Quality and integrity matter in every day life, and especially in the hospitality industry. There is a real issue in the industry now, and the problem is...builders build with the highest possible quality of materials and operators then pass the cost onto guests, but sometimes they cut corners, and the service doesn't match the aesthetics. And they still expect the guests to make up the difference. Or the builder does a mediocre job, enough to pass for luxury, and up-charges the guests as if we don't know a marginal job when we see one.
Luxury is not just that something looks good. Luxury is not just a price. Luxury is the attention to detail when no one is looking. Luxury prides itself on quality over quantity, integrity in production, and people first over profit. Luxury can be extremely overrated, in places that focus on profit margins first. It's very sad when you pay an insane amount of money and receive something of low quality.
And especially since COVID, the entire hotel industry doubled its nightly rates while keeping everything else the same, as if to make up for what they couldn't book during the lockdowns, but service is not matching the inflated costs passed onto guests.
I've written before about the transactional shift I've noticed in hospitality, and the post-COVID rate inflation that came with it, but this stay brought it home in a very personal way. You can read more here: Transaction Relationships, Value and Human Connection and here: When Gratitude Becomes Transactional.
Take, for example, my most recent stay in the Bahamas. I go into great detail on my podcast episode, "Why Are You Stressed?" about my experience at Pink Sands Resort. Some of the issues I experienced were related to food and sensitivity, but the villa and cottage quality was lacking for the prices charged.
The service overall was very good. The staff addressed me as "Ma'am" which was both triggering and pleasant, and let me explain why. I still consider myself a young woman, so 'Ma'am' has a way of aging me on the spot. Beyond that, when I meet people, anywhere, I see them as fellow travelers on this journey, and not above or below me. I am in service to others every day, and the way we address one another says something about how we see each other. 'Ma'am' can feel like it creates distance, a hierarchy that doesn't reflect how I see the world. That said, I believe it's likely the service culture, the way guests are taught to be addressed with formality and respect in the Bahamas. And in that light, I received it as that: respect. In truth, everyone was friendly, had a genuine can-do attitude, and was helpful at every turn. Nobody showed disinterest or disregard.
Why was I stressed? Too many things were in opposition for what my body needed. From the flight over on a charter plane where I needed ear plugs or noise canceling headphones and didn't have any, to sensitivity to almost everything I ate at the resort, to an upgrade that was clearly a downgrade, and being overcharged on my final bill. And to top it off, sand burrs in my feet, an insect that found its way past my button-down shirt and into my bikini top to bite me next to my nipple, and a dead roach on its back waiting for me in my entry when I got home. A whole lot of WTF??!!
But, along the way I met kind and helpful people, from the Sous chef, Stephan, who did his best to make me food I could eat, to Ninja, a true Ninja indeed, who wanted to help me enjoy my stay and cared for me on my way out, and Marco, of Marco's Bar & Restaurant who made me the best meal, full of love.
I can always see the lessons in every stay, the gratitude for the people who truly stand out and support me on my journey, and there is always good in every situation. The beach itself is long and wonderful to walk on, and the Bahamian people are genuinely warm. So, at least there's that. But if you like crazy stories, listen to the episode. It may make you laugh and blow your mind.
Watch it here on YouTube, or on any podcasting platform.
'Til next time, thanks for reading, and let's do our best to be our best so we have less stress in the world, k?
With love,
Lisa Eve
Why Are You Stressed? A Luxury Travel Reality Check
