Column

Just checked into the Hotel Victor here on South Beach before I wrote this chapter. I saw it being renovated a few months ago and made a mental note to check it out on my next visit to Miami. So here I am, waiting to be impressed, just aching for a reason to tell you something good about this place in a world where so many businesses are boring, slow and stale.

I like trying new hotels when I travel. I observe what to do (and mostly what not to do) when it comes to customer service, study cool design (which stimulates big ideas I can then hand over to my team for our products, ranging from CD covers to clothing) and check out whether the hotel understands that in this “experience economy” we now live in, the customers must be taken on a journey from start to finish that makes them go “wow”.

Good news! This place is amazing. Big smile when I entered from the doorman and a warm greeting. Ultra-cool design inside (none of the stark white that used to be so hip that everyone copied it — which then made it unhip). Lots of green and fresh colours. Sexy music and vibe.

Super nice front desk staff — the smile thing again with a wonderful offer of Evian water with a slice of lime while I was checking in. And since the MTV Video Music Awards are shooting a video with The Killers tonight down by the pool, Karin asked me whether I wanted a room that would allow me to watch all the action. Sure — I don’t need much sleep anyway.

Eric the bellman showed me the workout facility and then the spa. Best hotel gym I’ve seen since the Sanderson in London. And the room is awesome — art deco, impeccably clean and stylishly put together. All very impressive. Stunning, actually — which is the standard I encourage you to aspire to.

Hotel Victor under-promised and then over-delivered. It had a chance to win me over, and through well-trained staff, unique and superbly kept facilities and excellent amenities, it did. Now I’m going back downstairs to try its food (everyone raves about its restaurant, where the chef has a spice rack with over 1,000 different spices). I bet I’ll be wowed.

Robin Sharma is the author of The Greatness Guide (Jaico)