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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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One of the things about the tour is staying at places you might not normally stay if budget wasn’t an issue. Places you probably wouldn’t take your family on vacation, but for a business trip by yourself, they’re fine. Take the motels we’ve used so far: Travelodge, Econo Lodge, Super 8 and Motel 6. So far, Motel 6 has been the most consistent. Sure it’s not the Hyatt or W, but we’ve found they pretty much are about the same: clean, inexpensive and dependable. The others? Not so much.

Could it be that people don’t expect much in this category at that price? Possibly. Thing is, traveling the way we have been, we don’t need a lot of frills. But what we do need - wireless, decent size room and minimal freakage outside at 2:00 am, they’ve delivered for the most part. However, Travelodge and Super 8 have varied greatly. Having also used Super 8 exclusively on the first tour, the same held true over the three weeks we stayed there as well: From merely okay rooms to downright nasty.

It’s a small thing, but consistency at all levels and across multiple channels makes all the difference.

Labels: lifeontheroad, super 8, tour route, travel lodge

posted by mtlb at 7:05 PM 0 Comments

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I'll bet the bigger agencies stay at the Westin. For more Soooper 8 fun, see the photo set of Bill's room.

Labels: Day 15, lifeontheroad, super 8

posted by darryl ohrt at 9:24 AM 2 Comments

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At Plaid, we believe in excellence in design and branding. So when we’re on the road, we spare no expense to stay at the nicest hotels in the nation. Sure, when we’re at Cannes, we’ll stay at the Carlton.

But Washington DC? The Soooper 8 on New York Ave. If you’ve never stayed in a high class hotel, here’s a few things you should look for:

+ Bullet proof glass at check in (pictured above). This shows that the hotel cares enough to keep a front desk clerk alive, should you need to schedule a wake up call at 2am.

+ A sleeping security guard/concierge. Sure, he calls himself a security guard, but when I accidentally woke him up while enjoying my free continental breakfast, he was ready to make reservations at the nicest restaurants via his walkie talkie. I’m sure that I only needed to ask. He must have been tired after providing concierge service all night long.

I’m sure that our inconspicuous van loaded with electronics spent a perfectly safe night under the watchful eye of our concierge. I’ll bet he even arranged to have it detailed for us.

That’s the kind of Plaid service we’ve come to expect while on the road.

Labels: Day 9, lifeontheroad, super 8

posted by darryl ohrt at 8:44 AM 0 Comments

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I realized in New Hampshire that Super 8 could benefit from a stylist. Or a style guide.

Who hangs "art" 6 inches from the ceiling? Who picks the blue vomit collage bedspread, and says "yes - that will look nice"?

Then again, as I look at the other guests enjoying free continental breakfast, maybe nobody cares. Plaid dude, in search of style, one Super 8 at a time.

Labels: lifeontheroad, super 8

posted by darryl ohrt at 9:29 AM 5 Comments

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What people do in their motel rooms while on tour has been the subject of news, blog posts and books. Some people destroy motel rooms. Some people jump on the beds. And there are other things.

Giuli decided to use her room as a place to dye her hair red. Probably because splashing red stuff all over your bathroom at home would be a mess.

I'm trying to picture the cleaning lady who entered Giuli's room after checkout, and sees red stuff everywhere. Good thing we left New Hampshire.

Labels: giuli, super 8, tour route

posted by darryl ohrt at 11:26 PM 1 Comments