When You Deserve The Best

Many folks struggle with the idea of being deserving. They feel that there is something wrong about them. That's why they feel they don't deserve happiness, love, wealth, you name it. Here are three things to avoid when trying to change your life. When you are trying to feel you do deserve all the best.

1. Avoid comparing yourself with others, especially if they have more than you of whatever. You are unique and your situation does not match anyone else's. See yourself as an individual with your own special range of influence, which you truly have.

2. Avoid comparing your present life with your life as a child. You were essentially powerless as a child, as is every child. What was then when, you were a child, does not control what can be when you are an adult.

3. Avoid negative thinking. It is said that people have between 50,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day - - most of them negative. If most of your thoughts are negative, and they will be unless you make a concerted effort to change them, just think how you are perpetuating negativity in your life.

So, there is another side to this coin of thinking you deserve all the best. Here are three things to seek in your daily life - - leading to a better feeling about what you deserve.

A. Seek to define yourself as who you really are. One idea you need to distinctly consider is this: You are a child of the Universe. Yes, if you will, you are divine. Therefore, you deserve all the best.

B. Seek to know that what occurred in the past, whatever is was, need not limit you now. The past is gone. As much as is possible, forget it. Live in this moment. Make the most of this moment.

C. Seek to express yourself positively. You start that by be conscious (aware) of your thoughts when you take a minute, make a minute, to consider what you are thinking. Sounds peculiar, I know. But in order to halt the negativity in your thoughts, you must be come aware of those thoughts. Then, when you discover negativity, replace it immediately with positivity.

Now, take these things to avoid and things to seek and apply them to life now. I believe you will feel immediately more deserving.

How our Staff Drives Our Scores!

Ever stop and wonder what happens with those surveys you fill out?  Well your feedback goes through several brand filters and the ones that need to get flagged for guest assistance but all end up at the property level so we can evaluate them and use them to change things or continue with what we do well.

For instance here at the Fairfield Inn & TownePlace Suites Fenton we consistently handle overall guest satisfaction very well.  It’s really because of team members like Chandra that takes their job to heart and excels at what they do.  It’s always nice when someone takes such pride in there work and it really shows in their quality and Chandra exemplifies that on a day in and day out basis.

It’s because of our people that we can achieve a higher score in this area.  In today’s world it seems it’s easy to find the negative and in the hospitality industry it’s our job to push for the positive and give that wonderful experience back to our guests, no matter what kind of day they are having.  Some days are easier than others but with team members like Chandra it makes it easier to do.

So please if you get a survey and you had a great stay please let us know and if you remember that persons name put it in the survey because we get all of them and we’d love to acknowledge that person here and at our hotel for their excellence! 

Most commonly forgotten items

When people come and go from our hotel here are some of the most common items left at home and what we find they leave when they depart.
5 Swim suits
4 Toiletries (shampoo, toothpaste, razors, etc.)
3 Pillows
2 Clothes
1 Cell phone chargers

I’m sure the number one answer comes as no surprise. In fact, cell phone chargers are the number one item left behind in hotels worldwide. A study last year by Holiday Inn and Holiday Express in the UK revealed 42,000 cell phone chargers left behind in their hotels in one year. What’s more surprising is their collective value: nearly $1 million!

What Else Did They Leave?
Forget the most common items, what’s more entertaining is discovering what area visitors forgot in the closet, stashed in the safe and inexplicably left behind. Our survey of Traverse City area hotels revealed several stories, ranging from the odd to the downright embarrassing. Here’s our list of the top five.

Top 5 Most Unusual Items Hotel Guests Left Behind

#5 Adult toys
As you might expect, underwear and lingerie are often discovered after check-out. And more than a few hotels reported adult toys among the mix. We’ll spare you the EEEW factor and other details. This is a family-friendly website after all.

#4 False teeth
OK, I understand that you have to remove them for cleaning, and could accidentally leave them behind in a glass on the sink or something. But honestly, how do you forget them? And how often do you leave them behind that you can’t remember the last time you had them??

#3 A walker
Discovering a walker accidentally misplaced, or folded neatly in the closet may not be all that unexpected. But finding one sitting in the parking lot at the center of a handicapped space gives it a ranking on my strange-o-meter. As Alanis says, "isn’t it ironic?"

