Let us tell you about Lloyd, the wonderful bellman at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club.
We had met Lloyd at this splendid resort last summer, in 2008. This year, in July 2009, we returned to the resort, and happily met up with Lloyd again, who gave us a most welcome greeting and a kiss hello. We were delighted to see him again - and it was obvious he was genuinely happy to see us too. Added to that, he told us that this was his eighth summer at the Wequassett, because, in his words, "The Wequassett really knows how to treat their employees." We totally believe him, because all the employees here are happy, and it shows. How so? They burst with enthusiasm, pride, and great service. We have stayed at a lot of world-class resorts, and we can say, unabashedly, that at the Wequassett, we have experienced some of the best, most inimitable service that we have ever experienced, anywhere across the globe. We were - and continue to be -- impressed by the impeccable service that it proffers on its lucky guests.
And when you get right down to it, sometimes it's the little things that count the most. For example, after we arrived, sans dental floss, we inquired at 11PM at the front desk if they might be able to assist us in getting some. Faster than you can say, "Crest," a staffer appeared at our door with a signature bag filled with toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrush, and the forgotten floss.
Another time, Debbi was seated in the Wequassett's Outer Bar & Grille, having an iced coffee. It contained a lot of ice, and certainly nothing to complain about. However, one of the waiters noticed the mountain of melting ice and found it to be at fault. "Mrs. Kickham," he said. "Let me improve upon that for you." With that, he took away Deb's coffee - and returned moments later with a frothy confection. "I used espresso and whipped the ice into it," he said. "You should like this one much better."
That's pretty much the way things are run at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club. In fact, the resort describes these displays as "heroic acts" on the part of the staff, and unbelievably, there were almost 1,675 documented at last count for just this year. Like the time when Andy Ross, Director of Sales and Marketing, learned that a bridesmaid was in despair having forgotten her mascara before the wedding. Without missing a beat, Ross drove to CVS and spent a mere $5 to make her day happier. Or the time that a server overheard two guests discussing and raving about a particular book all through dinner. Ross went the extra mile, bought the book on Amazon.com, and set it on the guest's bed as a surprise. "These are the small touches that we keep track of," says Ross, who adds that the resort has a party once a month to celebrate these displays of superior service. At each party, the employee voted the best gets an award.
You just have to love staying at a resort with this superlative attention to detail. We certainly have - and doubtless, so will you.
Other touches that we noticed - with delight - were the basket of complimentary suntan lotions set out at the pool - an especially nice touch. And we thrilled at the beautifully packaged complimentary chocolate-chip cookies that were doled out to all guests as a special after-dinner gift, in the main restaurant. (They were made with Valrhona chocolate and amazingly delicious.)
Ross also told us that the resort's bedding is now also being used at the Boston Harbor Hotel in Boston (both are members of Preferred Hotels and Resorts). And that the newly opened Mandarin Oriental in Boston is using the Wequassett"s "Control Four" technology in which the TV remote handles all TV, electrical and lighting, fireplace, and music in guest rooms. Says Ross:" We're the itty-bitty property that everybody watches."
The property recently invested $40 million to make the beautiful property even more spectacular - including a 3,000-sq.ft children's activity center with a separate kid's pool; an Olympic-size lap pool; four tennis courts; grilling facilities; and new landscaping - all meaning that its standards for excellence will reach even more unprecedented levels.
Accommodation Options
120 Rooms including
7 Suites
The resort offers 115 rooms and 3 suites, with the most expensive suite, Nos. 217 and 219, costing $3,750 per night. Signature Ocean Suites, the resort's finest accommodations, feature walls of windows overlooking charming Pleasant Bay, which is typically filled with boats - they are picture-postcard beautiful. These rooms feature state-of-the-art splendor, with the "Control Four" technology and a high-definition Plasma TV. They also include a marble bathroom; a showerhead the size of a dinner plate; double sinks; Molton Brown products; and a Jacuzzi outfitted with a special silver tray bearing a copy of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift From The Sea, all complemented by beige-and-white New England toile wallpaper. The bedroom features two queen-sized beds; Keurig coffeemaker and assorted coffee pods; a mini bar ( a very attractive amenity where everything is available at cost, meaning that you can get Pellegrino and Pringles for just 75 cents - a point that Lloyd proudly told us about); and a desk. The resort offers wireless Internet throughout, and offers complimentary laptops, which we gladly made use of (we are writers, after all). To be honest, the only thing the resort overlooks, well, is Pleasant Bay.
