The Ritz Carlton Does Not Disappoint

My husband and I pay our three school-aged children if they are willing to read books off a special leadership shelf we keep in our home. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey, How Did You Do It, Truett? by S. Truett Cathy, and You Are Special by Max Lucado are a few highlights from our collection that ranges from simple, illustrated children’s books to texts you’d read in an MBA program. Elizabeth Ann, William, and Emily can choose a book to read and then give us a report: written, PowerPoint, poster, interview, dinner discussion, debate, etc. We enjoy keeping an open conversation on leadership that flows freely based on topics of current interest to everyone.?

A while back, Elizabeth selected Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality. We traveled together a few weeks later, and as a special surprise I made a Club-Level reservation for the two of us at the Ritz Carlton. I’ve been graciously hosted by their lovely staff on multiple occasions, and I was eager for her to experience the best hospitality has to offer. On arrival, we noticed a beautiful display advertising their Mom and Daughter Tea Party. I asked Elizabeth if she would like to attend, and the huge smile on her face reflected her excitement. However, the event was already sold out. Elizabeth graciously reassured the receptionist that it was all right, and yet we knew we were missing out on something really amazing…

During our stay we ate multiple meals in the Executive Club Lounge, taking every opportunity to notice details of their service, practicing our etiquette, and just enjoying our time together. I’ve had the privilege of staying at this particular Ritz Carlton multiple times for business, so I know many of their staff by name. Elizabeth conversed easily with the hosts, who inquired every morning about our agenda for the day: our destinations, likes and dislikes, food preferences, desserts, local favorites we had tried or wanted to try, and things we were looking forward to experiencing. On our last morning, the hosts could see that we were dressed to go out shopping, and asked if we would be back that night for the Ritz Carlton’s iconic Evening Dessert Presentation, and we said we would…

When Elizabeth and I returned to our room from the shopping adventure, we had just thrown on our comfy clothes when a rustling noise announced that something had been slipped under the door. It was an envelope extending an invitation to a tea party just for the two of us! Delighted by the surprise, we rushed to a special space where an unforgettable experience awaited. Little did the Ritz Carlton staff know we were there to experience Unreasonable Hospitality; they couldn’t have done a better job showing us exactly what bespoke hospitality looks like.?

Zero expense was spared. There were towers of lemon blueberry shortcakes, fig? pastries, deviled eggs, french macarons, savory scones, coronation chicken salad mini sandwiches, and, of course, the silver tea service! I recognized several items Elizabeth had mentioned that morning, and I was touched by how the team intentionally used simple, easy conversations to discover our favorites. They also brought me MY favorite dessert, the Atlanta Peach, made with fresh mint crème anglaise sauce and compressed peaches arranged to look exactly like the iconic Georgia fruit. My multiple previous stays had given the Ritz staff the opportunity to know me well. Holding our teacups (pinkies out), we eagerly sampled each delight.

It was a truly unforgettable night, a precious mother-daughter memory that we will forever cherish. Elizabeth still raves about the experience regularly, and the lesson she learned: Go the extra mile to make others feel special and seen. That is worth even more than a book education. The Ritz Carlton does not disappoint.