High-Marks Hotel

If you've been looking for me during the past week, I've been in Miami, where I was on a (mostly) work-related trip. A productive trip, and it should be noted not a vacation, but I do have to tell y'all that I stayed at one of the coolest hotels for two nights, the Mondrian. Do you want to know why I liked this hotel? Well, it wasn't because of the chi-chi design, which featured horse imagery in the elevators and exaggerated photos of faces in the rooms. It wasn't because of the chandelier in the shower that turned out to be where the water came from. It also wasn't because of the hotel's proximity to Jerry's or Lincoln Road (where I had lunch and dinner, respectively, on Thursday).

Oh, and it wasn't because of the high-def TV and TiVo in all the rooms. Nor was it because the bed was totally comfortable, and the soft, dense pillows were awesome. Believe it ot not, it also was not because of the pool — so very warm — or the view I enjoyed while working there. Oh, and I promise, it really was not because of the very attractive young woman who checked me in.

Yes, those were all things I enjoyed about the Mondrian, but the real reason I loved this hotel is because of what happened when I asked for a wakeup call Thursday night. I called the front desk, and when someone picked up, she said, "Hello, Mr. Lieberman." That impressed me. Then, after I asked to be woken up at 6:45 in the morning, the woman asked, "Would you like us to call you again at 7:00?" Clearly, the folks didn't just know my name, they actually knew me, and knew I'd need the extra "snooze" time. For the record, this is not such an unusual thing; when I moved to the the InterContinental a couple days later, they did the same thing, calling me by name and offering a follow-up call. But at the Mondrian, they didn't stop there: Friday morning, I got the 6:45 call, but when the phone rang again at 7, I didn't answer it in time (even though I was awake). Five minutes later there was a knock at my door. "Just want to make sure you're awake, Mr. Lieberman." Nice touch.

And it's worth adding that when I went out to the Mondrian's pool on Thursday morning (to work) and I made myself comfortable in one of the lounge chairs, an attendant came running up within seconds and was apologetic that he had not been able to give me a seat cover and towel before I sat down.

The point is ... and I may not be making it in the best way here because these are pretty small examples, but ... the Mondrian has great customer service that, combined with the luxurious accommodations, locale, and, well, let's call it interesting design made it an impressive place to spend a couple days.