The Planner’s Conceirge
What could be better than great company, great food & wine, great views, and an amazing concierge. This past Valentine’s Day / Lunar New Year / President’s Day weekend (gosh that’s a mouthful), my fiancé and I went to Napa Valley and stayed at the exquisite AVIA Hotel. I love checking out new hotels…I tend to call it “research” but this experience was special that I had to share it with you.
The hotel staff welcomed us with open arms as we arrived (I know, that’s nothing out of the ordinary…but wait there is more). I was curious about the varies event spaces in the hotel, and received a personalize tour of the entire property. When we walked into our beautiful boutique style room, there was a bottle of champagne and fresh baked cookies waiting for us, courtesy of our concierge, Juliette Riedl (That was a nice touch). My interaction with Juliette started before we even arrived, she had made initial contact with me about a week before my trip to assistant with planning the details of our vacation. I was sooo surprise when I got her email asking how she could help me plan a seamless trip and make all the appointment/reservations for me. I loved how organized she was, even giving me links of places that I might enjoy. Sure enough…I changed my mind about a few things and with a smile she help us adjust the schedule as we changed our plans. The best part was Juliette even printed an itinerary for me so I knew what we were going to do that weekend (As planner this detail was important to me).
My experience with Juliette made me think about something a friend of mine in the Hotel/Restaurant industry said, “the concept of the concierge was dying in the hotel industry, they were being replaced by digital touch screen computers where the guest could plan their own vacation, without the personal interaction of an individual.” When I first heard him telling me that…I thought “that’s efficient!” Well my experience here at AVIA Napa has changed my view completely. I am all for making any planning process more efficient but not getting that personal interaction is not worth the trade. The service I was provided was so personal and it was detailed to fit me perfectly. My concierge helped me “The Planner” relax and enjoy a well planned weekend….exactly the way I would have planned it!
Post Published on February 19, 2010.