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While enjoying a weekend off in Kansas City, we were treated to a luxurious stay at the Q Hotel and Spa.

Once you stay at the Q, you'll wonder why every hotel in the world isn't doing the same thing. This is clearly the future of the hospitality industry.

The Q has taken a dedicated approach to creating the ultimate green hotel. They're one of the eleven most green hotels in the nation. They've taken the hotel business past anything that you've experienced before. Energy Star rated, Green Seal certified, and a generous list of little things that add up to a massive shift in your overall experience.

Sometimes it's the tiniest things that make a grand difference. Like in-room recycling. Bicycles for guests to get around town. Composting of extra food. Ceramic instead of plastic with breakfast. Once you've experienced these things at the Q, you'll expect them everywhere you stay.

Even better - the guest experience wasn't compromised in any way. Our experience at the Q was equivalent to any stay at nice boutique hotels in many other cities.

Thanks to the entire staff at the Q for a most spectacular and inspiring experience in Kansas City! If you're visiting the hottest city in Missouri (or Kansas), we highly recommend a stay at the Q Hotel and Spa.

Labels: kansas city, q hotel

posted by darryl ohrt at 8:10 AM 1 Comments

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Sometimes the difference between brand awesomeness and brand ridiculousness are the simplest decisions.

While on tour, we're getting to experience both. When we hit Kansas City, we'll get to stay in the luxurious Q Hotel and Spa (a PlaidNation sponsor), who could teach many hoteliers a lesson in brand awesomeness. And we're counting down the days until the Q.

But until then...we're learning brand and customer experience lessons the hard way:

On some random day somewhere, some person with Soooper 8 made a decision. Was it to spend fifty cents more and supply guests with towels that aren't made from sandpaper? Nope. Was it to put a respectable sign on the elevator? Nope.

This decision involved the experience that a guest might have in the bathroom. Not soaps. Not shampoo or other niceties. Somebody said "we can add your logo to this $2 faucet, if you want", and then a Soooper 8 employee replied "absolutely."

Here's proof that branding is more than your old logo on crappy equipment. It's little decisions that affect your customer's experience every day. Thanks, Soooper 8, but I really would have preferred the non-sandpaper bath towel.

Labels: branding, q hotel, super 8

posted by darryl ohrt at 8:14 AM 2 Comments

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The Q Hotel + Spa has signed on as a PlaidNation sponsor, joining Ford Motors and Sprint in making the Plaid tour possible.

The Q was voted the best hotel in Kansas City, and we're more stoked than ever to being staying there while in town. We're also pretty pumped that they've had an eco plan since they tookover and renovated the historic property, and they're the first "green" hotel in Kansas City. They also boast a design aesthetic that is totally, wonderfully Plaid approved.

Interested in a sponsorship? There are still high visibility options available for large and small brands. It's not too late to be a part of the biggest rolling celebration of creativity and innovation ever seen on the highways.

Labels: lifeontheroad, q hotel, sponsors

posted by darryl ohrt at 10:15 AM 0 Comments