Huge Thanks

We were in Newfoundland last week on vacation and the boy had a great time. We went up Signal Hill, saw the lighthouse at Cape Spear, toured around the Avalon Peninsula, and went whale watching. The boy loved going on the boat, and not only did we get to see whales, but we also saw puffins.

Puffins guarding their burrows

I don't know why the boy was so entranced with the puffins, but that was all he could talk about, and still talks about. As a souvenir we decided to buy him a book about puffins, which we had to read every night (and morning) at the hotel. Unfortunately, in the hustle of trying to get packed up to come home the book got left behind.

His new favourite animal!

I tweeted that I had left the book behind and got an reply with an offer to help from @MarriottIntl within a few hours. The staff at the Marriott in Newfoundland were so friendly and helpful, but I just figured it was all part of the legendary Newfoundland attitude. But it seems that helpfulness goes across the Marriott chain.

They helped me track down the book, got in touch with the manager of the Courtyard Marriott in St. John's, and then low and behold in the mail today we got a package.  In it was the boy's book, and as an extra special treat, they had included a puffin bookmark & a puffin key chain!

I can't say enough nice things about the Marriott hotel. Not only did they pick up on a chance tweet, and followed through, but then they went above and beyond by taking note of the boy's interest in puffins. So thank you Marriott for being so awesome and making my boy's week. (And a half hearted thanks from me, since I've now had to read the puffin book a lot again!) You've got a customer for life in my family.