When I was a little girl, one of my favorite books was "The Trumpet Of The Swan" by E.B. White. For anyone who knows that book, there's a wonderful description of the Swan, Louis, who is hired to play his trumpet by the people who operate the Swan Boats in the Boston Public Garden and to swim in front of the boats while he plays. Part of his payment is that he is able to stay in the Ritz Carlton Hotel where he sleeps in the bathtub and orders in room service of tea sandwiches with watercress, both with and without butter, to see which one he likes the best. Because of that book, my Mother and I discovered the joys of going to the Ritz Carlton for tea, and the Ritz Carlton has always had a very special place in my heart.
Recently I had reason to go to Boston for a very quick trip, and when I began trying to decide where to stay, I felt like the Ritz Carlton was where I should go. The hotel is not in the same building that it was before and the design and amenities have been very much modernized, but the feeling of being there is just as special as I always remembered it. Every moment from the moment I first walked in gave me the feeling of being so well taken care of that it defined the idea of what hospitality is. Each person was so friendly and helpful, and each place where I went and thing that I saw or did while I was there was something so enjoyable that I knew from the start that I'd want to be visiting again.
I had made a reservation for a Suite in the Club Level, and when I arrived and discovered that not only was the hotel a delightful place to be, the reservation I had made gave me access to a wonderful extra level of personalized service and experiences in the Club Lounge. Before arriving I had made a reservation for dinner because I knew that I would want to enjoy a lovely and relaxing dinner at a restaurant on site, and my next morning was so early that I had been thinking that I would order room service, but then I discovered that I could enjoy breakfast in the Club Lounge as well as some light refreshment throughout the day. The room itself was so comfortable, and I wished that I could have stayed for much, much longer. It was truly such a beautiful time and filled with so many new lovely memories. I kept wondering how Louis the Swan would feel in this new environment, and I had a feeling that he'd be feeling just as wonderful as I did.
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