It’s Not What We Do. It’s How We Make Them Feel.

“People will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Maya Angelou

This reflection comes from my own experience in hospitality and what I continue to learn.

I’ve lived long enough in this work to know this quote is true, not just in theory, but very much in practice, at work and in life in general. It shows up often in hospitality, but it lands differently when you really pause and reflect on it.

A guest standing at the desk, a little tired.
Someone arriving late, carrying more than just their luggage.
A familiar look in someone’s eyes that says they’ve had a long day … or a hard one.

Most guests won’t remember the room number or the rate. They won’t remember the exact words we used. But they remember how the experience felt as it unfolded around them.

They remember the scent of the soap that smells like the ocean in Maui, the kind that instantly slows you down. The comfort of the bed, like sinking into rest without having to think. The softness of the pillows, plush without being heavy, the kind that feels intentionally chosen. The quiet peace of a beautiful courtyard, where time slows and nothing is asking anything of you. The warm welcome at check-in, like walking into your grandma’s house … the smell of fresh muffins in the air as she opens the door and says, “Come in, you must be tired.” The thoughtful cleaning of the room when they come back from the conference, like the room is saying, you can rest now. The sincerity of the apology and the extra mile when things go wrong, the kind that restores trust instead of just fixing a problem. Those details come together as a feeling, and that feeling stays.

Because guest experience isn’t about what we do behind the scenes … it’s about the human feeling we create together.

Your eyes - Are you present or distracted?
Your smile - Are you smiling when you answered the phone? When you welcome them, is your smile genuine or automatic?
Your tone - Is it calm, rushed, or guarded?
Your posture - Open or closed off?
Your gestures - Welcoming or hurried?
Your ears - Are you really listening, or just waiting to respond?

All of it speaks, even before a word is said.

Connection often begins long before a guest ever reaches the desk. It starts the moment they see the hotel on social media, in an ad, or hear about it on the radio, in reviews or even word of mouth. It continues in the small moments - a nod, eye contact, a soft contact that quietly says, I see you. You’re welcome here.

And when words do come, they don’t need to be perfect. I’ve found that a simple question - “What brings you to town?” - can change everything. It gives context. It helps me understand who’s standing in front of me. Someone celebrating. Someone working. Someone grieving. Someone just tired.

So we slow down. We look for common ground. We meet them where they’re at.

When we stand behind the desk, guests don’t know our titles or schedules. They don’t know if we’re full-time, part-time, or just covering a shift. What they experience is the moment … and the person in front of them. In that moment, we are the hotel.

That’s why this work goes beyond completing a task or finishing a transaction. It’s about being present. Slowing the moment down. Leading with empathy. Staying with the guest even when answers aren’t immediate or things don’t go as planned.

Because in the end, people won’t remember everything we did.

But they will remember how we made them feel.

Take what resonates.
Leave what doesn’t.
And come back whenever you need a pause.