Board meeting
972 Words
Arias pov***
Conference Room A overlooked the Manhattan skyline, its floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the room with morning light.
A long walnut conference table stretched through the center, already occupied by executives dressed in tailored suits, each with a tablet, notebook, or steaming cup of coffee in front of them.
I slipped into the empty chair beside Lucien’s at the head of the table, setting my planner neatly beside me.
Several people looked up.
A few smiled politely.
One woman offered a small wave.
“Good morning.”
“Morning.”
“Welcome aboard.”
“Thank you.”
Before I could say anything else, Lucien walked in.
The conversations immediately died down.
Not because anyone was afraid of him.
Because he had their attention.
“Good morning, everyone.”
“Morning, Lucien.”
“Good morning.”
He acknowledged each greeting with a nod before taking his seat.
“Let’s get started.”
A presentation appeared on the large screen behind him.
Sinclair Azure Resort
St. Lucia
The hotel’s aerial photograph filled the screen.
Turquoise water.
Private villas.
White sand beaches.
It looked more like paradise than a workplace.
“The resort has exceeded occupancy projections for the third consecutive quarter,” Lucien began.
“Congratulations to everyone involved.”
Several smiles spread around the room.
“But…”
He clicked to the next slide.
“…guest satisfaction scores have dropped by four percent.”
The room grew thoughtful.
“Our guests are choosing Sinclair because of the experience we promise.”
He looked around the table.
“If that experience changes, even slightly, they’ll notice.”
No one argued.
No one interrupted.
One by one, department heads began offering ideas.
Additional staff training.
Restaurant renovations.
Changes to guest check-in.
Expanded concierge services.
I quietly took notes, keeping up as best I could.
The discussion continued for nearly half an hour.
Finally…
The room fell silent.
Lucien looked around the table.
Then his eyes landed on me.
“Miss Monroe.”
I looked up.
“Yes, Mr. Sinclair?”
“I’d like your opinion.”
My pen froze above the page.
For the first time since entering the room…
Every person at that table looked at me.
For half a second, I wondered if he’d meant someone else.
He hadn’t.
Every executive at the table was looking at me, waiting.
I glanced down at my notes, then back at the screen.
“I don’t think the problem is the resort.”
The room stayed quiet.
I continued.
“The occupancy numbers are strong. That tells us people still want to stay there.”
A few heads nodded.
“But guest satisfaction has slipped.”
I tapped my pen lightly against the notebook.
“So I’d ask a different question.”
Lucien leaned back in his chair, giving me his full attention.
“What changed?”
The Director of Operations answered first.
“We’ve looked into staffing.”
I nodded.
“I’m sure you have.”
I looked back at the report on the screen.
“But staffing is only one piece of the guest experience.”
I flipped to the page I’d been scribbling notes on throughout the meeting.
“The comments from returning guests all seem to mention the same thing.”
I looked toward the marketing director.
“They don’t feel like they’re getting the same personalized experience they had during their first visit.”
She frowned thoughtfully before opening the report on her tablet.
“They’re not complaining about the rooms.”
“No.”
“The food?”
I shook my head.
“No.”
I pointed to one of the guest comments displayed on the screen.
“They’re talking about how they felt.”
I paused.
“They remembered the concierge who welcomed them by name. They remembered the bartender who knew their favorite drink. They remembered that someone noticed they were celebrating an anniversary.”
The room grew noticeably quieter.
“Luxury isn’t just marble floors and ocean views.”
I smiled slightly.
“It’s making people feel like they’ve been expected.”
Several executives exchanged glances.
I continued.
“If we’re getting more guests than ever, maybe our staff is spending so much time keeping up with demand that they’re losing the small personal touches that made guests fall in love with Sinclair in the first place.”
The Vice President of Guest Experience slowly lowered his pen.
“…She’s right.”
He looked around the room.
“We’ve increased occupancy without increasing guest relations staff.”
The marketing director nodded.
“That would explain why first-time bookings are excellent while repeat guest satisfaction has dipped.”
Across the table, the Head of Operations quietly added,
“And that’s why we haven’t been able to pinpoint the issue.”
Silence settled over the room again.
Not uncomfortable.
Thoughtful.
Lucien closed the folder in front of him.
His eyes met mine.
For the briefest moment, the corner of his mouth lifted.
It wasn’t a smile anyone else would have noticed.
More like… approval.
Then he looked back at the rest of the room.
“I think Miss Monroe just reminded us of something we’ve always believed.”
His voice remained calm and measured.
“We’re not just in the hotel business.”
He let the words settle.
“We’re in the business of making people feel wanted and valued .”
No one spoke.
Because no one needed to.
He looked toward the Vice President of Guest Experience.
“I’d like a proposal on my desk by Thursday outlining how we restore that level of personalized service across every Sinclair property.”
“Absolutely.”
Lucien nodded once.
“Excellent.”
He turned to the next item on the agenda as though nothing remarkable had just happened.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had.
- Writer