#2 A police-issue 9mm handgun
Placed in the safe for security it was left behind. Unfortunately for the officer, that’s a big no-no. The hotel reported it and the officer got in big trouble with the department.

#1 Cremated urn of ashes
This one I just can’t paraphrase. An anonymous hotel found, "An urn of cremated ashes, yes of a person. When contacted the son said ‘throw him in the dumpster’. We tracked down a daughter who was happy to accept." Strangely enough that same survey respondent also listed "human leg and hip bones from a doctor who does replacement surgeries." Truth is stranger than fiction.

Traveler's Diet

Let’s face it. You’re on a plane, traveling around for business. Airports, hotels, fast food… none of these scream you can eat healthy. Of course in some hotels you can find some menu items tthat include something healthy that won’t add too much to the waistline. Even airports are trying, but how long have those sandwiches been sitting there in their vacuum packed wrappings. And fast food is, well, fast food.

I know none of this is not the same as home cooked but here are some snacks that can have your taste buds enjoying themselves and you not having to let your belt out another notch:

Popchips Barbeque Potato Chips

PER SERVING (19 chips): 120 calories, 4g fat, 250mg sodium, 20g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugars, 1g protein

What Are They? These chips are innovative -- they're popped (not fried), so they taste great without all the oil. Clever!!!

Why We Love 'Em… Although there's no shortage of BBQ-flavored chips out there (even guilt-free ones), these are on a whole different level. Just the right amount of tanginess and crunch. Delicious!

Baked Classics Vanilla Frosting Multigrain Crisps

PER SERVING (one 1-oz. bag): 120 calories, 4g fat, 60mg sodium, 19g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g sugars, 2g protein

What Are They? The newest flavor from Baked Classics, these crisps are layered in a light coating of vanilla-frosting flavor.

Why We Love 'Em… They didn't look like much when we opened the package, but when we took our first bite, WOWEE! These really do taste like yummy vanilla frosting! Need we say more?

Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla Chips

PER SERVING (1 oz., about 18 chips): 110 - 123 calories, 2 - 3g fat, 26 - 250mg sodium, 19 - 23g carbs, 2g fiber, 0 - 1g sugars, 2 - 3g protein

What Are They? These are our go-to guilt-free tortilla chips. Why? Because they're just so crispy and come in eight impressive varieties.

Why We Love 'Em… Flavor, flavor, and more flavor! The Chipotle chips are fantastic (a bit hot and sweet). The Mucho Nacho ones are awesomely cheesy. And we also enjoy the Yellow Corn (both salted and unsalted) and Spicy Black

Special K Sour Cream & Onion Cracker Chips

PER SERVING (27 chips): 110 calories, 2.5g fat, 230mg sodium, 22g carbs, 3g fiber, 1g sugars, 2g protein

What Are They? Don't let the name fool ya. These are just Popchips copycats. Not sure where the cracker part comes in, but they still taste great.

Why We Love 'Em… Sometimes sour cream & onion chips can be a bit overpowering in flavor, but these have just the right amount of zip. And 27 chips per serving is insane (in a perfectly wonderful way)!

Now next time your travelling and you rent one of those movies in your room, pop the top on one of these snacks and ENJOY!

These are the most popular TV shows

Everyday I watch people checking in and checking out of our Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites.  Most of the times they go to their room and put their things down and next, depending on time of check-in they meet up with friends or co-workers for dinner.  But after they’re done they come back to their rooms and look to veg out.  You know that means... turn on the TV and chill.

Well this got me thinking… when people come here what are they watching?  So the next time our service provider’s technician showed up I asked him, “is there a way to check what TV shows are being watched?”  He said he couldn’t tell me the shows but he could give me the channel breakdown by time.  Well with a little help from my TV guide I was able to put this list of our Top 10 Channels:

1. Criminal Minds

2. House 

3. NCIS

4. Bones

5. Glee

6. Fringe

7. The Vampire Diaries

8. American Idol

9. Supernatural

10. Smallville

I thought this was pretty interesting and wanted to share.  I do like House, What’s your favorite?