Travelling for business isn’t always as glamorous as it sounds. While having the opportunity to experience unique cultures and meet new people on a regular basis truly is a wonderful experience, there is another side to the journey that remains unseen. Long flights, delayed trains, stuffy hotel rooms and weekends away from your family are enough to quickly drain the fun out of travel. So when something out of the ordinary happens, it’s a welcomed relief from the typical.
I arrived slightly early to check-in at Hyatt Regency Toronto for the Capacity North America conference sponsored by Bell, Iristel, NxtVn, Global Capacity, New Jersey Fiber Exchange (NJFX), Windstream and The Broadcast Bridge. Upon arrival, I was greeted similarly to any other guest with a brief “Good morning, how can I help you?” and a warm smile. Arriving early, I anticipated a delay before I could enter my room, however what came next was completely unexpected. “I’m sorry Mrs. Miller, your room is not ready,” he began. “However, I see here that you were selected as the guest of the day. This means that we have automatically upgraded your room to our suite. Are you okay to wait?”
Guest of the day? What does that even mean? “Sure – why not!” I quickly replied, excited at this fortunate turn of events. “So does this mean I should expect balloons to fall from the ceiling when I enter the ballroom, too?” I said, laughing at my own joke. Of course it did not, but the thought of the extravagance was appealing.
So on I went with my day, still hanging on to the excitement that awaited me on the 20th floor. By 5:00 p.m., the conference transitioned to its networking reception, so before catching up with clients and colleagues over cocktails, I ventured to retrieve my key and see what this “guest of the day” upgrade was really all about. As I entered the top floor of the hotel, “Directors Suites” lined the hallways filled with Hyatt guests seeking a bit more luxury during their stay. At the end of the hall I reached my room, the “Producer’s Suite.” A room so exclusive that no description is even provided on the Hyatt website.
Picture it: Three 42” plasma TVs (one for each room, of course), a full size boardroom with table for 12, a bedroom with signature king-sized Hyatt Grand Bend® and a luxurious shower with both rainfall and handheld shower heads as well as four individual body spray nozzles. I was in heaven.
Needless to say, it was a great stay, and an honor to be selected for this program. The conference was a total success, and thanks to Hyatt Regency Toronto, I was able to leave feeling energized and appreciated. I hope to be back very soon!
For my own personal tour of the Hyatt Regency Toronto “Producer’s Suite” click here.