One of my goals for 2010 was to spend at night at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. Annually ranked among the top five hotels in the United States, The Broadmoor is pure quality. From a 3,000 acre campus to a world class golf course to some of the best food in America, The Broadmoor stands tall as one of the crown jewels of American hospitality.
There was a trigger to my goal – and it was production related. The Broadmoor does not fit neatly into many budgets, so I set a production goal for 2010 which I reached on December 21. It was close.Having spent my 24 hours at The Broadmoor (much of which was devoted to gathering my thoughts in the ornate lobbies and sitting areas and working on my goals and objectives for 2011), I wrote down some observations about what makes The Broadmoor so special.
1) Location – The Broadmoor has an incredible location and campus, at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain with jagged peaks, soaring evergreens and high blue skies fanning out behind the hotel’s famous façade. Cheyenne Lake separates the two main towers, and in the winter months the water freezes and geese land and take off from the frozen surface in dramatic formations.
2) Quality Finishes – Just stroll the hallways and look at the rooms. Hundreds of high quality paintings and photographs, marble everywhere, beautiful window coverings, roaring fires. There are six inch baseboards and 12 inch moldings. The chairs are comfortable, the bookcases ornate, the brass handles shiny and clean.
3) Attention to Detail – Once we identified ourselves to the valet, from that moment forward it seemed every employee at The Broadmoor knew us by name. Once we made our dinner reservation, every employee at the restaurant knew us by name. And this attention to detail doesn’t just stop with names… look at the windows. Every pane is crystal clear, probably cleaned twice a week. The shower was spotless. Not a speck of dust in the room. No cobwebs in the chandeliers. They don’t miss details here.
4) The People - Most places you go, hospitality workers come and go with the wind. Not at The Broadmoor. Our bellhop had been with the hotel 23 years. We talked to a concierge who had been there for over 15 years. And the valet who parked our car had been there for nearly a decade. It's rare to find a service industry that builds its brand around people, but that's what The Broadmoor has done.
4) The People - Most places you go, hospitality workers come and go with the wind. Not at The Broadmoor. Our bellhop had been with the hotel 23 years. We talked to a concierge who had been there for over 15 years. And the valet who parked our car had been there for nearly a decade. It's rare to find a service industry that builds its brand around people, but that's what The Broadmoor has done.
The Broadmoor is the essence of quality, and that’s why I wanted to come here. I’m always interested in studying how to do things right, and in that regard, The Broadmoor sets a worthy example.
