Written by Kristy Westfall Moyer
WOW! I’ve been at the Four Points by Sheraton, Biloxi Beach Boulevard now for 2 days. As I mentioned in my last post, I was really excited to get to be included on this project as I love to help companies who are truly devoted to making their companies even stronger by investing in their people through training.
Once the winner of Hotel Makeover was announced and I learned the location, I was personally (and selfishly!) even more excited as I spent a lot of time in my childhood in that part of the US but have not visited since hurricane Katrina and really wanted to experience a post-Katrina south.
Nothing can really compare you for that first glimpse of “what was” but what shocked me most was how I instantly moved from noticing “what was” to WOW, they have come so far and worked so hard to recover and rebuild an amazing beach town.
The beaches are pristine and beautiful and the historic buildings are restored and businesses are going up all around. The casinos are big and booming and I could feel in the air the loyalty the locals have for their beloved Biloxi and come hell or high water (which both came during Katrina), they were going to survive and thrive. And they have!
My experience at the Four Points by Sheraton, Biloxi Beach Boulevard was amazing from my first step in the hotel lobby (it was amazing outside too as the location is right on the beach and the building is new and lovely)!
Within seconds I was greeted warmly by a lovely front desk team and within seconds this team got to see how needy I am! From laundry to printing and copying to directions to who to contact about some stray cats that were across the road in a spare lot (I am a crazy cat lady) that needed to be saved to taxi/shuttle service, they got to know me very well, very quickly!
And I got to know them all very well, very quickly and this team is warm and genuine and friendly and truly caring about you as a person, not just because they have to since you are a customer.
No matter whom I encountered (most of them not yet knowing that I was their Signature Worldwide customer service trainer for the week!) I was greeted with smiles and well wishes. I called our account manager, Amanda, after my first evening to confirm that I was indeed in the right place! I asked her if they really needed us and how could I help them improve when they are already so darn good!
It turns out that they do need us – need being a subjective word of course. They need us as in they want to be the best and they want us to help them kick it up a notch. Nothing was broken – they were just craving more and asking us to help them find and take that next step. What else could they do to create amazing experiences for their guests? How could they do this on a consistent basis and grow their positive reputation and overall business?
That is a pretty neat place to start, in my opinion. Though I admire and give kudos to any company who takes the first (and hardest) step of realizing and admitting they need some help, it is a true pleasure to work with a group of people who have already taken those steps and are just looking for the next set of stairs to climb! That was my initial read of the Four Points by Sheraton Biloxi.
They have amazing leaders in place who want their employees to be successful, and it shows. My experience as a guest was lovely. And I cannot believe it is page two of this post and I have yet to mention the food since I am such a foodie!
Their food is amazing! G.T.’s has a welcoming and fun atmosphere and their specials are truly that. This is not typically the case with hotel food! You can count on hotel food, usually, to be consistent and fulfilling but rarely is it lick- your-plate yummy. Not that I would do that, of course, well never in public which is one of the reasons I love room service!
My favorite happens to be on the dessert menu- surprise surprise, and after my 4th night of ordering Zeppole doughnuts I was praying that a different person would answer the phone and take my room service order so they wouldn’t catch on to my doughnut addiction!