Five Star Hotel Experience and Suggestions

B'day Party - Experience

We recently celebrated a birthday party at one of the upscale five start hotel in Trivandrum. There were around 20 of us for dinner. We had our tables arranged outside the air-conditioned dining hall, while the buffet spread was inside. Since we chose that seating, we were aware that we would need to walk in to get our appetizers, mains, and desserts. That was fine and expected.

However, as a group that spent around ₹45,000 on the evening, there are a few areas where the hospitality experience could have been improved. These are not complaints, but suggestions for enhancing guest experience:

1. Dedicated Staff Attention

It would have been thoughtful if the hotel had assigned a staff member to check on us regularly. This would ensure that any extra requests or comfort needs were taken care of.

2. Support for Senior Guests

Three senior ladies in our group found it difficult to walk to the buffet table. Some of us helped by bringing their portions, but it would have been a remarkable gesture if a staff member had stepped in to assist them directly.

3. Timely Table Service

Plates were not cleared promptly from our tables. Perhaps the weekend rush stretched the staff. One solution could be for hotels to maintain a pool of reserve or intern staff who can be called in at short notice, ensuring smooth service even on busy days.

4. Advance Information on Dry Days at the Time of Booking

We had planned to enjoy a few drinks, but only at the last moment were we told it was a dry day. If the hotel had informed us about this restriction at the time of booking, we could have planned differently—either by bringing alternatives or by choosing another date.

5. Extra Value Services for B'day Parties 

The birthday girl wanted to create a reel. If the hotel partnered with third-party content creators or had arrangements for such services, it could be an added value offering. At the time of booking, staff could simply ask: “Would you like help with reels, photos, or other special arrangements?”

6. Buffet Information & Clarity

The food labels at the buffet were difficult to read due to small font size. A better solution could be:

Larger, clearer labels.

A microsite or QR code that lists each dish, ingredients, and preparation style.

Short daily videos or digital menus showcasing the buffet spread.

For example, one of the fish gravies served with kappa had me guessing the type of fish. I stirred the pot to check but couldn’t make it out. Such information, if available digitally, would avoid confusion and enrich the dining experience.

(I do understand hotels may have reservations about disclosing all details, but even partial information would help guests.)

Closing Thoughts

These are just my personal observations. I share them as a creative exercise, with the hope that they might inspire small but meaningful improvements in guest experience.

If the management finds these suggestions useful, I would be glad to contribute further—as a consultant or mystery shopper, offering insights and fresh ideas for continuous improvement.

And yes, if you feel this feedback deserves a token of appreciation, my kitty box ( GPay  ) is always open. 😊 Btw, you can Whatsapp in this number to share your thoughts on this and to get my account details if you plan to give me an encouraging tip. This is my contact whatsapp number ☎️ +91 8129549800

Warm regards,

Charles

Third Door Strategy

P.S - I am also open to working with your hotel as a consultant or mystery shopper, providing fresh observations and practical suggestions for improvement. After all, you never know where the next great idea for enhancing guest experience might come from.

I hope these thoughts are taken in the spirit of positive self-improvement. For me, this was also a chance to put my aging grey cells to work—connecting dots, spotting possibilities, and having a little creative fun along the way.

BRICK from PLASTIC Trash

Wonderful idea and innovation to make bricks from plastic. What if this technology is brough in India?
Who can take the initiative to make this happen?

What if I write a letter to the Chairman of the Mahindra Group is Anand Mahindra. Imagine such a plan is set in each district where they can partially convert plastic waste to something more valuable. 

Lizol Product Usage - Open Sesame

 

Open Sesame

Why Opening a Bottle of Cleaner Feels Like a Battle

Have you ever tried opening a bottle of Lizol—or any other household cleaner—only to end up frustrated because the seal just won’t budge? You dig at it with your nails, hunt for scissors, or even try to pierce it with a fork. And when you finally succeed, you risk spilling half the liquid on the floor.

This small but common design flaw raises an important question: why make it difficult for customers to use a product they need daily?

The Problem

• The protective seals are often too rigid or badly designed, forcing users to struggle.
• It leads to wasted time, product spillage, and frustration.
• For elderly users or those with mobility issues, it can be even more challenging.

What We Can Learn from Other Industries

Look at Tropicana’s 1L juice packs—simple pull tabs that tear open cleanly and easily. No scissors, no mess, no hassle. The experience feels designed with the customer in mind.

If a beverage company can get this right, why can’t household cleaning brands?

