"Hotels Train Employees to Think Fast"

Does this sound familiar?

"Our guests value the design of our hotels, but what they really remember are the people," says Michelle Crosby, human resources chief at lodging giant Starwood (HOT). "Their loyalty was often to a specific (employee) who'd gone out of their way for them."

We can absolutely love our vacation 'digs' - whether it's a lodge in Denali, a guest ranch in Colorado, or a resort on the coast of Maine, but if the employees are friendly, attentive, interesting, and helpful, if they make us feel at home, if they're passionate about their surroundings and we can see that they too are really digging the 'digs', well, it's all those things that will keep us coming back and make us want to spread the word.

Read about the massive training initiatives some of the big hotel chains are implementing to keep their employees passionate and thinking on their feet.