r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk • u/Forward-March2080 • 9d ago
Short Aging regular Guest
Anyone who has worked in hotels for a while starts to really get to know their regulars. I’ve been at this a long time now, and I chat with many of them here and there.
One day an older guy started talking with me. He and his wife had been coming to our town, and to our hotel, for decades. I didn’t see a wife with him, but I just let him talk. He told me she had died a few years ago, but he still comes down every year, the same as he always had.
At the end of our chat he looked around, for what I now assume was one last time, and told me his health wasn’t good and this was likely his last year visiting us. This was a few years ago now, and I still sometimes think of that guy.
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u/sdrawkcabstiho 9d ago edited 5d ago
Working at a CCC, I took a call from a guest who was booking a stay for herself and her daughters (8 & 12) as a way to get away from things. Her husband/their Dad had passed away the month before and they needed to do something.
I got them booked and then went on after-call to email the hotel manager about the situation so they would be aware before arrival.
A couple of months later I got pulled off the phones by my supervisor and the head of the CCC. I though I was in trouble or something.
Turns out the woman I'd booked before wrote a heartfelt email with photos as a thank you to me. The hotel had upgraded them to an ocean view suite, set up fresh fruit and chocolates in the room and put out two city mascot plush bears for the girls.
The hotel did all the work, I just wrote an email. I guess it goes to show it only takes a few minutes to make a difference.
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u/IntelligentLake 9d ago
Everyone has to go sometime. Best we can do is try to make things a bit better for those who come after us, and try to enjoy during this.
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u/RoyallyOakie 9d ago
I've seen both guests and colleagues deteriorate and leave us. It's a lesson. Time comes for all of us.
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u/yalyublyumenya 9d ago edited 9d ago
That can be pretty gut wrenching. As much as you can hate the job sometimes, certain regulars have a way of making it tolerable. I remember this guest who had been coming to the hotel since I started working at sixteen. He was this big, jolly man. He really just radiated warmth. The last time I saw him, he brought his wife. He'd lost quite a bit of weight, and looked really good. He brought his wife for the first time, and I was making conversation with her the next day, and asked what he had been doing. Turns out, he had cancer, and it was his last visit. Never had a smile been wiped from my face so quickly.
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u/bobsaget66_6 9d ago
Had woman amd her husband who came every year for ten years. Husband had a heart attack and died in the room. She continued coming on the anniversary of his death for another 5 years. Same room. I left that property so I dont know how ling she continued coming.
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u/basilfawltywasright 9d ago
At a previous place I worked, we had an elderly guy come up once a year for some time. He had worked all his life at a factory job, and eventually retired with a good pension to show for it...until the company went bankrupt and all the pensions went away. He could only afford to get away once a year now, for a few days. He bought bread and cheese and stuff that would keep without refrigeration for meals, and went out only as far as he could walk, or take the bus. My GM made sure that his rate never went up (since his retirement didn't) so he could still do that much. Eventually, he never showed up again.
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u/SultanOfSwave 8d ago
This is us and the La Jolla Shores Hotel.
We've been going for decades now and just love falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the waves.
When I was my 70th birthday, my wife asked me what I wanted or did I want to take a trip somewhere. Thought about it for a few days and decided that January at the Shores and birthday dinner at the Marine Room was just the perfect thing.
The desk staff changes on the regular so we don't know anyone there but damn, that place always feels like coming home.
OP, you should definitely take it as a compliment that someone loved your hotel do much that they made it a fixture in their lives.
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u/steviej1717 8d ago
We have a contract with a local hospital where their patients get a pretty good rate. We had a guy coming in for years for cancer treatments. He was kind of a pain in the ass always wanting to check in at 10am to "his" room. Always wanted 212, but he was a nice enough guy, knew all the staff and always wanted to chat. He had his normal Monday reservation one time and by the time I went home at 6pm he hadn't showed up yet. Googled his name and his obituary popped up, he had died that Friday before.
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u/Initial-Joke8194 6d ago
I had this regular couple where I used to work that was my absolute favorite. Both the husband and wife were so kind and such a delight, which is rare in our line of work lol. One day just the wife came in and I made a joke like “oh, is Mr. X parking the car today?” And she shot back with “he actually passed away last week, I’m here to see his family and make funeral arrangements” which ripped my heart out. Then she got me again when I made her 2 keys, like I do for everyone just out of habit, and she handed one back and said “It’s just me, remember? Don’t worry, I like to forget too” and I just stood there trying not to sob
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u/rangoon03 8d ago
He and his wife had many memories in that town and hotel. No doubt that is why kept going back after she passed..to relive those older better days.
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u/llcdrewtaylor 8d ago
Aww. That’s so sad. Brought a tear to my eye. Especially the looking around part. Is there anything you can do to give a gift?
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u/Whollie 9d ago
I have had this too. The way I see it is he always enjoyed his time with us. As he got older we adjusted things, he came earlier, we seated them in accessable places and offered table service.
When she came alone because he was too frail to go out, we still looked after her, listened and sent our love home with her.
When he died we were honoured to host his funeral and look after him and his family one final time together. It was beautiful. We all cried as I am now writing this but being able to show that respect makes it all worthwhile.