The Difference Between Consistently Good and Average

I am a Marriott man. If I have the opportunity to choose where I stay when traveling, either for business or vacation, a Marriott property is always my first choice. One reason--the employees at all Marriott properties, from value priced to most expensive, are always consistently better than almost all other hotels. The last two nights, I've been staying at a Radisson near the San Francisco airport. I've been here before in previous years for the same annual meeting I attended today. Facility is nice--relatively new, clean, has most of the amenities I expect. The employees are generally okay, but just miss on a few counts where Marriott people very rarely misses anything. For example, when I returned to my room today, the message light on the phone was on. Seems simple enough, words on the phone around the message light say to "Press When Lit To Retrieve Messages". Well, as you might guess, not so simple. So, I call the front desk and the person asks me if there is a guest guide in the room, the black portfolio, and tells me to look in there to find out how to retrieve messages. Not good, barely average, and why I won't pick a Radisson if there is a Marriott anywhere nearby.

Some Pictures from LAX, and on the way to Salt Lake City

Here are some pictures I took today at LAX before taking off and just north of LA. The building with all the scaffolding around it is a restaurant and famous image of LAX. Probably the most identifiable part of LAX--you always see it in the movies. It is being renovated. The mountains are just north of LA. I thought they looked cool today. Obviously, another window seat day--upgraded to 1st, which is always a nice perk.

Cincinnati to Los Angeles--Beautiful Views from Plane

I've flown from Cincinnati to Los Angeles more times than I can count over the last 20 years, and especially over the last 5 years since I've been managing an office in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. Many times I have that frequent flyer preferred aisle seat but more and more, I'm choosing the window seat. If the weather is clear, as it was today, the views are spectacular, especially as flying over northern New Mexico, and the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado are snow covered. Today I enjoyed a great view of Flagstaff, AZ, and the Grand Canyon in the distance. If you get a chance to fly to or from California, get a window seat and hope for a nice, clear day.