OUR STORIES

CONNECT WITH HILTON TEAM MEMBERS AS THEY SHARE THEIR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES WITH GUESTS.

Home Away from Home

Helpful

During my time in Australia as General Manager of Hilton Perth, we played host to the country’s most frequent guest, a lawyer who specialized in handling the most complex corporate fraud cases which could sometimes last for years. During his 18-month stay at the hotel we turned his suite into a home away from home, installing a library for the case files, upgrading the music system to aid relaxation after the long days in court, and even seeking the guest’s input to a redecoration scheme that the suite received during this period. Our guest won the case.

Where is My Luggage?

Excited

An American guest taking a barge tour had left behind a piece of luggage and was already on board when she discovered the piece was missing. The Captain called and informed us that he was somewhere on a remote canal in Alsace. I took my car and my maps and drove along the canal, managing to bring the luggage in time for the lady to dress for the evening. I was invited for a glass of wine and when the astonished lady asked, "How come you did that for me?" I answered, "That's Hilton, Madam."

A Quiet Respite, a Loyal Guest

Amazed

A guest from New York City was checking in and I found out that he needed a quiet place for his daily prayer. Immediately I thought of a quiet corner by our rooftop swimming pool deck and suggested that he pray there. At 8 p.m., I stayed nearby to ensure that he was not interrupted during his prayer time. Our guest was very grateful for the quiet respite and offered to tip me. I declined his kind gesture and was surprised when, 6 months later, the same guest returned. I felt appreciated and glad that an extra touch like this can impact our guest loyalty.

Teddy Bear, Sweets & Cookies

Happy

A guest's daughter hurt her forehead badly one morning and was crying uncontrollably. The worried mother could not pacify her daughter so she called Room Service to help as her husband was away on business. After some discussion with my fellow Team Member, we packed a white fluffy teddy bear with some sweets and cookies in a basket to surprise the little girl. She finally ate some cookies and the mother was relieved. When the father returned, he thanked us for being there for his family.

One Special Friend

Amazed

An Italian guest who had lived in Brazil 15 years earlier told me that he would love to reach an old friend with whom he had lost contact. He only knew his friend's name and that he was very good at mathematics. After calling several publishers and universities I found the friend and left him a message asking him to call the hotel. On the morning the guest was checking out, the friend called. After talking to the professor and almost crying on the phone, the guest gave me a big hug.

City Sprint for a Handbag

Helpful

I welcomed a guest at the hotel, as always opening the door of the taxi. She entered the hotel and realized she had left her handbag in the taxi and could not remember the taxi number. So I decided to run behind the taxi to catch it. I ran and sprinted at least one kilometer until it stopped at a traffic light. I recovered the handbag, walked back to the hotel and handed it over to the guest. I felt really helpful.

First Birthday

Proud

One morning while cleaning, the Room Attendant found out from a guest that it was their daughter's first birthday and that they were going to dinner to celebrate. The Attendant wished the baby "Happy Birthday" and passed the message to the Supervisor who contacted Guest Services to arrange a cake and balloon, which were sent to the room. The guest was surprised and thanked us for our concern and personally went to thank the Attendant. She said, "Wow, we were not expecting anything." I will never forget this moment.

'No' is Not a Word We Know

Happy

At breakfast service one morning, a regular VIP guest asked for fresh mango juice when I offered him orange juice. I checked with my colleagues, however, no one knew where to get mango juice. Not giving up, I approached the kitchen team to make fresh mango juice. Informing him that we could do it in 10 minutes, the guest was delighted and requested the same for the rest of his stay.

Birthday Cake

Happy

One Sunday afternoon I received a call from Room Service asking if I knew of any bakeries that might be open. A guest forgot to order a cake for her husband's birthday. I spoke to the guest and learned that she was going to take her husband to our Dirty Nelly's Irish piano sing-a-long bar for a drink. It took me about an hour to get slices of his favorite cake (carrot) and some chocolate. I took them with a bouquet of birthday balloons to the bar. It was great to see the surprise and excitement on their faces!

A Kiss Before Bedtime

Helpful

When I worked as the FOM at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa I received an email from the wife of a guest who was about to arrive. She asked if someone could buy some Hershey's kisses chocolates and place two on her husband's pillow with a note saying, "A Kiss Before Bedtime Just Like at Home, Love Becky." It was such a simple, touching, thoughtful gesture that I was able to assist with, and it made the guest's stay even more memorable knowing that his wife was thinking of him while he was "Up in the Air."

