This is our fifth year at Wollaston Lake Lodge, and I am still inspired by the service we receive here. Earl and I have stayed on the grounds of Biltmore; we’ve slept in a fancy resort in Tahiti; we’ve taken numerous cruises to various destinations. But no experience rivals this for attention to the comfort of the guests. And no experience is in as remote a destination, which makes it all the more amazing.
On Wollaston’s website, you can read about the five star chef who prepares the evening meals. You can check on the fishing boats, the guides, the flyouts. And you can meet the owner and his staff at various trade shows in the off season.
But what you can’t do until you get here is appreciate the littler things. Like how everyone knows your name from the get-go even though guests don’t wear nametags. Like how once you ask for something, the staff remembers it for the next time. Even if next time is next year.
For instance Earl hates flannel sheets, and flannel sheets are the standard in the cabins. But after our first visit in 2006 when Earl mentioned he preferred cotton sheets, the staff has made sure we’ve slept on them every single night. Does the Hilton remember these details?
Coffee is delivered to our cabin every morning. All we had to do is say we prefer decaf and that’s what we get. Since women are in the minority, cabins don’t have a hair dryer unless you ask. But just tell a staff member, and you’ll have one in no time. How often does that happen at a Holiday Inn?
The lights work, the thermostat is under your control, the laundry service is impeccable, and the masseuse can work out the worst kink from a day on the waters. What fancy spa can claim all that?
I’m not particularly interested in fishing, and I’m not sure subsequent visits to Wollaston Lake Lodge will change that. But I am totally interested in returning again for the opportunity to leave civilization behind, enjoy a patch of wilderness, and yet experience unbelievable attention to guest comfort.
Leave a Reply