As most of you know, I spend a decent chunk of time in Europe for my new job, so hotel living has become a bit of a normal situation for me. I’m actually in London right now for a series of meetings, and I am staying at the Holiday Inn Brentford Lock in West London, a short bus ride away from my office in Hounslow. I can truly say that this hotel is one of the best places I have ever stayed in my life.

First of all, the hotel itself is exquisite. The rooms are spacious and well designed, the dining areas are fantastic and the food is excellent, and the overall aesthetic and comfort of the hotel is above par. The location is ideal for someone like me: right on the shores of the Brentford Lock, near the water and just off the High Street, and close enough to every major method of public transportation.

On top of it being absolutely gorgeous, the one thing that stands out most about the Holiday Inn Brentford Lock — and subsequently makes it even more appealing than some of the Hilton, Fairmont, and Westin hotels where I have stayed — is the remarkable customer service that it offers. Each member of the staff takes care to treat me (and I’m guessing every other customer) like I am the most important person in the hotel, and is eager to help at any moment.

Case in point: as I walked into the hotel, the lady at reception greeted me by name before I had even said a word. Knowing that I needed to have access to the hotel gym while I was staying here, she had already prepared the necessary gym pass and set me up with my room promptly and easily. I have stayed at this hotel before, but it was only for a week, over two months ago. The fact that she not only recognized me, but also remembered my name and personal details (including my preference of wake-up call time and the fact that I needed a gym key) is remarkable considering the fact that hundreds of guests come through the hotel every week.

Another example is that of Ankit, who works in the hotel restaurant. My first breakfast meal there, he not only greeted me by name, but remembered my choice of coffee over tea and remembered not only where I was from, but my line of work and my personal interests. During my solitary breakfast — I’m the only person I know that wakes up before 6am on a Sunday morning — we chatted about work and life and he made sure that I was all set for the week of meetings ahead of me. Of course, none of this was necessary: he could have easily gone about doing his work in a regular manner and I still would have enjoyed my meal. However, Ankit knows that the secret to a happy hotel guest isn’t in the fancy frills you add to their pillow. He knows that people need to feel a sense of comfort and belonging, to truly feel at home when they are in a foreign environment.

You might think that all of this is common sense, but you’d be surprised how many hotels I have stayed in that prize their features and fanciness, but fail to make the guest feel like family instead of just another paying customer. It’s not often that I say I feel like I could live in a hotel, but with people around me like they have at the Holiday Inn Brentford Lock, it really does feel like home.