I have been an international travel agent for 38 years and am sure that technically makes me an “Old Dog”. It’s fair to say that Frontiers works hard to stay “au courant” on What’s Hot in the travel scene, and many of the “New Tricks” in the travel industry have been welcomed with open arms – the GPS, skype calls, free apps and e-tickets, for example. However, there are quite a lot of “tried-and-true” aspects of the trade that fall under the category of NEVER WILL CHANGE – like sound geography knowledge, anticipating what questions the traveler will have and knowing the classic, historical sights to visit in a city or particular region. In fact, there are many facets of travel consulting where good old fashioned experience can be helpful to a traveler, and one of these is having perspective.
I mention perspective because I’ve just visited two Old Friends – Edinburgh and London. My first trip to these two cities was in 1975 and I’ve had the good fortune to return many times in the past 40 years. While MUCH has changed since my first journey (like the amazing cuisine now available in Scotland! Or an Uber driver as equally delightful as the quintessential black cab driver in London) I think my updated perspective on the hotel scene in these two marvelous Old World Capitals might provide valuable insight when planning your next journey to either metropolis. And since I’m an Old Dog, I can describe and contrast newcomers or old favorites against most any property you might be familiar with –in most European locales.
Another component to travel planning that is enhanced with longtime perspective is maintaining face-to-face personal relationships with our suppliers – in our case, personable and “clear English-speaking” drivers, congenial and knowledgeable guides, hoteliers at our favorite properties and awesome boutique tour operators who provide creative experiences for our travelers. Like I have posted previously during this trip, a hotel General Manager (or Managing Director) sets the “tone” of the hotel: they set the caliber of the welcome, the condition of interiors, the degree of professionalism expected from staff – to name just a few apparent categories. They know the shortcomings and benefits of different rooms in the hotel, the busy (read that – loud) nights and the best method they have for “smoothing ruffled feathers” of a guest. Of course this is valuable insight to an agent! I have learned over the years that spending quality one-on-one time with a hotel General Manager or Senior staff person (a longtime concierge is another good example) helps to understand the overall hotel “vibe” that our clients might receive. And when our clients arrive, this person-to-person conversation has paved the way for a little TLC for our travelers; they become a GUEST in the HOUSE, rather than a number on a booking confirmation.
One exciting tidbit to share is that Stuart Proctor, former GM of the beloved Stafford Hotel in London (who departed when the German hotel chain Kempinski took over the operation of the property) has happily returned to the 106 room hotel now that Kempinski has pulled out, having realized that their brand of hospitality was not at all a good fit for the small luxury Stafford Hotel. During the 5 years Stuart was previously GM, the property achieved its five AA red star rating and Stuarts welcoming smile and careful management turned this property into an all-time success story. He’s back! Kempinski has retreated! The Stafford (and the team at the wonderful Goring Hotel too!) remain Frontiers Favored hotels in London town.
On this trip ( in 36 hours in each locale!)I visited 4 hotels in Edinburgh and 8 hotels in London. If you have a trip on the horizon to Edinburgh or London, and would like Frontiers assistance with your hotel reservations, please give me a call at your convenience. I’d enjoy sharing my perspective to benefit your stay and enhance your expectations!