According to a recent survey undertaken by Affinia Hotels and STUDYLOGIC LLC, 80% of American travelers would prefer a hotel room without a bed over staying with their significant other’s family. To be blunt, survey respondents said they would rather sleep on the floor than spend a night with the in-laws!
Regardless of how you feel about those relatives (we call them the outlaws in my family), Affinia's survey of 1,000 American business and leisure travelers convinced the boutique hotel chain that what people away from home want most is comfort. (Kindness and service help too.)
Of course, being easy on the wallet is not a bad thing, and this season, there are a variety of promotions going on at all the hotels. In the seven Affinia Hotels in New York City, Chicago, and Washington DC, the winter My Family Package offers a backpack stocked with a Frommer’s guide book for kids, a deck of 52 city adventure cards, a kid’s digital camera and pouch to capture great family moments, and a scrapbook with city stickers to remember the memories. Families also have access to a “Fun-For-Family” chest including board games, family DVD’s, arts and crafts kits and books to use during their stay.
Each hotel has a family friendly deal based on two adults and two children ages 12 and under. In New York, families receive passes to experience the Children's Museum of Manhattan with the little ones (it's great for babies through age 7 or 8). There are a variety of New York Affinia hotels with different prices: the Affinia 50 from $419/N, Affinia Dumont from $369/N, Affinia Gardens from $399/N, Affinia Manhattan from $329/N, Affinia Shelburne from $209/N.
In Chicago, the Affinia Chicago provides discounted passes to the legendary Ferris Wheel and other attractions at Navy Pier; rooms start at $199 per night.
At the Washington, DC Liaison Capitol Hill (reviewed here), rooms start at $189/N. For more information and bookings, call 866/246-2203, or call your travel consultant. Don’t forget to mention offer code AHFAM.
And to make families more comfortable, in October, Affinia Hotels began their Tender Loving Comfort (TLC) program, a movement rooted in customer service and reading and responding to guests’ body language.
Feeling annoyed about a delayed flight? Ready to tweet out your complaints but reluctant to voice them to a staff person. At each Affinia, Body Language Expert Patti Wood has trained front office managers, guest service agents, bellmen, doormen, housekeeping staff and concierges to be comfortable engaging guests. She teaches that men like to be approached side by side, while women prefer to be spoken to face to face. You won't notice, but the staff know how and when to approach guests, and respond by giving them space, a simple smile or expediting the check-in process, depending on their needs.
To provide fun surprises and comforts on arrival, the TLC Crew and general managers will be in the lobbies and public spaces at each of the hotels during a daily Comfort Hour, talking with guests, offering snacks and beverages and getting feedback on what TLC means for them during a hotel stay. A collection of new items, from pillows to tech gear such as Nintendo wii and the XBox Connexion, will be available on a Comfort Cart during this time. Guests will be able to test items overnight and provide feedback on what made them most comfortable. Top-rated amenities will be rolled out across the brand via MyAffinia, the company’s online customization program, and new items will be added to the carts throughout the year, so look for them.
By the way, the study discovered some other fun, comfort-related hotel tidbits as well, including:
- 64% of travelers look forward to having no pressure from work
- 62% like escaping from their significant other
- 50% enjoy personal service
- 68.5% find the little extras at check-in have the most impact
- 75% have lied to get a better room or free amenity (we'd love to know more about this question.)
- Hotels make 48.5% of travelers feel "free" or "spoiled"
- 41% feel "selfish" when they enjoy a hotel's comforts
- 43% prefer a warm and friendly hotel staff that anticipates everyday needs
What would make you most comfortable? Don't tell us it's staying with your inlaws…
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