Last week, my wife and I took our first vacation without kids in over a decade. We wanted to splurge a little, find a new place with a warm beach, and relax. We chose The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, FL. Let me just say that I have never experienced anything like it. From the time you pull in the quarter-mile long brick drive, you will continually be surprised that any place offers such a customer experience. I could easily invest a full post into the beauty of The Breakers. From the flowers to the ceilings to the pools to the ocean views and back to the flowers just because they are that gorgeous… But it’s not just the beauty that caught me so off guard. Instead it’s the fact that every single person, from the valet to the concierge to the housekeepers to the wait staff, understands clearly that you are there to be treated like a king. Not one person ever let me feel any tension in their voice over anything. Breakers staff members were always around, yet never in my way.
Every staff member seemed to know my name, and that we were there to celebrate our 14th wedding. You might wonder if a place that nice might make you feel out of place if that’s not your day to day lifestyle…not once. Not one time did I ever feel out of place. I guess I should mention the Breakers is pricey compared to other hotels…but this is not other hotels. Staying at The Breakers is like staying in your mother’s home where someone is always asking to do things for you. And I must say that they are spending a huge percentage of your room rate right back out the door on you as the guest. They hold nothing back and are spending much more of your money on you than you would have expected on staff, flowers, etc.
In my second Breakers post, I will try to drill down on one or two specific things I learned about customer service from my visit. It won’t be easy to choose. First, I just needed to get the word out to you that if you visit The Breakers, your concept of customer service will be re-shaped. By that I mean that we can really only provide our own customers a service level equal to our imagination and past experiences. The Breakers will seriously re-set the bar for you and you will come back with a dozen new ideas of what you can do to wow your own customers.
Customer Service... 
Mr. Galloway, I just read your review of The Breakers and want to go! My husband and I have 3 children under 10 and we thought WE needed a break. You needed one more! 🙂 I just have a question. You mentioned a $200 resort money in your review. I cannot find this perk on any site. Could you tell me how you booked your trip? Thanks, Mary in Florence, SC
Hey Mary! You won’t regret a vacation @ The Breakers…it’s that good. I went to their site and it looks like the $200/day was a promotional thing while I was there. The good news is that the rate on the room I stayed in (oceanfront with balcony) is nearly half the rate it was when I went. They are also giving away some other on site fun stuff right now; but my room rate per night was almost double what it is right now. Have fun!