Q&A
DONALD CROSSLEY
CONCIERGE OF THE HYATT CENTRIC THE LOOP CHICAGO
By Sharon Hirschowitz
Donald Crossley, Concierge of the
Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago can
tell you a story or two after 26 years in
the luxury hotel business. From helping
an NBA player propose to his beloved
during the Chicago Bulls championship
run or falling into a dumpster while
getting a newspaper for a guest, he’s
done it all. Don’t ask him for anything
illegal though, he has been known to
politely refuse to fulfill illegal requests
for celebrity guests.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN
NICKNAMED THE “MAYOR
OF THE HYATT”. WHERE DID
YOU GET THAT TERM OF
ENDEARMENT?
In the early 90’s I was given that
nickname while working at the Hyatt
Regency Chicago. The General
Manager, Jerry Lewin, saw that I was
getting a lot of positive comments &
feedback from guests and Hyatt Spirit
awards from the associates. I was also
assisting the Executive Committee
and employees with various requests.
Mr. Lewin gave me the nickname. I
was so proud of that name. I had some
great mentors at the Hyatt Regency
Chicago.
HOW DO YOU THINK GUEST
EXPERIENCE HAS CHANGED
OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS?
HOW HAS THIS IMPACTED
YOUR SERVICE STYLE?
A lot of requests now are more like
demands. They say they can get
better service at Hotel XYZ. We can
never let a guest believe we can’t
accommodate their request unless it is
illegal. My service style has remained
the same for more than 20 years
which is why I am still in the business.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
GUESTS ARE EXPECTING
FROM LUXURY HOTELS AND
THEIR STAFF?
The word “luxury” says it all. They
want top notch service from the
management down to the laundry
staff. They expect larger rooms and
better upkeep of the hotel. They want
business center services assisted by an
actual person, not just computers.
HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY
MADE YOUR LIFE EASIER? AND
MORE DIFFICULT?
I am from the old school of service,
technology helped speed the process
of assisting a guest with restaurants,
booking various activities within the
city and getting directions quickly.
The difficult part is making sure the
information that technology is giving
is accurate and correct because
everyone always checks the internet!
TELL US A STORY WE WOULD
NOT BELIEVE...
A couple was getting married and
it was November (the weather was
absolutely terrible). The friend who
was their witness couldn’t get to
Chicago due to the weather. I took an
early lunch that day and went to City
Hall to be their witness.
DID YOU ALSO HELP GUESTS
GET A DOG FROM A SHELTER?
An international couple had just
recently moved to Chicago and
I had been helping them with
various requests. I went with them
to the Animal Welfare League
on LaSalle and helped them get a
puppy. There was a language barrier
and they needed assistance with
communicating, I was glad to help.
ILHA 77