"Good Morning Mr. Downie, We are looking forward for your arrival. May we ask what type of vehicle should we be looking out for?"
That was the start of the email which has had a huge impact on 2econd Friday.
This email came from Skylofts at MGM Grand. We’d booked a festive stay there, unconnected to our ongoing love letter to Las Vegas – 2econd Friday.
I responded to the email, and pondered.
I pondered, and popped downstairs to find Zoe.
“Zoe, I reckon we should make Skylofts at MGM Grand into Episode 50.”
We were three parts away from the end of Season 1, and were already pondering (we do a lot of pondering; sometimes too much) who the winners of some fun awards might be. Four Seasons at Mandalay Bay was almost a foregone conclusion for Best Customer Service.
But then came Skylofts at MGM Grand.
“May we ask what type of vehicle should we be looking out for?”
I’m glad they’d asked, because I managed to foul-up the arrival at MGM Grand, and ended up in a Taxi Only situation, but then there was a friendly wave, directing me to where I should go.
The friendly wave belonged to a friendly person who booked in our car. Another friendly person took our luggage, and said they’d meet us at our room. We were walked into the Skylofts Lounge, and were met by another wonderfully friendly person (Christopher). Christopher took us up to the Skylofts Lobby, and introduced us to another friendly person, who checked us in, and then walked us to our room (sorry, loft), where the friendly person who took our luggage was waiting, along with another friendly person who offered to give us a tour of our loft. We accepted the offer. We were served a glass of “welcome juice”. It was delicious. It was all delicious. Congratulations, Skylofts at MGM Grand.
And today? Thank-you, Giavanna. Thank you for a wonderful tour of the property. We learned lots of funs facts. Like the fact that the main entrance at MGM Grand didn’t actually exist, when it opened in 1993, so as to secure the Las Vegas Boulevard South address (instead of a Tropicana one). Like Toto being dog-napped, and a ransom note being sent. Like the lowness of the ceilings in the West Wing (formerly the Marina hotel). What fun to walk along a corridor of the West Wing, to then arrive in the higher-ceilinged area of the newer part of the building. Ha, and thanks, Paul, for the anecdote on the Streisand Suite.
Oops, I was just away to end, but then I remembered I hadn’t properly mentioned the “huge impact” that Skylofts at MGM Grand has had.
Previously, we were going to be ending Season 1 at Episode 52, then there’d be a 12-Episode Awards Season, and then Season 2 would commence, which was going to revolve around a book on cocktails.
And now?
Season 1 will end at Episode 53, then there’s going to be a 6-Episode Awards Season, and then Season 2 is going to revolve around customer service. This is surely going to be a lot of fun.
Drat, sorry, one more thing; dindums this evening is at Joel Robuchon. Will this be winning Best Restaurant? We shall see.
This month’s tune has no real connection to anything. I fancied some 303 action, and today’s almost the end of the year, which sort of works with the end-of-the-centuryness of the song title of “1999”. There were Christmas Trees right at the end of 1999, I explained to Neil (Findlay, hopeful Very Special Guest of Episode 53), the other day. Perhaps we’ll discuss those Christmas Trees.
Zoe and I were talking about customer service. Cripes, on our way back in from Joel Robuchon (ooh, get us, name-dropping a swanky restaurant), Cristopher was at the front desk, and made deliberate mention of the situation from the morning, and instructed us on what should happen tomorrow morning. Skylofts at MGM Grand, may I suggest you keep hold of Cristopher Bryant; what a wonderful asset to your team this person is.
Tomorrow morning was breakfast at The Mansion. Whoop, whoop, that is something surely not many people are able to say. Well, certainly not many non-whale people.
And was there a Christmas Quiz? Yes, indeed, Zoe had created a fun quiz for our Special Guests (Ian and Wendy, Jo and Matthew, and Monica and Steve) from the first night. One of the rounds of the quiz asked contestants to draw Donnie & Marie on stage. Oh, yes, that was certainly fun. Congratulations to Wendy for scooping the highly-desirable zoecamper.com fashion item.
Thanks again, Skylofts at MGM Grand, for chaning 2econd Friday. And thanks again to April, Cristopher, Giavanna, Paul, and the other great members of the team who, drat, I failed to remember everyone's names. We shall have to return, to be reminded.
Opening Date: 2004
Tune: "1999" by Roy of the Ravers
Dress Code: Business Formal