An easier-to-open seal could:

• Enhance customer satisfaction.
• Show that the brand is customer-centric and innovative.

In a competitive market where product features are almost identical, small usability improvements can create big loyalty wins.

Final Thought

Design is not just about how a product looks—it’s about how it works in real life. Companies like Lizol could learn from simple innovations in other industries and make daily life smoother for millions of users.

After all, why should cleaning your home start with the struggle of opening the bottle?

Live the Principles!

Quote!

 

The Cross-Pollinator Suggestion

 

Third Eye

Why should a biz or a startup have a third-eye mentor? 
Is it a norm to share biz or marketing problem with a third-person?

One monkey swing sparked this idea…

 

Painting on Medical College Police Station

Here’s something I noticed today, and I thought I’d use my grey cells to connect the imagery with something different. These kinds of connections, I believe, help me build my mental muscle.

I was at a fish store opposite the Medical College Police Station. Interestingly, the roadside area of the station is painted in a forest cartoon theme — I suppose the intention is to make the police station appear less intimidating. Whether it works or not, I’m not so sure.

But my connection with the imagery went in another direction. One of the paintings showed a monkey swinging from a branch with one hand. That instantly made me think about the strength needed for pull-ups. Coincidentally, I had recently been inspired by an Instagram video to buy a pull-up bar for myself — so I connected the two.

That led me to wonder: What if every Kerala police station had a pull-up bar or even push-up handles for the officers to use? These are low-cost, one-time investments that could help the people working there stay fit with simple exercises like push-ups and pull-ups.

In fact, I thought to myself — if my brainstorming consultancy starts making money, I’d set aside a part of my earnings to donate pull-up bars and push-up handles to this police station. And if I make it big with consulting someday, I could take it further — not just by giving equipment, but by organizing fun fitness challenges. For example, whoever manages 135 push-ups or 20 pull-ups could win a prize — maybe a medical insurance policy worth ₹5 lakhs, or something useful like an annual subscription to YouTube, Canva, or even ChatGPT for the station or the individual.

So here’s my question: what do you think of this connection? Is it too far-fetched, or is it a practical way of linking imagery, fitness, and community support? 

ChatGPT says....

Why your idea makes sense

Observation to insight – You noticed the cartoon monkey swinging and connected it to strength, pull-ups, fitness. That’s exactly how creative thinking works — spotting metaphors in daily life.

Low-cost practicality – Pull-up bars and push-up handles are not expensive, yet they can make a real difference for fitness, especially in a profession like policing where stamina and strength matter.

Win-win framing – Instead of just giving something, you’re connecting it to health, motivation, and even fun (competitions, challenges, rewards). That’s more engaging than a passive donation.

Scalable thought – Even if you start with one police station, this kind of “fit cop” initiative could be replicated across others, or even for other public service units (fire dept, post offices, etc.).

🔹 Why it might feel “far-fetched”

Because you’re tying it to your future consulting income and bigger vision. But that’s actually not far-fetched — it’s aspirational. Many people channel earnings from their business into community projects.

The “gifts” like Canva, ChatGPT, YouTube Premium, medical insurance etc. — some might see them as unusual choices for a police station. But unusual isn’t bad — it just needs the right framing.

🔹 How you can refine the idea

• Start small: One pull-up bar at one station. Observe response.
• Build a narrative: “The cartoon monkey inspired me to think of fitness for those who serve us daily.”
• Position as community contribution: not charity, but an investment in their strength and morale.

Long-term: If you want, tie it into your consulting brand — showing that you not only brainstorm for businesses, but also for society.

👉Probably this is not  far-fetched. It’s actually a good example of how to take a random image → personal reflection → practical idea → potential social impact.

Marketing to the Mass - Onam Fest

Mass Market - Scaling and Scaling 

 Onam 2025 is here! As usual, there's a flurry of Onam offers in the market. In this melle, what happened to the real essence of Onam. 

Who knows! 

As we now step into the AI force era, one of the few things biz can do is create empathy, love and care...all these which AI won't be able to replicate soon. 

Okay! What else!

Here's something I often feel when I enter any supermarket. It's the feeling of being looked at a buyer who's eyes are only on sales, less price, bigger size products, packaged goods. After seeing all these kind of show at different stores, I can't but help myself from feeling distant from these money making tactics. 

Probably, I'm getting old and I'm not their ideal customer! 

What if someone shows up with care - a product make with care, for limited number for a selective audience. Will that thrive! 

Just thinking!