don’t follow the script. That’s what elevates them and that’s what the big brands have lost sight of. Everyone told me I was stupid to take a pay cut from my job as a ticket taker in a movie theatre to become a hotel security guard. Thirty years later, I’d experienced more than I ever dreamed possible! I was extremely fortunate to work for a company led by legendary hoteliers who truly cared.

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Kristi Keller 🇨🇦's avatar

I'll be following you for more in your series of hospitality stories.

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Michael Jensen's avatar

"Release employees from the shackles of scripted service."

Amen!

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Paul Moxness's avatar

In addition to hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and almost every retail business needs to ditch the scripts. If one more cashier/server asks my wife if she’s got any plans for the rest of the day, I fear she will punch their lights out! 🙄

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Paul Moxness's avatar

Thank you! 🙏

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