In 1983, investor William Sharman, Jr., took an old (1927) Houston flop house called the Auditorium Hotel, did major renovation to it and turned it into a luxury boutique hotel called the Lancaster.
And on the first floor, in addition to the lobby, he built a wonderful gourmet restaurant.
It's name was Charley’s 517.
He had a well-known 40-ish elegant black man, who frequently modeled for the fine clothing store, Sakowitz, as the manager andmaître d’hôtel.
The Lancaster complex was built across from the new Alley Theater and among all of the new theater arts buildings and the events that came to them.
Before he opened and accepted the first guest, the question that he had and the answer for which was extremely important was this:
Who do I hire to manage the hotel?
It has to be someone with not only excellent taste and who presents himself/herself beautifully, but who knows the hospitality industry backwards and forwards and upside down.
His choice was a good one.
Her name was Christa Buggy, and she met all of the requirements.
I thought you might be interested in knowing how Christa audited the room cleaning done by the housekeepers.
Here's how it went.
First, she lowered the top on the commode and then she sat on it with the bathroom door closed, and examined the bathroom from that prospective. She said it was those exact times and exact vantage point that women guests evaluated the cleanliness and appointments of the bathroom.
And then she got up, and raised the seat. She said to me, “Toilet seats have undersides, and frequently the tops are cleaned but the undersides are ignored. They become stained. They need to stay spotlessly clean or immediately replaced if they can’t be”
The bed got the next visit.
Next she would lie on top of the bed, try the lights, the TV and see if the clock showed the proper time, all the while looking at the walls and furniture to make sure it showed no signs of wear.
You get the picture.
This is what homeowners should do before and every day after their homes are put on the market.
And then there’s one more thing:
Door bell buttons are frequently cheap builder models, hang cockeyed, and the white button is filthy from never having been cleaned. Replace it. If the homeowner can’t bring themselves to do that, clean the one that’s there and adjust the way it hangs.
Take these tips from Christie Buggey.
It’s a good start for making certain your listings will be presented in their best light.
(Christa Buggey is currently the general manager of another famous boutique hotel, The Tremont House in Galveston's Historic Waterfront-Strand District)
WILLIAM S. CHERRY & NO COMPANY
America’s Wealth Coach
972 677-7028