Touched by an Angel

Proud

This past summer one of our valets struck up conversation with a family and their 8-year-old son. They chatted about how the family was going to the Los Angeles Angels baseball game that evening, and how excited the boy was about going to his first Angels game. The next day the valet brought an Angels cap and placed it on the back seat of the car where the boy would see it. The look of joy and excitement on both his face and also his parents' demonstrated that this unique and personalized service was not only thoughtful, but creative and caring as well.

I Made It Happen

Excited

A guest went by boat to an island two hours from the hotel. She called from the island to say she left her digital camera in the marina area before the trip. We found it and sent it to her immediately by another boat. She said, "My children and I will never forget this." Now she is a regular guest.

The Wedding Gown

Proud

One hour before a wedding, the bride slipped into her gown and the zipper broke. The wedding planner called Housekeeping and connected with the Manager who, with 45 minutes remaining, drove her car to a seamstress only to discover she could not get help. With 30 minutes remaining the Manager then used her personal needle and thread to sew the gown closed with the bride in it. She waited until the wedding was over to help get the bride out of her gown.

Lost Luggage

Helpful

We were expecting a group that discovered at the airport that all their luggage had been lost. The Front Desk team welcomed them warmly and was very empathetic. The Concierge moved quickly to help find the lost luggage by contacting the travel agent and the airport. Team Members also accompanied these guests to help them purchase new clothes. The guests were extremely happy with the support they received from our Team Members.

A Memorable Birthday

Happy

A long-term guest was celebrating his birthday in the hotel. The Call Center arranged to send him a birthday cake, which is the normal thing to do. However, our Agent did not stop at that—she left him a voicemail on his room phone, singing "Happy Birthday." When the guest returned and heard the message, he called the Call Center immediately to thank her. She and her colleagues once again sang him "Happy Birthday" in a live chorus. The guest was overwhelmed and made it a point to come personally to the Call Center at the back of the house to thank her.

60-Year Honeymoon

Excited

During my first month with Hilton, I received a call from an older gentleman who desperately wanted to book a room for that same weekend at a popular hotel. He explained that he and his wife stayed at this hotel for their honeymoon and, after 60 years of being happily married, he wanted to “bring her back to where it all began.” It was a touching story and I was happy to be able to book the room for them.

Keep the Change

Proud

A guest came to me with this story yesterday: He gave our valet parking attendant, Andrew, what he thought was a $20 bill and asked Andrew to give him $15 in change and keep $5 of it for retrieving his car. When the guest returned that evening, he was greeted by Andrew, who rushed to him and said "You gave me a $50 bill... not a $20!" and gave the guest his additional $30. Our guest mentioned how rare such honesty is these days and how much he appreciated Andrew's actions.

Almost Not Up In The Air

Proud

Recently, a guest came in to our restaurant for a very quick breakfast because he was leaving on an overseas flight and had overslept. He was in such a rush that he left without his bag—including his passport, plane ticket and laptop! Fortunately, we knew which limo service he took and had the company send another limo that was also en route to the airport so they could pick up our guest’s items. Thanks to the efficient coordination by our Team Members, the guest made it up in the air!

Working With My Heart

Happy

Last year, our gift shop just happened to run out of umbrellas at the worst time—a gloomy, rainy day! A mother and daughter went to the gift shop to buy one but (obviously) left empty-handed. Then they came to the front desk looking for one and I didn’t want them to be disappointed again so I offered to let them use my personal umbrella. They were so happy and thankful. Knowing that I helped them really made my day!

Pay It Forward

Proud

I once received a call from a Hilton HHonors Diamond VIP member who wanted to use his HHonors points to book a 7-night reward stay for a friend. The member said he had no use for reward trips since most of the travel he does is for business, and since his friend was going to the hospital for some medical treatment, he thought he would put his points to better use. This selfless act of friendship was so honest and kind that the story has stuck with me for over 5 years.

Welcome Back!

Proud

One of our guests was a little girl who had to fly in to San Diego from Nashville, TN every other month so that she could get treatment at a nearby hospital for her cancer. Every time the little girl stayed with us, the hotel would prepare her room so that her 3-week stay was just like home. We put up “welcome back” posters signed by the staff and also had stuffed animals in her room. That was 9 years ago and to this day it is still my favorite Hilton memory!